Tag: allied professions

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: One-day symposium : “Map exhibitions 19th-20th centuries”

France

ANNUAL ONE-DAY SYMPOSIUM OF THE HISTORY COMMISSION OF THE FRENCH CARTOGRAPHY COMMITTEE

Friday 14th November 2025

INHA (Paris) – Salle Vasari

The History Commission of the CFC is organising a study day on ‘Cartographic exhibitions’ on 14 November 2025 at the Institut national d’histoire de l’Art (INHA) in Paris.

This one-day symposium is a continuation of the previous meetings on ‘Art and Cartography’ (2023) and ‘Cartography and Cinema’ (2024), in which cartography and its history were examined from the angle of their presence in modern and contemporary visual cultures. The aim of this new day is to consider the various aspects of the encounter between cartography and the general public.

Maps have long been exhibited, more or less permanently, in the galleries of major palaces and public buildings. Think, for example, of the Vatican Map Gallery or the world map room in the Farnese Palace in Caprarola. But it is not to these perennial cartographic settings, which are already well known, that this Study Day aims to focus its analysis, but rather on temporary installations.

Since the nineteenth century, cartography has been the focus of a great many temporary exhibitions, both specialist and more general. Like works of art or scientific objects, maps, globes, models, relief maps and observation instruments were considered worthy of public interest. Take, for example, the enthusiastic response to the exhibition entitled ‘Cartes et figures de la Terre’ [Maps and Figures of the Earth], presented at the Centre Pompidou in 1980. Exhibitions devoted to the history of cartography, or certain aspects of it, are regularly held at scientific gatherings (geography congresses or learned societies), at international fairs and, of course, in libraries, museums and archive centres.

We need to look at these cartographic exhibitions from a number of angles: 

– What were the projects, motivations and objectives of the designers of these exhibitions?

– What were the scientific, artistic and political contexts in which these exhibitions were organised?

– What cartographic documents were chosen? According to what criteria? What were their aims?

– What was the chosen scenography? How have these choices evolved over the years? Are there any links, or even analogies, with the history of art exhibitions?

– How many people attended the exhibition? What type of audience, if any? How did the press react to the exhibitions?

Contributions may address all or only some of these questions.

Practical details

Proposals for papers (approximately 1500 characters), accompanied by a short bio-bibliography, should be sent before 10 May 2025 to the following address: catherine.hofmann@bnf.fr.

The selection committee will meet in mid-June and will announce the results of the call for papers in early July.

The papers selected will be published in an issue of the journal of the French Cartography Committee, Cartes & Géomatique, in 2026.

Contact Information

Catherine Hofmann, map curator at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris)

Jean-Marc Besse, head researcher at CNRS and EHESS

Contact Email

catherine.hofmann@bnf.fr

URL

https://cartogallica.hypotheses.org/

CFP: ARTEFACTS 30: Care and Repair

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR ARTEFACTS 30, CARE AND REPAIR

With pleasure, Norsk Teknisk Museum (the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology) announces that the next and 30th meeting of ARTEFACTS will be held in Oslo, Norway, 12–14 October 2025.

ARTEFACTS is an international network of academic and museum-based scholars of science, technology, and medicine, who share the goal of promoting the use of objects in research. The consortium was established in 1996 and since then has held annual conferences examining the role of artefacts and collections in the making of science and technology and related areas. See https://www.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/our-work/research-public-history/artefacts-consortium.

The theme of the 2025 meeting is CARE AND REPAIR, and we encourage proposals (see formats below) concerning how erosion, breakdown, and maintenance, instead of progress and innovation, can be starting points for research. What are the limits of our fragile world, and what work does caring do? We characterize ‘care and repair’ broadly, encompassing objects, people, and environments, but all proposals should have a focus on the material culture of science, technology, and/or medicine.

In keeping with the theme, we especially encourage proposals from museum conservators, as well as those who care for museum communities. These could potentially be joint submissions with other museum practitioners and scholars. ARTEFACTS conferences are friendly and informal meetings with the character of workshops. There is plenty of time for open discussion and networking.

