Category: Call for Papers

CFP: Visual Resources Association Annual Conference

The Call for Proposals has bee extended! The submission deadline is Monday, April 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT.

Whether you are a current member or a potential attendee, we encourage you to reflect on your experiences, ideas, and expertise. We encourage submissions from VRA members and non-members, seasoned attendees and first-timers, as well as students, early-career, mid-career, and senior professionals.

Please direct any questions about the submission process to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org. 

VRA 2025 Virtual Whiteboard

Interested in engaging with the VRA community to develop or refine a proposal or suggest ideas? VRA’s Education Committee has set up a Virtual Whiteboard where you can brainstorm collaboratively about potential papers, panels, special interest/user groups, workshops, meetings, and poster sessions. Reach out to the Education Committee co-chairs at education@vraweb.org if you have any questions about the whiteboard. 

Suggested Topics

We welcome proposals on a wide range of topics related to visual resources, including case studies, lessons learned (both successes and challenges), practical applications, innovative methods, ongoing projects, ethical considerations, research, and pedagogical practices. Suggested topics include:

  • Coding
  • Community outreach
  • Copyright/intellectual property
  • Digital asset management, digital curation, digital preservation, etc.
  • Digitization (workflows, digital capture and imaging technologies)
  • Digital scholarship and digital humanities
  • Diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competencies, social justice
  • Project management (communication, grant writing, prioritization, leadership, etc.)
  • Linked data
  • Materials/objects collections
  • Metadata/cataloging ethics (decolonizing vocabularies, radical cataloging)
  • Storytelling and oral history
  • Technologies (GIS and mapping, 3D imaging, etc.)
  • Tools: open source, evolution, future trends
  • Workplace cultures and professional transitions (academic departments, libraries, cultural heritage institutions, archives, corporate, etc.)

This is not an exhaustive list. Do not hesitate to propose something new or highlight an area of concern that you feel has not been adequately addressed in the past! 

Past conference schedules can give you an idea of the range of topics presented in previous years.

Conference Format

As we look ahead to VRA 2025, we are excited to announce a carefully considered shift in the structure for our upcoming annual conference. 

Five years since the onset of the pandemic, the landscape of large-scale conferences has profoundly transformed. Priorities have shifted, placing greater emphasis on health and safety, accessibility, affordability, and environmental sustainability. These changing expectations have inspired us to reimagine how we structure our conferences to better serve our community.

Over the past three years, the VRA Annual Conference has embraced a hybrid model, accommodating virtual and in-person attendance with a mix of in-person and remote presenters. However, in 2025, we are embarking on a new approach to enhance the experience for all participants.

VRA 2025 will feature two distinct components: virtual pre-conference programming held a week prior to the main event, followed by three days of on-site conference programming at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR.

On-site conference attendees will automatically be registered for the virtual pre-conference, and folks unable to attend on-site will have the option to register for the virtual pre-conference programming separately. 

This change is designed to ensure flexibility and accessibility while creating a more engaging experience. It will also lessen the burden on both our organization’s finances and the volunteers who make this event possible. Furthermore, by separating virtual and on-site programming, we aim to avoid the challenges posed by the hybrid model, which often leads to a fragmented experience for both in-person and virtual participants.

To help us in this effort, we invite you to share your feedback through an anonymous survey. Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you as we work toward a more inclusive and engaging conference. Click here to access the feedback form.

Working together, we can design a conference experience that adapts to the evolving expectations of our field for 2025 and beyond.

Please direct any questions about the conference format to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org. 

Proposal Types

VRA 2025 is an in-person conference, and accepted speakers are expected to deliver their presentations onsite (barring extenuating circumstances). To accommodate those unable to attend in person, there will be a limited number of all-virtual sessions during pre-conference programming the week of September 29, 2025. Presenters should plan their submissions and participation accordingly.

Committees, chapters, and user groups may choose to meet virtually before the conference, in-person during the conference, or both (two meetings, one virtual and one in-person).

Please note, there will be a separate call for posters in June 2025.

Individual Paper (15–20 minutes): Individual presentations that may highlight new research, a project, a case study, or an innovative idea relevant to the VRA community. Papers should aim to provide attendees with fresh tools, strategies, or inspiration they can apply in their own practice. Grouped thematically with other individual papers into sessions with a total run time of 60 to 90 minutes, including a Q&A.

