The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) will celebrate its 125th Anniversary with a one-day Symposium and Open House at the Library of Congress from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 18 September. 

The event is open to the public at no cost and additional information is available at http://geonames.usgs.gov/anniversary/index.html

The Symposium will highlight "Traditions and Transitions of the BGN." It will take place in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building. The tentative agenda includes:

U.S. Board on Geographic Names Welcome
Library of Congress Welcome
Department of the Interior Welcome

Keynote
Geographic Names: Roles, Rhetoric, and Resistance
Dr. Mark Monmonier
Distinguished Professor of Geography (Syracuse University)

Geographic Names Authorities, Standardization, and International Cooperation
Ms. Helen Kerfoot, 
Former Chair, United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), Emeritus Scientist, Natural Resources Canada

The Origin(s) of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names
Capt. Albert E. “Skip” Théberge
NOAA Corps (Ret.), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Central Library

Evolution of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names
Ms. Sandra Shaw
Former Chair of the BGN and Foreign Names Committee

Introduction of Former BGN Leaders, Current Members, and Staff

The Influence of Technology on the Use of and Access to Geographic Names
Dr. Luis Bermudez 
Executive Director of the Open Geospatial Consortium’s Compliance and e-Learning Program

Authoritative Names and Crowd Sourcing: What’s the Connection?
Mr. David Stage
Former Florida State GIS Coordinator

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names and the National Geographic Society: 125 Years of Disseminating Place Names
Mr. Juan José Valdés
The Geographer, Director of Editorial and Cartographic Research, National Geographic Society


Open House

The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress will host an Open House with the theme "Power of Names," with rare artifacts and materials focusing on "Early Geographic Names," "Traditions and Practices of the BGN," and "Power of Names."

For further information, please contact [log in to unmask]