Examples might include, but are not limited to:

  • Conservation and restoration of technoscientific heritage; “stubborn” objects, those which require persistent care and repair; challenges while taking care of technoscientific collections… 
  • Working with communities on technoscientific heritage; forgotten stories of care and repair; amateurs and enthusiasts, the maker movement, and do-it-yourself (DIY) culture…
  • The sustainability of technoscientific heritage; practices of repair leading towards more sustainability; making things last; waste and reuse; the afterlives of technoscientific heritage…
  • Historical perspectives on technology and repair; the shaping of technology through practices of repair; how repair practices have changed over time; lost expertise / knowledge / skills; the lifespans and persistence of technology; technology’s manifold temporalities…
  • Care and the medical humanities; care versus repair, with regard to hierarchies of expertise in healthcare; caregiving and the difficulties of providing and receiving care; ethical dimensions of care and maintenance; how caregiving has changed over time…

Please remember that the focus of presentations should be on artefacts.

This time, ARTEFACTS is experimenting with two tracks for submissions: (1) works to be considered for publication (a pre-circulated paper and a longer presentation based on the paper) and (2) works-in-progress (shorter presentations without a paper). Abstracts for track 1 should be 500-1000 words; abstracts for track 2 should be 200-300 words. They should be accompanied by a 75-word author biography and sent to artefacts@tekniskmuseum.no by 15 May 2025. We aim to notify accepted participants by 5 June 2025.

Registration will open formally when the program is announced in June, but in the meantime informal queries should be directed to artefacts@tekniskmuseum.no.

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 

CFP: for Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) events

The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) is currently inviting proposals for events that will take place between June 2025 and August 2025. The deadline for applications is April 1 2025

The BSA can offer financial and logistical support for a variety of events, including lectures, panel presentations, hands-on workshops, conference sessions, or other online or in-person events.  Examples of past and upcoming events can be found here. Please reach out to the Events Committee if you have questions about event formats, financial support, or topics.

In all BSA events, the material text – that is, handwritten, printed, or other textual or visual artifacts, broadly conceived – as historical evidence, and/or the theory and practice of descriptive, historical, and/or critical bibliography, should be a central concern to participants and organizers.

BSA requests a general overview of the content of sessions and a short bio for presenters as well as information about the budget, promotion, and general organization of the event. For full details about the application process, and to submit an application, please visit the following webpage: https://bibsocamer.org/events/funding-opportunities

For additional questions or queries, please contact events@bibsocamer.org.

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

CFP: A Polyphony of Emotions: Thinking Affect in Heritage, Memory and Material Culture

The Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture is pleased to share the Call for Papers for the 11th Annual Conference ‘A Polyphony of Emotions: Thinking Affect in Heritage, Memory and Material Culture.’ This conference occurs at the University of Amsterdam on 2, 3 and 4 July 2025. 

Cultural heritage shapes individual and collective emotions, and vice versa. The reciprocal relationship between heritage and emotions is demonstrated by how, in recent years, political, activist and academic debates have reconsidered the importance of affect. No longer relegated merely to the individual and psychological dimension, these debates have come to frame emotions as constituent elements of social experience. Suffice it to consider the use of social fear of a global nuclear war; the imperialist nostalgia of Western countries, which see nationalism and/or populism as the solution to counter globalisation; the emotional polarization with the ongoing wars in Palestine and Ukraine; the resurgence of radical ethno-traditionalist rhetoric all around the world, driven by frustration with open-market globalism, and the manipulation of foreign-state propaganda aimed at exploiting emotions to politically target local populations; the pride or vindictive anger of activists who deface museums, works of art and monuments; heightened emotions in the context of social revolutions and political revolts and (neo)colonial struggle, the emotions connected to the memory and impact of the Pan-Atlantic slave trade and all forms of enslavement of people; or the solastalgia and anxiety caused by the ever-faster crisis of climate change.

These few examples indicate the extent to which emotions and thinking affect can become performative forces, driving actions and therefore building, preserving, destroying heritage and memory. Understanding the role of emotions in heritage sites, memory acts and material culture practices, policies and politics, therefore, is essential to grasp how the past is experienced, contested, romanticized, rejected or silenced across various local, national and transnational levels. In response to the need to better understand these processes, the 11th annual conference of the Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM) will be dedicated to the polyphonies of emotions and thinking affect in heritage, memory and material culture studies. By crossing academic, artistic and professional boundaries, the aim of the conference is to investigate how the past can be constituted as a battleground where emotions are designed, weaponized and manipulated to advance political and ideological agendas, or to shape the mobilization of communities. This conference aims to explore the dynamic relationship between heritage and collective emotions, focusing on how emotions affect varied global heritage and memory practices, narratives and policies, and, vice versa, how heritage can serve as a tool for emotional mobilization, resilience and reconciliation.