Lightning Talk (5–7 minutes): Short individual presentations addressing a timely or specific topic. Lightning talks provide attendees the opportunity to hear about a range of innovative projects or ideas from a broad group of colleagues in a short amount of time. Grouped into sessions that may or may not be themed, with a run time of 60 minutes, including a Q&A.

Pre-coordinated Panel (60–90 minutes): Moderated sessions typically consisting of 3–4 presenters speaking for 15 minutes each, followed by a facilitated Q&A. Panels provide attendees with diverse perspectives on a single topic, a comparison of tools or methods, or a number of case studies on related subjects. If you are proposing a panel, it is your responsibility to fill the time with presenters. It is not necessary to identify all potential presenters before submitting, but conference planners will need names of presenters several months prior to the conference.

Workshop (90 minutes–3 hours): An opportunity to teach and explore a specific tool, technique, workflow, or concept relevant to the VRA community. Recent conference workshops have included sessions on digital cartography, accessibility, salary negotiation, critical cataloging, grant writing, coding, open data, photogrammetry, and more. 

Special Interest or User Group (60 minutes): Small, informal, facilitated group discussions on topics or tools related to specific segments of the VRA community. Facilitators may propose a meeting for an existing group, or you may also propose a meeting for a topic of interest to you to see if others share that interest.

Committee or Chapter Meeting (60 minutes): Sub-groups within VRA can use conference time to gather and discuss their efforts to continue the work of the organization. These groups are generally regional chapters or established organizational committees.

Schedule

  • January 27: Call for Proposals opens
  • March 14, 11:59 pm PDT: Call for Proposals deadline
  • April 7, 11:59 pm PDT: Call for Proposals extended deadline
  • On or around May 12: Notification of final decisions
  • On or around June 2: Tentative programs released for conference and virtual pre-conference

Code of Conduct

All presenters are expected to adhere to VRA’s Conference Code of Conduct.

CFP: IPRES 2025

Call for Contributions

We are excited to invite peer-reviewed contributions for iPRES 2025, the premier international conference on digital preservation. We will make a further call for ad-hoc contributions in June 2025.

iPRES 2025 will take place in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), Aotearoa (New Zealand), from 3-7 November 2025, and will offer a combination of in-person and virtual participation opportunities. We warmly invite contributions from researchers, practitioners, and organisations across the globe who are involved in the field of digital preservation.

The themes for iPRES 2025 are: Haerenga (Journey), Tūtaki (Encounter), and Tūhono (Connect). These themes encourage reflections on the evolving practices, innovations and partnerships shaping the future of digital preservation. Each theme reinforces the others, creating a holistic view of how digital preservation research and practice can adapt, innovate and thrive.

  • Haerenga (Journey) – This theme focuses on the broader narrative of digital preservation, emphasising the ongoing processes, challenges, and learning experiences practitioners face.
  • Tūtaki (Encounter) – This theme is focused on innovation, disruption, and the re-evaluation of long-held norms.
  • Tūhono (Connect) – This theme is all about the importance of communities, collaboration and interdisciplinary work in digital preservation.

You can read more about the conference themes, and examples of topics that relate to the themes here.

Types of Contributions

This is a call for the submission types that will be peer-reviewed:

  • Full Papers: In-depth research papers, technical papers, or case studies (max 8 pages).
  • Short Papers: Concise reports on work-in-progress or emerging topics (max 4 pages).
  • Workshops: Interactive, hands-on sessions focusing on tools, methods, or best practices.
  • Tutorials: Educational sessions or demonstrations aimed at teaching participants new skills or technologies relevant to digital preservation. Tutorials should be structured to provide a clear learning outcome and can range from beginner to advanced levels.
  • Panels: Discussions addressing key issues or trends in digital preservation.
  • Posters: Visual presentations of projects or ideas, encouraging one-on-one engagement.

In June 2025 we will have a call for non-peer reviewed submission types (Lightning Talks, Birds of a Feather, Games, etc.) and for participation in a Digital Preservation Bake-Off. These ad-hoc submissions will go through a light internal assessment that will be detailed on the conference website.

You can find the submission instructions, including the link to the online submission portal here.

​Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be peer-reviewed based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to the conference themes
  • Originality, innovation, and contribution to the field of digital preservation
  • Clarity and organisation of ideas
  • Significance for the digital preservation field and impact on the community

​Important Dates for Peer-Reviewed Contributions

  • Submission deadline: 14 April 2025, End of Day, Anywhere on Earth (No planned extension of date)
  • Notification of acceptance: 2 June 2025

You can find a more detailed version of important dates here.

