Yesterday and this morning I attended Web-Wise 2003, "a conference on libraries and museums in the digital world." Ever the cynic about meetings, I expected it to be soporific but found it thought-provoking, and even inspiring at times.

First, a couple observations of irony:

- The sound engineer had trouble with his microphone.
- The women working on the live storytelling archive were the most awkward speakers.
- The Berkeley artists’ website was the least creative.
- Astronomers are gathering so much data about our universe that it is much cheaper and faster for them to FedEx the original data tapes from the observatory to the laboratory than to transfer the data over a network.

Secondly, loads of links:

- maps of the archeaological excavations at Amheida (If you've got a fast connection and Flash, click on "Open Animated Site Map." The Flash presentation was designed to mimic GIS software, allowing you to layer a satellite image of the area, topographic map, maps of structures, places of interest, etc.)
- Field Trip Earth tracks elephants in Cameroon, red wolves in eastern North Carolina, and more
- Voices of the Colorado Plateau, simply and beautifully presented oral histories
- WGBH Boston archive of the Ten O'Clock News, focusing on the history and culture of Boston's African American community from 1974 to 1991
- International Children’s Digital Library
- Morton Arboretum's online searchable herbarium
- Public Art in the Bronx

Almost no one mentioned the Library of Congress, and no one mentioned any LC digital projects.