#alaac16 Call for International Papers and Projects Program

November 19, 2015

The American Library Association, International Papers and Projects Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, USA. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers Session scheduled for June 2016.

The International Papers and Projects Program provides librarians with an opportunity to exchange information about library services, collections and projects throughout the world. The program also serves to stimulate the interest of U.S. librarians in international library matters. Through its International Papers Committee, ALA’s International Relations Round Table (IRRT) invites librarians to submit a presentation proposal.

The 2016 International Papers and Projects Program theme is:

Borderless Libraries: Pushing Boundaries for Innovation and Leadership

Learning and research today are increasingly global and interdisciplinary. To meet the challenges and needs of our interconnected world, libraries are reaching outside of their institutional and geographical borders to cooperate with institutions and agencies of all types. With increased awareness of shared missions and common challenges, libraries are forming learning networks to gain insights and achieve solutions to respond to community needs.

This program will feature presentations on projects and collaborations that cross traditional boundaries, both geographical and institutional, in order to innovate and lead. Presenters are encouraged to consider the theme from diverse angles. Possible topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborating with libraries or other organizations, especially to bring in new global perspectives
• Working with cross-border partners to use technology in innovative ways to provide services to users
• Sharing resources and skills with libraries across institutional or geographical borders to support innovation or find solutions that address common issues and challenges

Submission Guidelines

Proposals, presentations, and papers must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program.

Proposals should include:

1. Title of the presentation
2. Name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address) for each  presenter
3. Abstract (300-500 words)
4. A short biographical profile of each presenter

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to the International Relations Office via email at intl@ala.org with a copy to richard.sapon-white@oregonstate.edu and jsolis@email.unc.edu.

Deadline for submitting proposals is December 19, 2015.

Selection Process

Three official and three alternate proposals will be selected. Alternate proposals will be ranked and considered in place of official ones in case substitutions are necessary. Proponents will be notified of the selection results by January 15, 2016.

Presentation Format

The International Papers and Projects Program is 1.5 hours total.  Presentations should run about 20 minutes each, followed by a question-and-answer session.  Presenters are encouraged to prepare a dynamic and interactive presentation, incorporating visual prompts, technologies, games, questions for the audience, etc. PowerPoints are common, but speakers who want to read a paper or refer to it are welcome to do so.  Optionally, presenters may submit a formal paper (5,000-10,000 words), to be published on the International Papers Committee website.

We would like to invite you to view previous presentations listed on IRRT’s International Papers and Projects Session Committee website.