​Diversity and Accessibility

iPRES 2025 values manaakitanga – kindness, respect, and hospitality towards others. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We strongly encourage contributions from Indigenous and underrepresented voices in the digital preservation community.

Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, the conference venue for iPRES 2025, has been designed and built to be accessible for everyone. You can find more information about Accessibility at iPRES 2025 both for in-person and remote participants here.  

AI Usage

In recognition of the potential benefits and increasing use of AI tools, iPRES 2025 permits their usage, under the conditions outlined in these guidelines . These guidelines are designed to help maintain the integrity and quality of iPRES publications while allowing the beneficial use of AI tools. They are informed by guidelines from international organisations and publishers regarding the use of AI.

​Conference Proceedings and Publication

After the conference, all iPRES 2025 submissions will be made openly available online in one or more forms:

Submission TypesConference Proceedings (in Phaidra)Openly published (OSF, etc.)
Individual citable documentAs part of summary abstract bookAs part of aggregated submissions
Full & short Papers, PostersYesYesYesYes (with presentations)
Workshops, Tutorials, PanelsNoYesYesYes (with presentations)
Ad hoc formats (Lightning Talks, Games, etc.)NoNoNoYes (with presentations)

Contact Information

For questions or support regarding the submission process, please contact us.

JCLIS Special Issue – Strike Wave: Changing Tides of Labor Organizing in Libraries and Information Fields

CfP Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies (JCLIS) Special Issue

Strike Wave: Changing Tides of Labor Organizing in Libraries and Information Fields

Guest Editors: Dr. Britt Paris, Emma May

This special issue aims to engage in a conversation on how concerns of labor, precarity, and economic forces more broadly take shape within information ecosystems and library and information professions. In the midst of record inflation, an ongoing global pandemic, and increasingly precarious occupational conditions, labor organizing is on the rise in the United States, culminating in ongoing strike actions across industries. The global discourse around such organizing efforts has become more prominent, as social movements around reproductive justice, gender liberation, and protests challenging systemic racism and policing primed the broader public for thinking critically about power and oppression. In alignment with increased interest and participation in labor organizing across industries, knowledge sectors—such as libraries and higher education—are undergoing a shift towards increased unionization and labor organizing efforts. Through both deft online and offline outreach efforts, workers have highlighted how interconnected issues such as record inflation, stagnant wages, and the rampant defunding of public services reflect broader systems of power and inequality.

Rather than simply questioning how inequalities arise within information ecosystems, it is crucial that the library and information science literature critically examine the political economic conditions that create these inequalities in the first place. In recent labor organizing efforts in libraries and beyond, workers have made clear how struggles for economic, racial, gender, and disability justice are interconnected. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to explore intersectional analyses of information and information systems with attention to their economic dimensions—which include questions of labor.

We invite practitioners and researchers to send proposals for exploratory or other experimental and nontraditional works, short papers (no more than 4000 words), and traditional research papers that explore various perspectives on issues of labor as they relate to library and information studies. We greatly encourage contributions from library workers and from scholars outside the library and information studies field. Contributions may include, but are not limited to, topics such as:

– Unionization in libraries
– Worker-led and worker-centered organizing around technology such as generative AI
– Undercommons of librarianship, the importance of insurgency, and how we might build liberatory alternatives in the face of ongoing institutional oppression
– History of professionalization in libraries
– The intersectional dimensions of precarity within library work
– Information access in the face of contemporary informational capitalism (e.g., large-scale boycotts, alternative publishing avenues, regulating data collection and use)
– The use of online and offline media (e.g., memes, Discord, zines, etc.) to initiate and engage in conversations about issues relevant to library workers
– Political education within LIS curricula and professional development

Potential contributors should submit a 500-word abstract (which excludes references), and the contact information of the corresponding author to Dr. Britt Paris (britt.paris@rutgers.edu) and Emma May (emma.may@rutgers.edu).

If an abstract is selected, the author(s) will be invited to submit their work to the journal. It should be noted that the acceptance of an abstract does not guarantee publication in JCLIS, given that all manuscripts will go through a peer review process.

