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British Columbia Library Conference

Call for Proposals: 2016 BC Library Conference

November 11, 2015

BC Library Conference: May 11th to 13th
Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, Richmond.

The theme for the 2016 BC Library Conference is Disrupt & Transform. We think the theme captures the rapid changes happening around us, as well as the ways we are changing ourselves to stay relevant in turbulent times. The theme invites examination of the ongoing social purposes of libraries, and the role libraries and library staff play in building strong, sustainable, resilient and participatory communities. This year’s theme leads us to questions such as how do libraries make sense out of what seems an increasingly chaotic environment, and how do we establish new roles and stake out new positions to meet the evolving needs of our users? Do we simply react to change or are we active agents for disruption and transformation? Join your colleagues in sharing ideas to engage in purposeful disruption to transform our services, collections, spaces, and ourselves!

With our theme we will continue program streams: access, community, evidence, place, and work, believing they are vital areas of dialogue to take us forward. The streams are areas of shared and necessary interest for everyone in all libraries. We believe that these streams transcend the boundaries that can keep library sectors in silos. Please see below for more about the streams.

We have made a change to the proposal submission process this year and are using a new tool to submit and collect proposals. Before going directly to the proposal submission space we urge you to read the FAQ that will explain the submission process.

Submission process and FAQ:  https://bclaconnect.ca/2016-conference/proposal-submission-faq/

Once you have read about the submission process and the FAQ, please go to ProposalSpace to submit your proposal. As in previous years there are several fields that need to be completed. Unlike previous years you are able to complete the proposal template in stages if you need to collect additional information and revisit your proposal as often as you need to up until you hit the “submit” button.

You will also notice that once you are on ProposalSpace you will be asked to create an account. This is simple, just follow the instructions. Once an account is created you are able to access your proposal as often as you need to until you submit it!

Proposal Space: http://proposalspace.com/calls/d/543

If you have any questions about using ProposalSpace please contact the BC Library Conference Coordinator, Shannon Stumph at: shannon@dragonflyconsulting.ca

There are 5 programming streams: access, community, evidence, place and work.

Access Commodification of information, copyright, licensing vs ownership, digitization and preservation, metadata schemas and standards, open access, closed stacks, and institutional repositories – ensuring information remains accessible for everyone is not easy or guaranteed. Are our current tools of access and description adequate? What are we doing to advocate for free access and is it enough? What are the threats to access in both the physical and digital worlds?

Community If what we do in libraries isn’t about our communities, then is it about anything at all? Libraries – public, academic, school or special – belong to a multitude of communities and are building relationships in those communities in different ways. What are the communities we belong to how are we engaging with them in meaningful ways? In these times of outreach, partnerships, community-based services, and community-led libraries, let’s set aside some time for deliberate, meaningful reflection.

Evidence Evidence based library practice anyone? With this stream, we hope to make space for librarians and other information professionals to talk about research and how their findings can contribute to decision making in our professional practice. Let’s look beyond reference and circulation stats and ask how are we really doing?

Place Learning space, maker/hackerspace, community space, physical and online space– the library as place of cultural and intellectual meaning is in a period of renewal. We are reconfiguring our spaces to be flexible and in many ways undefined. What are we learning about public space, user needs, and libraries as places?

Work From collective bargaining and workers’ rights to professional development and identity, to the nuanced politics of communal fridges, we all share experiences and have valuable insight to contribute as workers. In this stream, we propose an exploration of that role within our various contexts. Let’s talk theory, practice, and everything in between.

Sessions are either 45 minutes or 75 minutes. The final program will be a combination of selected submissions and invited speakers. The deadline for proposals is noon on Thursday, Dec. 17th.

Please see our Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions page.

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