We welcome abstracts and proposals for papers, panels and roundtables emanating from diverse historical and geographical contexts that engage with (but are not restricted to) the following themes:

  • Theories of emotions and heritage: what theoretical perspectives can illuminate the relationship between heritage, emotion, and conflict, and how can these frameworks deepen our understanding of the emotional dimensions of heritage?
  • Emotions and the politics of heritage and social justice: how do emotions contribute to preserving or challenging dominant and hegemonic heritage narratives? What role do emotions play in (re)shaping research positionalities, resisting cultural and political polarisation or facing systemic oppression and injustice?
  • Emotions and heritage construction: how are emotional narratives intentionally constructed in heritage sites, museums, works of literature, films, and commemorations, with the aim of influencing collective memory and identity?
  • Emotion and collective memory: how do emotional frameworks shape collective memory and the understanding of the past?
  • The weaponization of emotions in conflict: how are emotions strategically manipulated to justify the destruction of cultural heritage or to mobilize communities to defend it?
  • Heritage and collective solidarity: in times of crisis, how do communities utilize heritage to foster emotional resilience, solidarity, and a sense of shared purpose?
  • Methodologies for studying emotions and heritage: what innovative qualitative and quantitative research methods are most effective for analyzing the role of emotion in heritage studies?

Applications

  • A short abstract (max. 250 words)
  • A brief academic biography (including name, affiliation, research interests; max 100 words)

Applications for panels and roundtables

  • A short rationale of the aim of the panel (max. 250 words)
  • A short abstract of each paper to be presented (max. 250 words)
  • A brief academic biography of all presenters (including name, affiliation, research interests; max 100 words)

Proposals can be submitted by 15 March 2025 to ahmannualconference@gmail.com.

About the Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM)

The AHM fosters dynamic, interdisciplinary and transnational research on heritage and memory, organizes PhD training, seminars, reading groups, workshops, public debates and international conferences, and stimulates schola. The school brings together researchers working in diverse areas and fields, interconnecting heritage and memory studies, cultural studies, museum studies, archaeology, material culture, art history, media, conservation and restoration, archival studies, digital humanities, postcolonial and performative studies, religious studies, music and theatre studies, conflict and identity studies, Slavonic languages and cultures, Holocaust and genocide studies, European memory studies, Middle Eastern studies, and cultural, public and oral history. For more information about AHM please visit the website: https://ahm.uva.nl/ 

Contact Information

Josien Franken, Conference Assistant. 

Contact Email

ahmannualconference@gmail.com

URL

https://ahm.uva.nl/shared/subsites/amsterdam-institute-for-humanities-research/…

CFP: Queer Bibliography: In the Making

We are delighted to share the call for proposals for “Queer Bibliography: In the Making,” the third iteration of this conference, which was initially established by Malcolm Noble and Sarah Pyke in 2023.

The conference will be hosted at Newcastle University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom and online on 11-13 June, 2025. The conference committee is extremely grateful to SHARP and to the Bibliographical Society, both of which have generously provided funding. This allows us to continue to keep this conference free to attend, as well as to support some travel grants for postgraduate students. The deadline for submissions is midnight on 31 January; prospective speakers will be informed of the outcome by the end of the day on 28 February.

About the conference:

Queer Bibliography: in the Making invites participants to consider queerness in the processes of (re/un)making material texts.

Bibliography is primarily concerned with how material texts fall together, and the lives of those texts (long or short). The processes of production, reproduction, transmission, and reception are all central to bibliographic study; as is the work of the people engaged in these processes. Such people might include typefounders, papermakers, printers, bookbinders, scribes, scrapbookers, zine makers diarists, collectors, librarians, editors, publishers, archivists, and other agents of literary, textual, and material invention. Recent scholarship calls for material texts to be examined as if they were in the process of continual (re/un)making. Many individuals, groups, and organisations can be said to make, un-make, and re-make texts – sometimes across significant geographic and temporal distances; sometimes known to one another, sometimes not; sometimes in communion, and sometimes in opposition.

We invite participants to consider how these processes, and their makers and respondents, might be considered from the perspective of Queer and Trans Studies.

