Author: Cheryl

Call for Participation: Research participants for a study on archivists and librarians involved with community engagement and higher ed

Dear Colleagues, 

We are excited to invite participants for a research study titled “Bridging Campus and Community: Librarian and Archivists’ Perspectives on Community Engagement in Higher Education” which will explore community engagement practices among academic librarians and information professionals working in higher education. The purpose of this study is to explore how academic information practitioners understand and carry out community engagement, especially in their work with off-campus publics. This research seeks to identify how information practitioners define community engagement, how they approach their engagement activities, and what challenges and opportunities they encounter. Additionally, the study aims to examine the support structures and competencies needed for effective community engagement in higher education.  

Who Can Participate? 
We are seeking academic information practitioners (librarians, archivists, etc.) who: 

  • Hold an MLIS/MAS or equivalent degree. 
  • Are currently employed in a higher education setting in North America. 
  • Identify community engagement as a priority in their professional work.

What Does Participation Involve? 
To determine eligibility, participants are asked to complete a short pre-screening questionnaire, which will take up to 5 minutes to complete which will close on November 8, 2024. Those who meet the criteria for the full study will be invited to participate in a 90-minute Zoom interview at a mutually convenient time. 

Why Participate in the Full Study? 
Your insights can contribute to a deeper understanding of community engagement practices in academic libraries and the support structures needed to foster this work. Upon completion of the study, the findings will be made open access through the University of British Columbia’s institutional repository, cIRcle, and Simon Fraser University’s institutional repository, Summit.  

How to Get Involved 
If you are interested, please complete the pre-screening questionnaire here: 
ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fQ3NtvBRoDQx1k

We encourage you to share this invitation within your professional networks and associations.  

How will Confidentiality, Anonymity, and Data be Protected?  
Your confidentiality will be maintained throughout the study. If you meet the inclusion criteria and are selected for an interview, informed consent will be obtained prior to participation.  Identifiable data from the pre-screening survey will be securely stored separately from the interview data, and your name will only appear on the consent form and pre-screening survey. All data will be securely stored in a University of British Columbia cloud-based system (i.e., MS OneDrive), accessible only to the research team using encrypted devices. All pre-screening data from ineligible participants will be deleted. 

If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact us at Aleha McCauley (Principal Investigator), aleha.mccauley@ubc.ca, University of British Columbia or Heather De Forest (Senior Research Associate), hdefores@sfu.ca, Simon Fraser University.  
 
Thank you for considering participating in this study.  

Sincerely, 
Heather De Forest
Community Scholars Librarian
Simon Fraser University Library
515 West Hastings St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 5K3
hdefores@sfu.ca 

CFP: International Council on Archives Barcelona 2025

Full call for papers

In today’s rapidly changing world, new technologies offer both opportunities and challenges. Archivists are not only the custodians of our past, they are also helping to shape our future. The role of archivists and records managers has broadened. They now not only preserve records, but also manage memories, protect identities and navigate the complexities of social conflict. Archivists ensure that records protect rights and make information accessible and understandable.

At the Barcelona Congress, participants will discuss the future of archives, the evolving role of the profession, and how to connect with other fields. By sharing ideas and knowledge, we use the power of archives to create a more informed and inclusive world. Join us at “Knowing Pasts, Creating Futures” to shape the future by learning from the past.

The Congress Programme Committee hereby invites your proposals for papers and other types of sessions related to the theme “Knowing Pasts, Creating Futures.” Session formats and subthemes are described below.

The Programme Committee welcomes the participation of new professionals in the field, new members of the ICA community, and people from other professions who want to engage with archivists and records managers.

An evaluation panel will select proposals for the final programme based on the quality of the proposals and the significance of the topics, while also ensuring that the Congress includes a diverse group of speakers from a wide range of countries and perspectives. In addition, the final programme should provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about record keeping and archives in our host country.

