Tag: ALA

Call for Nominations: 2025 Distinguished Service in Library History Award

Call for Nominations

“The Distinguished Service in Library History Award is presented annually by the ALA Library History Round Table (LHRT) and honors the career of a person who has a lifetime of scholarship and service in the field of library history. This non-monetary award is intended to be given to an individual who has a record of contributions; who demonstrates length, breadth, and depth of involvement in library history; and who has had a significant impact on the work of the ALA Library History Round Table or on the library history community at large.”

Deadline: April 30, 2025

To learn more: https://lhrt.news/2025/04/03/call-for-nominations-2025-distinguished-service-in-library-history-award/

CFP: Request for Speakers: Libraries in Unexpected Places – 2025 ALA LHRT Research Forum (Library History Round Table)

Libraries are not confined to traditional institutions; they exist in a myriad of unexpected places, serving diverse communities in innovative ways. From lighthouses and artists’ studios to mobile book vans and digital platforms, libraries continue to evolve, offering knowledge and resources in creative and unconventional settings. This call for papers seeks to explore the rich and often overlooked world of libraries that exist outside the norm—whether in remote villages, repurposed structures, personal collections, or virtual spaces.

We invite scholars, librarians, historians, and researchers from various disciplines to present their research at the 2025 LHRT Research Forum, which will focus on how libraries in unexpected places serve communities, preserve history, and expand access to knowledge. The forum aims to highlight historical studies of library outreach and development, including 20th and 21st-century topics. Single-case studies, theoretical perspectives, and other approaches are welcomed, but use of primary sources is expected. Each speaker will be asked to present for approximately 20 minutes, with a 10-minute Q&A to follow.

To accommodate as many attendees as possible, the 2025 Research Forum will be held virtually after the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, on Wednesday, July 23, 2:00-3:30 EST.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

Libraries in Unconventional Spaces

  • Libraries and library collections housed in unique buildings or premises.
  • Personal and private libraries with public impact.
  • Community-based initiatives such as Little Free Libraries and other book-sharing projects.
  • Rural and mobile libraries that reach remote and underserved populations.

Library Outreach and Collaboration

  • Librarians bringing books and services to nontraditional settings.
  • Novel partnerships between libraries and other institutions and organizations.
  • Efforts to preserve and document library collections that exist outside formal institutions.

Access Beyond Physical Spaces

  • Online and open-access libraries in areas lacking traditional library services.
  • Hybrid models that combine physical and digital library services to reach broader audiences.
  • The role of technology in expanding knowledge beyond geographic and economic barriers.

Submission Guidelines:

We welcome submissions from a variety of perspectives, including historical studies, case studies, ethnographic research, theoretical analyses, and reflective essays. We will consider research projects already underway or, if at the beginning of the project, a discussion of new methodologies to be used in the work. Please note that projects or project plans should include a primary source research component.

  • Each proposal must include the paper title, an abstract (up to 500 words), and the presenter’s one-page vita. Please indicate in the abstract whether the research is in progress or completed.
  • Proposals are due March 15, and decisions will be communicated shortly thereafter.
  • Completed papers are due May 31.

Please submit proposals and direct inquiries to Jennifer Bartlett, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair, at jen.bartlett@uky.edu.

We encourage interdisciplinary approaches and diverse voices to contribute to this exciting exploration of libraries in unexpected places. If you have a unique perspective or case study that falls outside these categories but aligns with the theme, we welcome your proposal! We look forward to your submissions and to celebrating the vast and varied ways libraries continue to inspire, adapt, and serve.

Research Committee Members:

Jennifer Bartlett

Bernadette Lear

Catherine Minter

Deborah Smith

Rachel Trnka 

Call for Nominations: Phyllis Dain Library History Dissertation Award

The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) sponsors the biennial Phyllis Dain Library History Dissertation Award. The 2025 award cycle opens for submissions in January.  Applications are due by January 31, 2025.

The award, named in honor of a library historian widely known as a supportive advisor and mentor as well as a rigorous scholar and thinker, recognizes outstanding dissertations in English in the general area of library history. The author of the selected dissertation will receive a certificate and five hundred dollars.

Dissertations completed and accepted during the preceding two academic years are eligible. Dissertations completed in 2023 and 2024 will be considered for the 2025 award cycle.

Dissertations must be original research on a significant topic relating to the history of libraries during any period, in any region of the world. Entries are judged on clear definition of research questions and/or hypotheses, use of appropriate primary resources, depth of research, superior quality of writing, and significance of conclusions. The LHRT is particularly interested in dissertations that place the subject within its broader historical, social, cultural, and political context and that make interdisciplinary connections with print culture and/or information studies.