Tod Rutherford, “The Labor of Strikes: Unions, Workers, and the 2023 US Strike Wave,” Human Geography 17, no. 2 (July 1, 2024): 220–26, https://doi.org/10.1177/19427786241227171; Drew DeSilver, “2023 Saw Some of the Biggest, Hardest-Fought Labor Disputes in Recent Decades,” Pew Research Center (blog), January 4, 2024, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/04/2023-saw-some-of-the-biggest-hardest-fought-labor-disputes-in-recent-decades/.

James B. Thelen, “A New Era of Union Activism in Higher Ed,” Inside Higher Ed, March 15, 2023, https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2023/03/15/new-era-union-activism-higher-ed-opinion; Diana Castillo and Kelly McElroy, “Solidarity Is for Librarians: Lessons from Organizing – In the Library with the Lead Pipe,” Solidarity Is for Librarians: Lessons from Organizing (blog), August 24, 2022, https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2022/solidarity/.

CFP: 2025 SAA Research Forum

MAY 2 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS FOR THE SAA RESEARCH FORUM 

On behalf of the 2025 Research Forum Committee, we invite you to submit abstracts (of 300 words or fewer) for either 10-minute platform presentations or 5-minute lightning talks. Topics may address research on, or innovations in, any aspect of archives practice or records management in government, corporate, academic, scientific, or other settings. 

The 2025 Research Forum will be conducted as two Zoom-based virtual sessions, each four hours long, on July 23 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT and July 30, 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT. 

The 2025 Research Forum will be made up of 10-minute platform presentations and 5-minute lightning talks, extended from 3 minutes. A limited number of presentations will be accepted to allow for longer presentation times, extended Q&A periods, and opportunities for discussion between attendees. An abstract submission rubric will be used by the Committee to evaluate submissions. The 2025 Research Forum webpage provides additional information about the schedule and links to past Forum proceedings.

We invite presentations on research results that may have emerged since the 2024 Joint Annual Meeting Call for Proposals deadline, as well as reports on research completed within the past three years that are relevant and valuable for discussion as defined by the rubric. On the submission form, please indicate whether you intend a platform presentation or a lightning talk. See the full call here: https://www2.archivists.org/am2025/research-forum-2025. 

The Research Forum Committee and CORDA encourage submissions on a range of topics, which may include:

  • Global challenges and their implications for archives and archivists, such as climate change, armed conflicts, environmental disaster, and human rights; 
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) as a core value for archives and archivists; 
  • Collaborating across domains-archives, libraries, galleries, and museums; 
  • Repository-level data: how archives measure their output, outcomes, and activities over time;
  • Centering users in the design of archival systems for discovery; and/or, 
  • Building audiences to increase the impact of archives on society. 

These themes can be found in the SAA Research and Innovation Roadmap (v1.4). 

Abstracts will be evaluated by the 2025 Research Forum Committee convened by Chris Marino (Stanford University) and Emily Lapworth (Kennedy Presidential Library).

Deadline for submission of abstracts: May 2, 2025. You will be notified of the Committee’s decision by June 2, 2025.

Proposals should be submitted here.

Call For Chapter Proposals: Student Workers in Academic Libraries (ACRL Publication)

The editors of book project Student Workers in Academic Libraries, a forthcoming title from ACRL, invite library professionals from all levels – library student workers, library staff, librarians, and administration alike – to share their work and submit chapter proposals for the volume. 

Several years out from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a renewed focus on mentorship, career readiness, pedagogical approaches, and empathy-forward leading when it comes to higher education and student employment in academic libraries. Student workers don’t fit a mold; they are a diverse group ranging from first generation students to student athletes to parents. Student workers are the heart of the library and integral to its operations. Student Workers in Academic Libraries serves as a community space to showcase the whole student worker experience and help readers create high-impact work experiences. 

We invite chapter proposals that can take a variety of forms: case studies, best practices, pedagogical theory, or novel and unique program models. Chapters are strongly encouraged to include practical sample documentation for readers to modify and adapt such as job descriptions, applications and interview questions, contracts, orientation and training plans, budget templates, as well as reflections from current or recent library student workers.  

