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For Release March 23, 2000; 8:00 AM PST PLANETWORK Honors American Library Association Environmental Task Force Chair Maria Jankowska San Francisco - American Library Association member MARIA A. JANKOWSKA, (Associate Professor and Research Librarian at University of Idaho Library, Moscow, ID), has been selected to participate in a panel called "Information Technology Professionals for Social and Ecological Responsibility" at the PLANETWORK conference May 12-14 at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco, California. Jankowska, a Ph.D. in Economics, came to the United States from Poland after being awarded a Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars Grant from the Smithsonian Institute. Subsequently, she completed an MLS degree at University of California at Berkeley. Jankowska says, "I'm glad I changed my profession. I have a deeper perspective on the world, nowÑour opportunities and challenges." Jankowska acknowledges that library work has changed dramatically in the age of the Internet. "Librarians used to answer a lot of questions. Now people need training: they need to know how they can find answers themselves. They need to discover if they are asking the right questions." Jankowska feels that one of the most pressing issues for librarians today is the need to educate young people about the environment. Jankowska has been a pioneer in the information technology (IT) field, using IT tools for environmental and conservation projects for over 10 years. She is being honored for her work in founding the Electronic Green Journal (http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu) and for her years of service as chair of the ALA task force on the Environment. One of their year 2000 initiatives is "Earth Day, Every Day." Additionally, she has been a key member of the Idaho Geospatial Data Center project team. The team, under the leadership of Dr. Piotr Jankowski, JankowskaÕs husband, created a digital information infrastructure for a geospatial data library and an interactive web site for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training for the state of Idaho. Jankowska is one of many behind-the-scenes "planetworkers" for the environment who will be featured at the PLANETWORK conference. International experts from a wide range of disciplines and vocations will be included: science, technology, business, green politics and activism, and the arts. For a complete listing of speakers, forums, and a conference schedule, see the PLANETWORK website at www.planetworkers.org. The conference is open to the public. For more information, contact PLANETWORK at 415-436-0123 (voicemail), 415-621-7790 (fax), or register online at www.planetworkers.org. PLANETWORK is a project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a California 501c3 non-profit organization. For further information: |