Submissions for the next award cycle will open in January 2025. Applicants will be asked to submit one electronic copy of the approved and signed dissertation and a signed letter of support from the doctoral advisor or dissertation committee chair at the degree-granting institution.

For more information, please visit: https://www.ala.org/lhrt/awards/phyllis-dain-library-history-dissertation-award

CFP: Library History Round Table

The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) seeks proposals for its annual Research Forum, to be held in advance of the 2024 ALA Annual Meeting. 

To accommodate as many LHRT members as possible, the 2024 LHRT Research Forum will be held virtually in early to mid-June 2024.

The theme of the Forum is “Trouble, Trouble, Trouble.” The Forum will examine libraries facing internal or external crises around the globe and across centuries.  Each speaker will be asked to present for approximately 20 minutes, with a 10-minute Q&A to follow.

Possible topics may include, but are not limited to, histories of: 

  • Censorship, book banning, book burning
  • Libraries during wars and wartime conditions
  • Institutional financial difficulties and funding issues
  • Natural disasters and their impact on libraries and services
  • Survival and loss of libraries and staff
  • Disinformation and the spread of disinformation 

LHRT welcomes submissions from researchers of all backgrounds, including library students, practitioners, faculty, independent researchers, and those retired from the field. LHRT especially encourages submissions from early-career researchers.  

Each proposal must give the paper title, an abstract (up to 500 words), and the presenter’s one-page vita.  Please indicate in the abstract whether the research is in-progress or completed. The LHRT Research Committee will select up to three authors to present their completed work at the Forum.

Deadline Extended! Proposals are due January 31, 2024; authors of successful proposals will be notified shortly thereafter. Completed papers are due May 31. Presentations are anticipated in early to mid-June.

Please submit proposals and direct inquiries to Alea Henle, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair, at henlear@miamioh.edu.
 
Research Committee Members: 
Alea Henle 
Jennifer Bartlett 
Catherine Minter 
Deborah Smith
Leah DiCiesare

Contact Information

Alea Henle, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair

Contact Email

henlear@miamioh.edu

Call for Submissions to 2024 ALA LHRT Research Forum: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble 

The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) seeks proposals for its annual Research Forum, to be held in advance of the 2024 ALA Annual Meeting. 

To accommodate as many LHRT members as possible, the 2024 LHRT Research Forum will be held virtually on a date to be determined in early-to-mid June 2024.

 The theme of the Forum is “Trouble, Trouble, Trouble.” The Forum will examine libraries facing internal or external crises around the globe and across centuries. Each speaker will be asked to present for approximately 20 minutes, with a 10-minute Q&A to follow.

Possible topics may include, but are not limited to, histories of: 

  • Censorship, book banning, book burning
  • Libraries during wars and wartime conditions
  • Institutional financial difficulties and funding issues
  • Natural disasters and their impact on libraries and services
  • Survival and loss of libraries and staff
  • Disinformation and the spread of disinformation 

LHRT welcomes submissions from researchers of all backgrounds, including library students, practitioners, faculty, independent researchers, and those retired from the field. LHRT especially encourages submissions from early-career researchers.  

Each proposal must give the paper title, an abstract (up to 500 words), and the presenter’s one-page vita. Please indicate in the abstract whether the research is in-progress or completed. 

The LHRT Research Committee will select up to three authors to present their completed work at the Forum. Proposals are due January 31; successful proposals will be notified shortly thereafter. Completed papers are due May 31. 

Please submit proposals and direct inquiries to Alea Henle, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair, at henlear@miamioh.edu. 

Research Committee Members: 

Alea Henle 
Jennifer Bartlett 
Catherine Minter 
Deborah Smith
Leah DiCiesare

Call for Nominations: American Library Association’s “Best Historical Materials” List

The Historical Materials Committee of the American Library Association/Reference and User Services Association’s History Section is soliciting nominations for the committee’s annual Best Historical Materials list.

The list consists of the best print and online historical bibliographies, indexes, reference products, and published primary sources created, published, or significantly updated within the past two calendar years and primarily in English. The 2023 list will consider titles published or significantly updated in 2022 and 2023.

The committee encourages nominations from librarians, scholars, and students.

Nominations can be submitted for the committee’s consideration at https://forms.gle/ntm9UH8Y5M8pF5LbA .  The deadline for nominations is September 30.

For past winners, please see rusaupdate.org/awards/best-historical-materials/. For questions, please email one of the co-chairs of the Historical Materials Committee, Steve Knowlton (steven.knowlton@princeton.edu) or Jennifer Bartlett (jen.bartlett@uky.edu).

Contact Information
Steve Knowlton

Contact Email
sak2@princeton.edu

URL: https://forms.gle/ntm9UH8Y5M8pF5LbA

Call for Nominations: American Library Association’s “Best Historical Materials” List

The Historical Materials Committee of the American Library Association/Reference and User Services Association’s History Section is soliciting nominations for the committee’s annual Best Historical Materials list.

