Ithaka: An Introduction Kevin Guthrie Chairman Ithaka With the support of the Hewlett, Mellon, and Niarchos foundations, a new organization called Ithaka is being launched with a mission to help accelerate the adoption of productive and efficient uses of information technology for the benefit of the worldwide higher education community. Naturally, like all such statements, the above mission is both broad and ambitious. At a more practical level Ithaka is focusing its initial efforts on three interconnected activities: (1) incubating promising and important projects and new ideas; (2) supporting affiliated organizations through sharing of resources; and (3) conducting research on the impact of technologies on the scholarly community. In the future Ithaka may provide a mechanism for sharing its experience with projects not directly affiliated with it, perhaps through some form of advisory services, if there proves to be demand for that in the community. Overall, Ithaka aims to contribute to the sustainability, efficiency, and effectiveness of not-for-profit enterprises that are using new technologies in ways that benefit higher education. In addition to providing an overview of the organization's mission and purpose, the speaker will describe some of Ithaka's initial experiences. Presentation: Ithaka: An Introduction (PPT)