Note for ICA Branches, Sections, and Expert Groups: all ICA groups will be able to reserve meeting time on Monday, 27 October, subject to availability of spaces in the congress venue. For this, you do not need to submit a proposal. Groups can open these meetings to all attendees or limit them to their members. ICA will also organize dedicated lightning talk sessions for Sections and Expert Groups to provide short introductions to their objectives and ongoing work for the general ICA audience. However, ICA groups and their members can always submit session proposals on their significant projects using the usual process to share their work with the widest audience.

Subthemes

1. Managing Memories / Preserving Identities

To navigate the uncertainties of the future, humanity must not forget its past. In this context, archives are essential instruments of society, which is expressed through traditional communication channels and others that are constantly evolving. These include social networks and new social movements, which, in many cases, generate instant and ephemeral documentation.

2. Conflict, Disaster, and Displacement

Around the world there are episodes of forced displacement, displaced people and emergent movements whose memory and that of the reception spaces are important to preserve. These memories are fragile and endangered, and from the archives we must respond to preserve them as a testimony of human activity (displaced people), social activity (organisations supporting displaced people: humanitarian, medical, etc.), and official activity (driven by states and global organisations: UN, EU, etc.).

3. Records of Rights

Archives guarantee personal and collective rights by providing access to our memory through heritage management. Document management ensures better access to documents, greater transparency and good governance of public administrations. In terms of collective rights, archives promote corporate social responsibility through collaboration between archives and society.

4. Digital and Accessible

Within digital society, archives are digitising the past, present, and future. As a result, both digital humanities and artificial intelligence projects focus on documents, from all time periods. However, these strategies differ significantly from traditional models of knowledge transfer, often involving the direct construction of knowledge from information. This universal access to documents, data and information significantly changes the role of professionals.

5. Archival Futures

The training of archive professionals is crucial in shaping the future of the profession. With new societal challenges and developments in the field, it is time for an in-depth debate on the functions of professionals, their expertise, professional skills, and areas of specialisation. We must assess the state of the profession and evaluate new realities and experiences to determine the professional hazards and opportunities faced by archivists and document managers.

Papers may be submitted in Catalan, Spanish, English or French

We request that you complete your application by no later than Thursday 16 January 2025 (23:59:59 CET). Presenters will be notified of acceptance by the end of April 2025. The Programme Committee will only consider submissions received via ConfTool. Instructions on how to submit are contained in the submission platform. 

Submission Form

Read more about types of sessions and other details.

CFP: 2025 Acquisitions Institute

2025 Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge
(Sunday through Wednesday in 2025)
Sunday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 21, 2025 
Timberline Lodge: One hour east of Portland, Oregon on the slope of Mt. Hood
www.acquisitionsinstitute.org

Greetings!

We’re excited to announce the call for proposals for AITL 2025: our small, informal, and stimulating gathering in a convivial and glorious Pacific Northwest setting, focused on the methods and innovation of building and managing library collections.

Additionally, to help attendees budget and plan for AITL 2025 we have updated the cost estimates on our website. Last year, the AITL organization operated at a financial loss to run the conference. While we wish we could maintain our pricing from previous years, inflation has increased the cost for all services related to the institute. We are increasing our registration rates to ensure that we are able to offer a high-quality institute for years to come. Please see the “Costs” section on our FAQ webpage for transparency of costs and ballpark costs for lodging. For the 2025 conference, registration (including all meals) is $675. Discounted presenter registration is $475.

Cost saving strategies:

  • Book alternative lodging and travel to the Lodge each day. Although the “experience” of staying at the Lodge is unique and special, we take pride in the high quality of presentations as the major value of our conference. In the past, self-organized carpools have offered a positive experience for attendees not staying at the Timberline Lodge. Rates for the Best Western in Government Camp are generally lower than those at the Lodge. If you do choose to stay down the mountain at Government Camp, be prepared for the six-mile winding mountain road each way.
  • Conference room share. We understand the appeal of having your own room, but sharing lodging cuts costs, and we always try to match individuals looking for room shares.