Potential topics include, but are not limited to: 

  • Developing job descriptions, recruiting, and hiring  
  • Orientation and training 
  • Project management and creating meaningful work for student employees 
  • Budgeting for student worker programs including federal work-study and non-work-study students 
  • Communicating expectations, performance evaluations, coaching, and feedback 
  • Incorporating transferrable professional skills and career-readiness 
  • Scaffolded work experience 
  • A mentorship approach to supervision of student workers  
  • Leadership philosophy as a supervisor  
  • Connecting your student worker program to your institution’s goals 
  • Program models such as student supervisor programs, graduate student programs, or internships 
  • Case studies on student workers in different academic library departments such as: Reference, Access or Public Services, Special Collections, Technical Services, Archives 
  • Equity and accessibility in the workplace in the context of library student workers 
  • Working with and within labor unions 

Timeline: 

  • Chapter proposals due April 1, 2025 
  • Notifications sent by May 1, 2025 
  • Final chapters submitted July 11, 2025 
  • Feedback and revisions September and October 2025 

Chapter proposals should include the names of all contributing authors, a contact email for the main author, a working title, 3-5 keywords describing your proposed topic, a description of your proposed chapter that does not exceed 500 words, and a list of potential sample documents your chapter would include. 

In the proposal review process, we will prioritize practical applications of proposals that focus on critical perspectives such as (but not limited to): gender and sexuality theory, critical race and ethnicity studies, disability studies, neurodiversity, decolonization, and other perspectives and experiences underrepresented in both libraries and academia. We also encourage those new to publishing to submit. 

Chapters should be no more than 5,000 words in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, and citations in Chicago Manual of Style notes and bibliography. 

If you are interested in submitting a chapter proposal, please fill out the Microsoft Form by April 1, 2025.  

Note: the editors of this book believe in compassion-based care, mentorship, and communication at all levels. We understand the stress and anxiety involved in submitting items for review and publication, and strive to ensure transparency, respect, and support to all who submit.

For any questions, please contact Maria Planansky, Mechele Romanchock, and Rai Yiannakos at studentworkersinlibraries@gmail.com.  

Call for Contributions to Notes from the Field: Spring 2025

Notes from the Field, a publication of the TPS Collective, is accepting submissions about teaching and working with primary sources for three series of peer-reviewed blog posts: “Paleography,” “Teaching with Born-Digital Materials,” and “Artificial Intelligence.”

These series were crowdsourced during the 2024 Notes from the Field TPS Fest session. Grounded in issues your colleagues in the field are exploring, this call is intended to highlight a broad range of voices from all sectors of the TPS community. Please see the calls below for more information.

Series One: Paleography

What tools, lesson plans, and/or activities surrounding teaching paleography and the reading of handwriting do you use? By leaving this call intentionally broad, we look forward to learning about a wide range of your ideas regardless of era (Medieval, Victorian, etc.), language (English, German, non-European languages, etc.), or audience receiving the instruction (K-12, graduate, general public, etc.). 

Series Two: Teaching with Born-Digital Materials

We want to hear about the ways you teach with born-digital materials. Do you introduce them in tandem with analog materials? How do you incorporate born-digital materials into sessions, and what instructional contexts do you use them in? Does teaching with born-digital materials inspires new sorts of collaboration with your colleagues?

Series Three: Artificial Intelligence

In this series, we are interested in the ways emerging AI tools are impacting your instruction experience. Are you incorporating AI into your lesson plans? Are students relying on generative AI to complete assignments? Are you working with faculty partners to differently shape instructional experiences in response to AI? Is it making things easier or more difficult?

Contributions should be 1000-1200 words and are subject to Notes from the Field’s peer review process.

Posts will be published on a rolling basis beginning in April 2025. Full submission information is available in the Notes from the Field author and peer review guidelines.

Any questions, expressions of interest, or submissions can be sent to the Notes from the Field Lead Editor, Anastasia Armendariz, at ajarm@uci.edu.

CFP: Printing History Themed Issue: Community Publishing

Printing History is pleased to announce an issue highlighting community printing and publishing practices. We invite author submissions that approach print history expansively, with a focus on small press, DIY, ephemeral, fringe, and community-focused materials that challenge mainstream notions of the print historical record. We particularly welcome submissions spotlighting the printing practices of marginalized communities. 

We invite interested researchers and practitioners to share work engaging in the following topics:

  • Print as a means of collective organizing and communication
  • Print projects that articulate and affirm identity
  • Zines, artists’ books, small/underground/alternative press
  • Print material that challenges dominant historical narratives 
  • Activist ephemera and resource guides
  • Underrepresented, regional, and vernacular production and practice
  • Representations of non-dominant knowledge systems
  • Community-engaged creative and professional practice
  • Collaborative and nonhierarchical print production
  • Queer print cultures
  • Printing and publishing practices of BIPOC artists and communities
  • Critical bibliography

In general, Printing History follows the Chicago Manual of Style. An APHA style guide and further information for contributors can be downloaded here.

