ABSTRACT
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to this conference this morning for three reasons: first, because the idea for this conference started with a problem and the need to find answers to it. It began with a conversation in my office between Dr. Kingma and myself as we discussed how we might find solutions to some of our own problems in the economics of information. As an administrator, I rarely have the opportunity to develop an idea fully, to see a project through to completion, and then to find uninterrupted time to enjoy the fruits of my labor, so I am looking forward to doing just that over the next two days. The second reason for my pleasure is that this conference brings together a rich and provocative array of speakers and panelists and a wonderfully varied group of participants to examine and discuss complex and compelling issues raised by the development of the knowledge infrastructure and the transformation of scholarship. I am looking forward to interesting conversations, to looking at familiar ideas in unfamiliar ways, to making new connections, and to learning much that will be new to me.