As always, we value the engagement and participation of our attendees and look forward to your continued interest! Please read on for the call for proposals.

Proposals due December 30, 2024. 

2025 proposal submission form

WHAT IS The Acquisitions Institute?

  • Since 2000, the pre-eminent conference located in Western North America on acquisitions and collection development, held at the Timberline Lodge. 
  • A three-day conference focusing on the methods and innovation of building and managing library collections. 
  • A small (capped at 80 attendees), informal and stimulating gathering in a convivial and glorious Pacific Northwest setting.
  • WHAT TOPICS are we looking for?

The planning committee is seeking submissions on all aspects of library acquisitions and collection management. Presenters are encouraged to engage the audience in discussion, whether the presentation leans more toward the practical “here’s what we did” sessions or toward the more abstract “here’s what we think” sessions. The committee may also seek to achieve balance in the program by bringing individual proposals together to form panels, or by recommending that a proposal be converted to a table talk. We invite you to indicate whether or not you’d be interested in these opportunities on the submission proposal form.

Topics we and/or prior year’s attendees are interested in include (in no particular order):

  • Assessment tools, methods, and projects (e.g., linking collections with learning outcomes; usage studies)
  • Collection strategies including new models for selection and managing liaison programs 
  • Government, special, or academic library perspectives in acquisitions and collection development 
  • Sustainable models for publishing/pricing 
  • Effective management of collections with constrained resources 
  • Vendor and publisher evaluation, including business skills to determine financial viability 
  • Diversity, inclusion, representation, and social justice in acquisitions and collections 
  • Negotiation skills and how to use them, including during library-vendor and library-publisher meetings 
  • Innovative vendor-librarian relationships and/or partnerships 
  • Staffing, training and development, and recruiting issues, challenges, successes (e.g., onboarding new acquisitions and/or collections staff) 
  • Using data visualization techniques to tell our stories (e.g., budget, collections, staff successes, etc.) 
  • Impacts of Open initiatives on acquisitions and collection development 
  • Data curation, including Big Data, and management and other new roles for subject and technical services librarians 
  • How Generative AI impacts our work

The DEADLINE for submitting a proposal is December 30, 2024. NOTE: Maximum of three presenters per proposal.

Please use our 2025 proposal submission form.

COVID-19 Policy: In the interest of keeping everyone safe, the Institute will adhere to local, state, and federal health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. 

Important Dates

Fri 12/30/24: Proposals due
Mon 1/20/25: Review of proposals complete, and presenters notified
Fri 1/24/25: Presenters confirm commitment to present
Early February: Registration scheduled to open

 ________________________________________
The 2025 Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge Planning Committee is:
Damon Campbell, University of Oregon
Selena Chau, University of California, Santa Barbara
Randyn Heisserer-Miller, Colorado State University
Elsa Loftis, Portland State University
Kasia Stasik, Harrassowitz

planning@acquisitionsinstitute.org

CFP: 5th Jubilee Polish Memory Studies Conference

The 5th Jubilee Polish Memory Conference will take place from November 26–28, 2025, at the Silesian University in Katowice in a stationary format. This event provides an opportunity to present the current state of the discipline, review the latest research, and reflect on practical aspects within various research trends and topics. We encourage submissions for panels and individual presentations (in both Polish and English) that will allow for contemplation on the state and new trends in memory studies (both in academic and museum contexts, as well as in social activism) in Poland and the broader context of global research. The main theme of the conference will be INDUSTRIAL MEMORY IN THE ANTHROPOCENE. 

We invite submissions for panels and individual presentations related to collective memory, focusing on topics such as:

– Concepts of industrial memory: the history of technology and its transformations in response to changing energy needs, including projects, practices, and the revitalization of post-industrial spaces.
– Post-industrial heritage: wastelands and edgelands, the role of post-industrial refuges in the context of global environmental changes, and discussions on revitalization versus forgetting.
– Interdisciplinary aspects of industrial memory: topics that incorporate various fields of science, such as architecture, history, or sociology, as well as differences in industrial memory between highly industrialized and less industrialized countries.