The list consists of the best print and online historical bibliographies, indexes, reference products, and published primary sources created, published, or significantly updated within the past two calendar years and primarily in English. The 2023 list will consider titles published or significantly updated in 2022 and 2023.

The committee encourages nominations from librarians, scholars, and students.

Nominations can be submitted for the committee’s consideration at https://forms.gle/ntm9UH8Y5M8pF5LbA . The deadline for nominations is September 30.

For past winners, please see rusaupdate.org/awards/best-historical-materials/. For questions, please email one of the co-chairs of the Historical Materials Committee, Steve Knowlton (steven.knowlton@princeton.edu) or Jennifer Bartlett (jen.bartlett@uky.edu).

Contact Information
Steve Knowlton, steven.knowlton@princeton.edu

Contact Email
steven.knowlton@princeton.edu
URL
https://forms.gle/ntm9UH8Y5M8pF5LbA

Request for Speakers: Unpacking Access (Library History Round Table)

Call for Submissions to 2022 ALA LHRT Research Forum: Unpacking Access 

The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) seeks proposals for its annual Research Forum, to be held in advance of the 2023 ALA Annual Meeting. 

To accommodate as many LHRT members as possible, the 2023 LHRT Research Forum will be held virtually on a date to be determined in mid-to-late June 2023.

The theme of the Forum is “Unpacking Access.” The Forum will examine the histories of library practices and policies around user access to facilities and collections.  Each speaker will be asked to present for approximately 20 minutes, with a 10-minute Q&A to follow.

Possible topics may include, but are not limited to, histories of: 

  • Interlibrary loan and resource sharing; 
  • Public domain and open access materials; 
  • Circulation policies; 
  • Use of library facilities by community members; 
  • Library responses to book challenges from patrons and censorship by the state; 
  • Patron use of special collections and rare books; 
  • Relations between public services and technical services staff regarding issues of acquisitions, cataloging, and processing of materials; 
  • Subscriptions to and use of vendor-owned licensed databases in libraries; 
  • The question of “access vs. ownership” in collection development;
  • Other explorations of access 

LHRT welcomes submissions from researchers of all backgrounds, including library students, practitioners, faculty, independent researchers, and those retired from the field. LHRT especially encourages submissions from early-career researchers.  

Each proposal must give the paper title, an abstract (up to 500 words), and the presenter’s one-page vita. Please indicate in the abstract whether the research is in-progress or completed. 

The LHRT Research Committee will select up to three authors to present their completed work at the Forum. Proposals are due January 31; successful proposals will be notified shortly thereafter. Completed papers are due May 31. 

Please submit proposals and direct inquiries to Steve Knowlton, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair, at steven.knowlton@princeton.edu. 

Research Committee Members: 

Alea Henle 

Jennifer Bartlett 

Catherine Minter 

Stacy Hisle 

CFP: Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures – ALA 2021 Annual Conference

Submit an ALA 2021 Annual Conference program proposal for ALA’s newest division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, which will begin on September 1, 2020.

Proposals are due September 30, 2020, and you don’t need to be a Core member to submit a proposal.

Submit your idea using this proposal form.

Core welcomes topics of interest to a wide range of library professionals in many different areas, including…

  1. Access and Equity
  • Advocacy in areas such as copyright, equity of access, open access, net neutrality, and privacy
  • Preservation Week
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion, both within the division and the profession, as related to Core’s subject areas
  1. Assessment
  • Emphasizing the role of assessment in demonstrating the impacts of libraries or library services
  • Assessment tools, methods, guidelines, standards, and policies and procedures
  1. Leadership and Management
  • Developing leaders at every level
  • Best practices for inclusion by using an equity lens to examine leadership structures
  • Leadership for talent management and human resources
  1. Metadata and Collections
  • Best practices and knowledge in work areas that support collections and discovery
  • Best practices for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the development and description of collections
  • Standards and best practices for selection, acquisition, description, access, and preservation of information resources
  • Preservation of both print, media, and digital resources
  1. Operations and Buildings
  • Changing trends in organizational structures, services, staff operations, and facilities
  • Best practices for inclusive practices and design
  1. Technology
  • Best practices for inclusive practices and design
  • Emerging technologies and actionable plans for library services
  • Bridging the technology related needs across all types of libraries and operational areas

Submission Process

  • To propose an event, please submit an online proposal using the ALA Program Proposal Submission Site.
  • Log into the ALA system or create a new user account to begin your online proposal.
    • When completing the proposal, be sure to select the Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures to have your proposal reviewed by Core.
  • A program is a one-hour educational sessions held at the ALA Annual Conference. A program is audio recorded.
  • Anyone can submit a proposal regardless of membership status.
  • Submission Deadline: September 30, 2020
  • Proposals will be reviewed by the Core Program Committee and proposal submitters will be contacted in October.
  • Final decisions will be announced by early December 2020.