Participants will be invited to submit a 2000-word pre-circulating paper, before presenting in panels of 10-minute papers. We also welcome alternative presentations, in whatever form they may take. Two days of panels, conversation, and discussion will be followed by an optional workshop on 13 June, led by artist and scholar Kadin Henningsen. This workshop will draw on the previous two days’ discussions, and participants will work together to produce a printed object encapsulating this year’s theme of “in the making.”

Full Call for Proposals: https://bit.ly/QueerBiblio2025CFP

Submissions (by midnight on 31 January): https://bit.ly/QB2025ProposalForm

Questions? Contact us at: queerbibliography@gmail.com 

CFP: 12th Annual Kraemer Copyright Conference

12th Annual Kraemer Copyright Conference

Copyright and the Future of Libraries

June 16-18, 2025
Ent Center, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Hosted by the Kraemer Family Library, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

2025 Conference Theme

The 12th annual Kraemer Copyright Conference promises to be an exciting event, delving into how libraries can bounce back stronger after facing restrictive copyright rulings and ongoing challenges to equitable access. This year’s theme is all about advocacy strategies, fostering innovative partnerships, and highlighting transformative ideas that empower libraries to uphold their mission of providing public access to knowledge, even in the face of growing information privatization. Join us for a dynamic exploration of resilience and innovation in the library world!

Conference Tracks

  • Libraries in the Future Track
    This track focuses on envisioning a robust future for libraries amidst changing copyright landscapes. Topics include advocacy for copyright reform, partnerships that bolster public access, and initiatives to reinforce libraries’ vital role in equitable knowledge access.
  • Open Track
    A flexible track for proposals that bring fresh perspectives to copyright, libraries, and public access, extending beyond the primary conference theme.

Presentation Formats

  • 45-Minute Sessions
    In-depth presentations offering substantial exploration of ideas or case studies.
  • 5-Minute Lightning Talks
    Quick, focused presentations that highlight innovative ideas, initiatives, or case studies in a concise format.
  • Poster Sessions
    Visual presentations providing an interactive opportunity for sharing projects, research, or case studies.

Topics of Interest Include (but are not limited to)

  • Emerging technologies (AI, data analytics) and their implications for copyright
  • Innovative perspectives on copyright reform and access to knowledge
  • Strategies for negotiating licenses and overcoming copyright barriers
  • Copyright education and literacy initiatives for library staff and users
  • Collaborations between libraries, archives, and museums to advance access
  • Ethical considerations around copyright, access, and privacy
  • Strategies for libraries to handle copyright challenges, including licensing shifts, emerging technologies, and evolving fair use interpretations.
  • The Role of Libraries in Shaping Copyright Law
  • How libraries can adapt to and thrive amid restrictive copyright rulings and increasing privatization of knowledge
  • How library technology could evolve to allow libraries to better use their rights under 108, Fair Use and other areas of copyright law.

Proposal Submission Details

Deadline: January 15, 2025

Submit Your Proposal

Conference Proceedings
Selected participants will have the opportunity to publish their work in the Kraemer Copyright Conference 2025 Proceedings, curated by the Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship (JCEL).

Proposals Submissions

The committee must receive all proposals through the submission form by midnight (MST) January 15, 2025.

The submission form requires the following information:

  • Primary presenter’s contact information: name, title, affiliation, email address
  • Additional participant(s): name, title, affiliation, email address
  • Presentation format (Presentation, Lightning Talk, Poster Session)
  • Presentation track (Future of Copyright and Libraries, Open Track)
  • Presentation/Poster Title
  • Brief description for the conference program (up to 300 words) 

Proposal Review and Notification
The conference organizer will review proposals, evaluating each on quality and clarity of content, relevance to conference themes, and ability to engage the audience. 

The conference organizer will start notifying presenters of selection decisions after the submission deadline has passed.

Additional Requirements
Once selected presenters confirm attendance, they will be registered for the Kraemer Copyright Conference. Presentation and digital poster materials will be required for non-peer reviewed conference proceedings via the Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship.

Conference workshops, presentations, and other documentation/media may be collected by the conference organizer via email at kcc@uccs.edu and preserved in the Kraemer Family Library institutional repository or another appropriate and accessible platform.

Non-Commercial Policy
The Kraemer Copyright Conference programs are non-commercial educational learning experiences. Under no circumstances should a speaker promote their product, service, or other self-interest.

Questions
Please email questions to the Kraemer Copyright Conference Planning Committee at kcc@uccs.edu. 

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