Panel submissions: November 30, 2024
Panel submissions should include the name, email address, and biography (up to 100 words) of the panel organizer, along with (if applicable) a list of speakers that should contain their names, biographies (up to 100 words), email addresses, and abstracts (up to 300 words).

 List of open panels: December 10, 2024

Individual submissions: January 10, 2025
Individual submissions should include name, email address, biography, and abstract (up to 300 words).

Conference fees: 400 PLN (full); 300 PLN (PhD students and independent researchers).

Contact and submissions: vkonferencjapamiecioznawcza@gmail.com

Organizing Committee

Faculty of Humanities at Silesian University in Katowice:
Dr. hab. Marta Tomczok, Silesian University
Mgr Klaudia Węgrzyn
Dr. hab. Paweł Tomczok, Silesian University
Dr. hab. Lucyna Sadzikowska, Silesian University
Dr. Marcin Buczyński
Mgr Sylwia Zazulak

Polish Memory Studies Group:
dr Kamilla Biskupska, University of Wrocław
dr Bartłomiej Krzysztan, Polish Academy of Sciences
dr Anna Kurpiel, University of Wrocław
dr Małgorzata Łukianow, University of Warsaw

Contact Information

For organizational information, deadlines, and other matters related to the conference, please contact the organizing team at vkonferencjapamiecioznawcza@gmail.com. 

For all other inquiries, you can reach out to the Polish Memory Studies Group at msapoland@gmail.com.

Call for Participation – Digital Collection Development Policy Survey

You are invited to participate in a survey with the goal of gathering information about policies that describe criteria for the selection of Special Collections resources (i.e. rare and unique archival photographs, manuscripts, ephemera, rare books, and donated born-digital items) for digitization and publication in open access digital libraries. These policies are often known as “digital collection development policies.” This study is being conducted by two librarians at the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library, representing a cross-departmental collaboration between Digital Library Services and Special Collections.

Please click on bit.ly/digcolldevp  to take the survey. 

This survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete and will be open until Monday, November 25th. If you would like additional information about the study, please contact any of the people listed below.

We appreciate your time and participation. Please excuse any cross-postings.

Thanks,

Jessica Breiman, Digital Archives Librarian, University of Utah (jessica.breiman@utah.edu)

Rachel Wittmann, Metadata Strategies Librarian, University of Utah (rachel.wittmann@utah.edu)

The University of Utah’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved this study. Contact the IRB if you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant. Also, contact the IRB if you have questions, complaints or concerns which you do not feel you can discuss with the investigator. The University of Utah IRB may be reached by phone at (801) 581-3655 or by e-mail at irb@hsc.utah.edu.

CFP: Radio and Audio Media Area, and Biographies Area, Popular Culture American Culture Association Conference

Radio and Audio Media Area

April 16-19, 2025, NEW ORLEANS

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION:  NOVEMBER 30, 2024

We invite papers and presentations on all aspects of radio and audio media, including but not limited to: radio and audio media history; radio and audio media programs and content (music, drama, talk, news, public affairs, features, interviews, sports, college, religious, ethnic, community, low-power, pirate, etc.); podcasting (news, public affairs, commentary, audio drama, branded content); new audio media (internet radio, streaming audio, etc.); audio social media (Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Reddit Talk, etc.); radio literature studies; media representations of radio and audio media; rhetorical research; legal and regulatory policy; economics of radio and audio media; and radio and audio media technology. We welcome U.S., international, or comparative works and media presentations and are catholic regarding method, theory, or approach. Papers or presentations should be planned for no more than fifteen minutes. We encourage you to emphasize audience involvement and elicit stimulating questions and discussion.

Recent papers have included “Radio Adaptations of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca,” Remediating Narrative Experience: The Symbolic Work of Actual Play Podcasts,” and The Viral Orality of Hate: Right-Wing Radio in [Jordan Peele’s] Quiet Part Loud” . 

