Library Publishing Forum 2016
Amplifying Scholarship: More Choices, More Voices
The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is accepting proposals for the 2016 Library Publishing Forum, to be held May 17 - 19 in Denton, Texas. An international, community-led organization with over 60 member libraries, the LPC promotes the development of innovative, sustainable publishing services in academic and research libraries to support content creators as they generate, advance, and disseminate knowledge.
Libraries as publishers have the means to expand access to publishing, creating opportunities for diverse voices to be heard. We want to hear your stories and visions of how library publishing can and does amplify scholarship by curating, disseminating, promoting, and preserving scholarly and community voices.
We invite proposals from Library Publishing Coalition members and nonmembers, including librarians, university press staff, publishing service providers (vendors), scholars, students, and other scholarly communications and publishing professionals. We especially encourage first-time presenters and representatives of small and emerging publishing programs to submit proposals.
We invite proposals for the following session formats:
Presentation
Panel
Workshop
Birds-of-a-Feather Discussion
Lightning Talk
Poster
Other session formats are welcome, especially sessions that incorporate interactivity and audience participation.
We invite presentations that address any library publishing topic. Topics that we find particularly interesting and timely include:
diversity: libraries as publishers of diverse/marginalized voices
advocacy: defining and communicating the value of library publishing
bootstrapping: getting library publishing programs off the ground
insourcing/outsourcing: libraries as service providers versus service brokers
innovation: libraries as contributors to transformation of publishing processes such as peer review, evaluation, and dissemination
“reading, writing, and robots”: the future of scholarly communications technology and the publishing environment of tomorrow
Submissions
Presentations
1 - 2 presenters, 45 - 60 minutes
Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words.
This format is intended for one or two speakers presenting a single perspective or piece of research. We encourage presentations to move beyond the case study and address pressing issues, best practices, opportunities for collaboration, and visions for the future of library publishing.
Panels
3 - 5 presenters, 60 - 75 minutes
Please submit one 100-word abstract for the overarching panel theme, along with 250-word (maximum) abstracts for each panelist.
We encourage panels to represent a range of professional backgrounds and experience. Proposals that include diverse perspectives (i.e., faculty, students, community members, archivists, and/or multiple institutions) will be given preference over homogenous panels. We also encourage alternative panel formats (pecha kucha, lightning talks followed by small group discussions, or others) that will facilitate dialogue and enlarge participation.
Workshops
1 - 2 leaders, 1 - 4 hours
Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words
Share your knowledge about a publishing tool, software, or methodology. Workshops are hands-on, interactive half-day sessions that leave attendees with practical, implementable takeaways. Workshops are a great format for hands-on software/technology instruction; vendors are welcome to submit proposals. Your abstract should address the topic of the workshop, the proposed length of the workshop, the expected learning outcomes, the target audience, and how the workshop will benefit that audience. Hour-long workshops will be scheduled as concurrent sessions on May 18 or 19. Half-day workshops will take place on the first day of the conference and will require separate registration.
Birds-of-a-Feather Discussions
1 - 2 leaders, 60 - 75 minutes
Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words
Birds-of-a-feather sessions are networking opportunities in which presenters will lead an informal discussion about a chosen topic for fellow practitioners. Birds-of-a-Feather discussions may be scheduled during lunch or as a concurrent session.
Lightning Talks
1 presenter, 10 - 12 minutes
Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words
Lightning talks are a great format for case studies, library publishing “success stories,” and research updates.
Posters
1 presenter
Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words
Project updates, single-institution case studies, and preliminary research can be presented as an academic poster. Poster presenters will also be invited to give a 2-minute lightning pitch describing their poster during the conference reception. Further guidelines and specifications will be provided upon acceptance. Please do not submit the final poster file with your abstract.
Review
The LPC Program Committee will review and accept abstracts based on their relevance to the conference theme and audience, the clarity of description, and their potential for inspiring discussion, collaboration, and innovation.
Deadlines
Submission Deadline: January 15, 2016
Acceptance Notification: February 15, 2016
How to Submit
Submit proposals here.
Eligibility & Requirements
We welcome proposals from librarians, university press staff, publishing service providers (vendors), scholars, students, and other scholarly communications and publishing professionals, at both LPC member institutions and non-member institutions, large and small.
Presenters must register for and attend the conference. Presenters must also sign and submit a speaker agreement granting permission to the LPC to distribute their slides online with a CC-BY license. Some sessions will be recorded and distributed online, with permission from the presenters. These presenters will also be asked to sign and submit an agreement granting permission to the LPC to record presentations and distribute recordings online with a CC-BY license. Exceptions to the CC-BY license will be considered on a case-by-case basis.