Conference Session 115

Plenary Session

14 August 2012 08:30 - 09:30 | Room: Session Room 1 | SI

NOTE: this session will be live-streamed!

Towards knotworking: Designing a new concept of work in an academic library

Plenary Speaker: Yrjö Engeström

Professor Yrjö Engeström is Director of the Center for Research on Activity, Development and Learning (CRADLE) at the Institute of Behavioral Sciences of the University of Helsinki. CRADLE is an internationally recognised competent and supportive scientific community of some 30 researchers, conducting workplace development and studies based on cultural-historical activity theory and the sociocultural approach. The focus of the studies is transformation and learning processes in work activities and organisations.

Professor Yrjö Engeström has been involved in a long-lasting library research and development project, Knotworking in Academic Libraries. The project, underway at the Helsinki University Library, aims at developing a new kind of boundary crossing, knotworking work model for librarians and research groups.

Engeström has served as Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, and as Academy Professor appointed by the Academy of Finland. He is Director of CRADLE and was Director of its predecessor the Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research which was a National Centre of Excellence in Research from 2000 to 2005.

Professor Engeström has an honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo and honorary professorship from the University of Birmingham, UK. His latest book is From Teams to Knots: Activity-Theoretical Studies of Collaboration and Learning at Work (Cambridge University Press, 2008).

Chair: Kaisa Sinikara
(University Librarian, Helsinki University Library, Finland)