Paper or presentation proposals must include an abstract of 200 words and paper or presentation title, and author’s institutional affiliation and email address. We do not accept undergraduate student submissions. Submit your paper or presentation proposal to: https://www.aievolution.com/pcaaca/

The proposal will include an abstract of 200 words and paper or presentation title, institutional affiliation, and email address. In order to submit a paper or presentation proposal, your PCA membership must be valid for 2024-2025.

Address paper or presentation proposals or inquiries via email to: Matthew Killmeier, PCA/ACA Radio and Audio Media Area Chair, Dept. of Communication and Theatre, Auburn University at Montgomery, mkillmei@aum.edu 

November 30, 2024    Deadline for Paper Proposals

December 15, 2024     Travel Grant Applications Due

December 31, 2024     Early Bird Registration Ends for Presenters

January 31, 2025         Regular Registration Ends for Presenters

February 15, 2025       Late Registration Ends for Presenters

*Presenters not registered by Feb. 15 will be dropped from the program.

Contact Information
Matthew Killmeier
Contact Email: mkillmei@aum.edu

Biographies Area

The Biographies Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA)  is soliciting papers for the 2025 conference that examine the connections between biography and popular culture. Papers and full panel presentations regarding any aspect of popular culture and biography are encouraged. Potential topics might include:

– Biography and entertainment, art, music, theater
– Biography and film
– Biography and criminal justice
– Television programs about biography
– Biography and urban legends
– Biography and folklore
– Biography and literature
– Scholarly Biography
– Controversial Biography
– Psychoanalysis and Biography
– Historical Biography
– Political Biography
– Autobiography

The conference will be held April 16-19, 2025 at the New Orleans Marriott, 555 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana  70130. Sessions are scheduled in 1½ hour slots, typically with four papers or speakers per standard session.  Presentations should not exceed 20 minutes. 

Below are some recent titles of presentations in the Biographies Area panels:
·Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll: Celebrity Biography through the Lens of Autopsy
·Will Rogers: American Folk Hero or Elitist Fraud
·Manufacturing “Soupy Sales:” Biographical Insights in the Emergence of a Comic Entertainer

If interested in submitting for the conference, please provide the title and abstract of your presentation.

Please see this link for details and guidelines on submitting to the conference:
https://pcaaca.org/general/custom.asp?page=submissionguidelines  

Deadline for Paper Proposals: November 30, 2024.

Please direct any queries to the Biographies Area Chair:

Susie Skarl
Associate Professor/Urban Affairs Librarian
UNLV Libraries
Las Vegas, NV 89154
702-895-2141
susie.skarl@unlv.edu OR susieskarl@gmail.com

Contact Information

Susie Skarl
Associate Professor/Urban Affairs Librarian
susie.skarl@unlv.edu
702-895-2141

Contact Email

susie.skarl@unlv.edu

Call for Publications: Routledge Practicing Oral History Book Series

The Routledge Practicing Oral History book series invites proposals for works on applying oral history in our complex, contemporary world. Much has changed since the first title was published fourteen years ago, in technology, methodology, and recent history. We are here to meet the moment and bring new titles with the most current best practices to practitioners in areas where oral history might be used. 

 Recent titles:

  • Oral History at a Distance
  • Student-Centered Oral History: An Ethical Guide
  • Family Oral History Across the World
  • Practicing Oral History with Military and War Veterans

Contact Information

Nancy MacKay
Series editor
Contact Email
nancymackay@gmail.com

URL: https://www.routledge.com/Practicing-Oral-History/book-series/POHLCP

CFP: RBMS Conference, “A Multitude of Stories”

Deadline: Friday, December 13, 2024

The RBMS Conference Program Planning Committee enthusiastically invites you to contribute to our exploration of “A Multitude of Stories“. We seek innovative and thought-provoking proposals for in-person or virtual presentations that delve into the transformative work of decolonization in libraries and cultural heritage institutions.