Submissions should be emailed to editor@printinghistory.org. If you have questions about this issue, the process, or the journal in general, do not hesitate to write. 

Submission deadline: March 31, 2025

Call for Chapter Proposals and Peer Reviewers: Sustainability Leadership in Libraries and Archives Book

Overview

This call for proposals is for a peer-reviewed, edited book on sustainability leadership in libraries and archives with an international focus. Although more and more books about sustainability are being written for the library science field, none have specifically focused on leadership for sustainability. I am looking for chapters from all levels of librarians and archivists, not just those formally occupying positions of authority. This book is being proposed for publication by Routledge as part of their Critical Issues in Library and Information Sciences and Services series.

This book explicitly aims to explain leadership that challenges the status quo of libraries and archives, focusing on transformative leadership in sustainability. It features practices, ideas, theories, and frameworks replicable in libraries and archives as they stand right now and those that help them move into the future, using sustainability as a framework.

What is Sustainability?

There are many different frameworks people use to understand sustainability. Two of the most popular and well-known are the “three-legged stool” framework of environment, economy, and equity, which stems from the “Our Common Future” report and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. There are, however, many different sustainability frameworks in use in libraries, education, and other fields that may be appropriate for a chapter. Because there are many approaches to understanding and implementing sustainability, there’s not one specific framework authors are required to use for their chapter proposal. Instead, a description of the chosen sustainability framework should be an essential part of the chapter. In this way, this book aims to highlight multiple perspectives on sustainability by showing how libraries and archives define and implement them.

Book Structure

Proposals for chapters in the book should be written for one of the following sections:

  • sustainability leadership from within
  • sustainability leadership collaborations
  • sustainability leadership in the community
  • sustainability leadership strategies
  • sustainability leadership and stakeholder relationships

Chapters can focus on real situations from authors’ daily practice or on conceptual or theoretical work. Final chapters should be 5,000–8,000 words and use APA 7th ed. style.

Submitting a Proposal

Proposals are being accepted via Google Forms. Please submit an abstract no longer than 300 words, double-spaced. Please make sure you note specifically what sustainability framework your chapter will use. Include the title of the proposed submission, name(s) of the author(s), institutional affiliation, contact information with email address(es), and a short biography of the author(s).

Authors whose proposals are accepted will receive detailed chapter guidelines. Chapters will be double-blind and peer-reviewed by volunteer peer-reviewers other than the editor.

Proposals can be https://forms.gle/Vhobv35Rh6NNNBk67. Click or tap if you trust this link.” data-auth=”Verified” data-linkindex=”0″ rel=”noopener”>submitted here.

If you would like to be a peer-reviewer for this book, please https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeK26zwW-BZMM2GWBDOwTDV7EQ5c4dJQRMYTlwq2e3UQzUnqg/viewform?usp=sharing. Click or tap if you trust this link.” data-auth=”Verified” data-linkindex=”1″ rel=”noopener”>fill out this information.

Questions about the book can be directed to Erin Renee Wahl at ewahl@nmsu.edu.

Anticipated Timeline

  • Collecting chapter proposals January–February 2025
  • Responses to proposals anticipated by the end of March 2025
  • Full chapters due by May of 2025
  • Chapters will be sent to peer reviewers and returned to the editor by the end of July 2025
  • Final chapters (with revisions, etc.) by the end of 2025/beginning of 2026
  • Completed book to the publisher no later than May 2026

Link to the submissions call on the series editors’ website.

Call for Chapter Proposals: Global Frameworks, Local Realities: Rethinking International Heritage Frameworks

Overview and Aim of the Volume

This forthcoming volume in the Heritage Studies series critically examines how global heritage governance frameworks, such as the World Heritage Convention (WHC) and its Operational Guidelines (OG), intersect with the diverse realities of local contexts and practices. Rooted in European traditions that historically emphasized material aspects of heritage, these frameworks have evolved to reflect global contributions and diverse perspectives, such as those outlined in the Nara Document on Authenticity.

