91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – Sue Gardner will join 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) President Roberta Stevens at her President’s Program on Sunday June 26, 2011, to speak about one of the most popular Internet sensations of this decade. The program, titled “Wikipedia: Past, Present, and Future,” will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. CDT during the 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference, June 25 to 29 in New Orleans.

Gardner is executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit charitable organization that operates Wikipedia and nine other free-knowledge wikis. Wikimedia operates the largest collaboratively edited reference projects in the world, including Wikipedia, one of the world’s 10 most popular sites. Since her arrival at Wikimedia, Gardner has introduced major initiatives focused on organizational maturity, long-term sustainability and increased participation, reach and quality of the Foundation’s free-knowledge projects.

Gardner was formerly head of CBC.CA, the Internet platform for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada’s radio, TV and new media public broadcaster and the nation’s largest journalistic organization. Under her leadership, CBC.CA experienced a historic audience surge and launched many new major multimedia technologies, including podcasting, breaking news alerts, live event blogging and many forms of user interaction.

Gardner has worked in all forms of media to create high quality, award-winning programming. As a journalist, she specialized in pop culture, social issues and media analysis, covering stories such as manipulation of the news media during the first Gulf War, the rise of gated communities in California and the racial implications of the return of the death penalty to New York.

The 91´«Ã½ is the voice of America's libraries and the millions of people who depend on them. With more than 63,000 members, the 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world and represents all types of libraries and library staff. The Annual Conference & Exhibition, the largest event for libraries, librarians and those who support them, will take place June 25-29 in New Orleans.

For more information regarding the Annual Conference, please visit