This conference is your opportunity to showcase how you are actively engaging with critical themes such as repatriation, reparative cataloging, reconciliation, and more. We want to hear about the bold steps you’re taking to rethink and reshape the narratives within your collections, particularly those connected to colonial histories, Indigenous cultural heritages, and marginalized communities.

Your voice and experience are crucial to this dialogue. Whether you’re pushing boundaries with new methodologies or reflecting on the challenges and successes of your decolonization efforts, we want to amplify your story. Join us in a collective effort to rethink and reimagine the role of special collections in fostering a more inclusive and equitable future.

Six session formats are available and potential topics might include but are not limited to:

  • Innovative repatriation practices
  • Strategies for reparative cataloging
  • Reconciliation efforts in archival work
  • Ethical challenges in decolonization projects
  • Collaborative initiatives with Indigenous communities
  • Addressing the legacy of colonialism in special collections

Submit your proposal and be part of a powerful movement to transform how we engage with our collective histories.

Collaboration Spreadsheet

Seeking someone to collaborate with on a presentation? Use this spreadsheet to help find someone!

Modality Options

All presenters in the same session must be either ALL in-person in New Haven, CT or ALL virtually presenting from their own location(s). Please note, slots for virtual presentations are limited.

Selection Criteria

The RBMS 2025 Conference committees will evaluate proposal content on the following criteria:

  • Point of view/Creativity
  • Applicability/Timeliness
  • Relevance to Conference Theme (exclusion for Seminars and Workshops)
  • Clarity of Proposal and Suitability for Session Format

Seminar proposals will also be evaluated for their:

  • Educational component
  • Originality

Workshop proposals will also be evaluated for their:

  • Level of preparation, including:
    • Plan for the session
    • Selection of speakers
    • Learning objectives
  • Potential value as a workshop

For every session format, you must complete the proposal application in full to receive full consideration.

You may submit multiple proposals for consideration, but if accepted for more than one program, you may be asked to choose one.

Requirements

RBMS 2025 presenters will be required to: 

SAA Publishing-related Volunteer Opportunities

SAA has put out the call for volunteers, and there’s a few publishing/research-related ones:

Available Positions

American Archivist Editorial Board (2) 

Committee on Research, Data, and Assessment (2) 

Dictionary Working Group  

Publications Board (2, 1 midterm) 

Podcast Working Group 

Awards:
Waldo Gifford Leland Award  (for writing of superior excellence and usefulness in the field of archival history, theory, or practice)
Preservation Publication Award  (for outstanding published work related to archives preservation)
Fellows’ Ernst Posner Award  (for outstanding essay in most recent volume of The American Archivist)
Theodore Calvin Pease Award  (for superior writing achievement by a student of archival studies as nominated by his/her instructor)

Application Deadline: December 15, 2024

Request for participation: Recruitment of information professionals in academic libraries

Greetings!

We would like to invite you to consider participating in a short survey that focuses on recruitment of information professionals in academic libraries. It will examine how elements of an academic job description are perceived by participants. The purpose is to identify if any patterns exist in how features of the advertisement are perceived by participants, based on factors including the participant’s work experience, educational background, and individual differences. Anticipated benefits of this study include the potential to identify the most widely appealing factors of academic library advertisements to improve diversity in applicant pools. 

Anyone over the age of 18 who identifies as a librarian and/or archivist is eligible to participate. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to answer approximately 50 questions, which should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The informed consent and survey are available at: https://towson.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5z1qFAZvYKqs0Vo

Please do not put any information in your response that could be used to identify you. 

The survey will be live for 4 weeks until November 24, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the Principal Investigator, Ashley Todd-Diaz (atodddiaz@towson.edu). 

Thank you in advance for considering,  

Ashley Todd-Diaz, Towson University, Principal Investigator  

——————————
Ashley Todd-Diaz
Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections and University Archives
Towson University