The Knowledge Society: open to all?

An announcement goes to the MLANews Jiscmail list about a fringe meeting they're holding at the Labour party conference in Brighton under the title The Knowledge Society: open to all?. They want to "broaden[...] access to the wealth of
knowledge held in museums, libraries and archives across the country".

As I live and work nearby and have both a personal and a professional interest in this subject, I think of going. But it says in the message that the meeting, in the Metropole Hotel, is inside the secure area. I e-mail back to find out what this means. and get a helpful answer from MLA. But it tells me that only delegates can get into the secure zone, that to register as a delegate costs over £100 and security clearance takes over 24 hours. Open to all? Perhaps I should join the Countryside Alliance: they seem to be able to get in.

Comments

[John Hughes]

Is there a gulf between knowledge rich and knowledge poor?
In an increasingly information- and technology-based society, how can we ensure that everyone has access to knowledge?
How can public institutions foster trust and engagement and broaden access to their services?
Are museums, libraries and archives middle-class preserves, or can they be used to bridge a growing digital divide?

I shouldn't worry, Tom. If these questions are still being asked, even at a fringe meeting where there ought to be an expectation of "thinking outside the security cordon" (!), we're not going to miss much.

[Tom]

You're right of course, John...it seemed to me worth recording that a meeting held to discuss this theme should take place with such restricted access. It would be intersting to know if any account of the meeting is to be made public: did Labour Party delegates flock to it? And what did they say?