We seek and encourage submissions from underrepresented groups such as women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities.

For all inquiries regarding content submission for the 2021 ALA Annual Conference, please visit the Submission Site.

For further information, including updates, you can also visit the 2021 ALA Annual Conference website, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

If you have any questions about submitting a proposal for Core, please contact Tom Ferren, Future Core Program Officer for Professional Development, at tferren@ala.org.

Registration for the 2021 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition opens at 12 p.m. CT on Friday, January 15, 2021.

Call for Submissions: Sustainability in Libraries

This call does not specifically mention archives, but directly relates to initiatives that archivists are engaged in.

_____________________

Sustainability in Libraries, edited by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Monika Antonelli, Adrian Ho, and René Tanner will be published by ALA Editions. The book will offer insights into the important developments on how librarians provide leadership and how libraries serve as models for sustainable practices. The editors are seeking articles from a variety of perspectives on topics related to sustainability-including crisis preparation, response, and recovery-within the library profession.

Objective of the Book:

In 2019, the American Library Association adopted Sustainability as a new core value. This book will provide direction to library personnel and libraries as institutions to position themselves as connectors, conveners, and catalysts for the changes needed. “Sustainability” is not an end point but a mindset, a lens through which operational and outreach decisions can be made. With the climate crisis upon us and its devastating impact on wildlife, oceans, air quality, soil, and the very fabric of life on Earth, we are compelled to find answers and provide direction for our library communities whether they be rural, suburban, metropolitan, schools, or institutions of higher learning. The examples and ideas shared in this edited volume will have far reaching potential and bolster the United Nations’ work on the Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to create a more sustainable future for all.

Suggested Topics:

The book chapters will be divided into three main themes for sustainable action.

Theme #1: Libraries as Inspiration & Catalysts – Content that would fall under this theme include topics and examples related to how libraries may provide leadership and serve as a model for sustainable practices through facility stewardship, innovative service design, and outreach and partnership practices.

Theme #2: Libraries as Conveners & Connectors – Content that would fall under this theme include topics and examples related to how libraries work collaboratively through visionary partnerships to facilitate collective impact work to address existing challenges and opportunities with a focus on community well-being and self-reliance.

Theme #3: Libraries as Contributors to Community Resilience – Content that would fall under this theme includes topics and examples of how libraries contribute to future community resilience. For example, active participation in library-centric or community-based resilience/disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts and work that contributes to creating a culture of respect, understanding, and empathy in the library’s service area.

Target Audience:

The intended audience for this book is people working in public, school, academic, special, rural, and urban libraries. In addition, this book will include instructional materials to be used in Library and Information Science programs to educate future library practitioners about Sustainability, the newest Core Value of Librarianship.

Special Considerations:

High quality, large file, professional, black and white images are encouraged to enhance the text. Unless they are public domain or openly licensed for commercial use, a permission release will be required for each image submitted. A model release form will be necessary for any images with recognizable people in them. The person must be a legal adult or have a parent’s permission to use the image.

Submission Guidelines:

The editors welcome submissions from authors who are interested or have experience creating sustainable libraries or working on topics of sustainability in connection with libraries. The editors are open to a variety of submissions including research articles, how-to articles, essays, and interviews. Manuscript submissions should comply with APA Style.

The editors are looking for submissions about sustainability in libraries that emphasize scalable approaches that can be applied to a variety of libraries at different levels. Brief proposals about programs and partnerships that provide inspiration and actionable takeaways are encouraged. Submit a summary of your proposed article (300 words or less) to Sustainability in Libraries.

The development of manuscripts will be done in phases. After comments are returned to authors regarding accepted chapter summary proposals, a chapter outline (500 words or less) will be requested.

Once authors receive acceptance for their chapters they will submit their final manuscripts in .doc or .docx format.  Suggested length is 2,000 to 3,500 words.  Manuscripts should comply with APA style guidelines.

Timeline:

  • Chapter Summary Proposal deadline:  June 15, 2020
  • Notification by editors of proposal acceptance: July 15, 2020
  • Chapter Outlines deadline:  August 17, 2020
  • First Manuscript Drafts deadline: October 1, 2020
  • Additional key dates will be sent to successful proposal writers.

Submit chapter summary proposals to: forms.gle/axqBoa1c9LAa6GQF6

For additional information, please contact:

Adrian Ho, Director of Digital Scholarship, University of Kentucky, hoadriank[at]gmail[dot]com, or

Rene Tanner, Liaison Librarian, Humanities Division, Arizona State University, rene.tanner[at]asu[dot]edu.