Despite this evolution, significant challenges persist in aligning international frameworks with the lived realities of local communities, cultural practices, and heritage sites. These challenges include systemic biases, power imbalances, and tensions arising from the interplay of global governance mechanisms and local realities. The volume seeks to address these issues by exploring how global heritage frameworks can become more inclusive and equitable while embracing the complexity and diversity of heritage.

In addition to critique, this volume invites contributors to propose innovative, practical recommendations for reform. Drawing on diverse local and national contexts, authors are encouraged to explore opportunities for improving representation, governance, and management within international heritage frameworks. The ultimate goal is to offer a forward-looking roadmap for reshaping heritage policy and practice to ensure a more inclusive future.

Target Themes

We welcome both theoretical perspectives and case studies that illuminate the interplay of global governance and local realities in heritage conservation. Contributions should align with the volume’s focus on inclusivity, diversity, and evolving definitions of heritage. Key themes include but are not limited to:

  1. The Evolution of the WHC and OG
    • Historical analysis of the WHC’s origins and its progress toward inclusivity.
    • Reviews and comparative analyses of regional/national heritage conventions and their integration into international frameworks.
  2. Diversity in Heritage Definitions and Governance
    • Case studies on local heritage practices, especially those rooted in indigenous, intangible, or hybrid traditions.
    • Proposals for under-represented heritage sites and practices within global frameworks.
  3. Barriers to Inclusivity in Global Heritage Frameworks
    • Examination of systemic biases, such as Eurocentrism, geopolitical inequities, and structural challenges.
    • Exploration of decolonial perspectives and challenges.
  4. Decolonizing Heritage Management Systems
    • Application of postcolonial and decolonial theories to reform global frameworks like the WHC.
    • Success stories of decolonized policies that can inform international reform.
  5. Tensions Between Global and Local Heritage Practices
    • Analysis of how global frameworks are adapted, contested, or resisted in specific local contexts.
  6. Innovative Pathways for Reform
    • Case studies of community-led approaches and integration of alternative knowledge systems.
    • Proposals for redefining international guidelines and practices to enhance inclusivity and equity.
    • Exploration of technological tools to improve access and equity in heritage management.

Potential Topics for Exploration

Submissions may focus on, but are not limited to:

  • Sacred and Indigenous Heritage Sites: Challenges faced by indigenous communities in seeking recognition.
  • Environmental and Cultural Landscapes: Integrating spiritual and ecological values into governance frameworks.
  • Intangible Cultural Heritage: Safeguarding intangible practices while addressing tensions in institutional contexts.
  • Museums and Decolonizing Heritage: Reshaping narratives and advancing sustainability through community engagement.
  • Alternative frameworks that integrate tangible and intangible heritage in interconnected ways.

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts of 500 words are due by 30.01.2025, outlining the research aim, methodology, and anticipated contribution to the volume. Full papers (approx. 4,000–6,000 words) will be due by first week of May of 2025. Submissions should be emailed to globalframeworkslocalrealities@gmail.com with the subject line: “Global Frameworks, Local Realities: Rethinking International Heritage Frameworks Submission.”

This volume will be published by Springer Nature. For inquiries or further details, please contact globalframeworkslocalrealities@gmail.com.

Contact Information

Global Frameworks & Local Realities Team (c/o Kavita Peterson)

Contact Email

globalframeworkslocalrealities@gmail.com

Call for Chapters: Libraries and the Futures of the Humanities

The editors of a book project, Libraries and the Futures of the Humanities, call for chapter proposals for a volume that Rowman & Littlefield has invited us to submit, focused on how libraries can play a role in reimagining the humanities during a time of crisis and opportunity. 

We invite proposals for chapters in five sections, focusing primarily on academic libraries and archives:

  1. Framing the Question: discussions on the history and concept of the humanities in relation to libraries
  2. Across the Disciplines: examples of programs and practices that support cross-disciplinary teaching and scholarship (for example, humanities in STEM, business, and medical disciplines)
  3. Beyond the University: initiatives that connect humanistic learning, research, and creativity to communities outside the university, from the local to the global
  4. Civic Learning: approaches that apply humanistic knowledge and skills to empower learners to participate in creative democratic change
  5. Machines and Meaning: projects that make use of AI, digital humanities, or maker technologies to open up innovative directions and possibilities in the humanities 

The deadline for chapter proposals is Saturday, February 1, 2025.

For full details about this volume and to access the submission form please visit:  

Libraries and the Futures of the Humanities