Call for Papers: Open Sessions

Management of Library Associations Section

Theme:

"Library associations in solidarity with civil society"

The IFLA Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS) invites proposals to be presented at a two-hour session at the next IFLA General Conference on 19-25 August 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland.

The MLAS is seeking proposals for papers that broadly address the following issues:

What roles do library associations have in collaborating with civil society that also highlight/feature the value of libraries?  What supporting roles are available to associations that they are not yet filling?  With societal pressures – ranging from freedom of expression to copyright, and commercialization of public spaces to the needs of refugee and migrant populations – library associations are increasingly finding common purpose with civil society organizations to address these issues.  They are also cooperating to advance the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (UN 2030 SDGs).

Library associations are well-positioned to collaborate with civil society organizations and support their efforts.  Association members – people who work in and for libraries – are often on the front line, with the capacity to engage their communities, disseminate information, and provide space for public forums.  Associations can make the connections with national and international civil society groups, provide best practice guidelines for collaborations, share success stories, encourage engagement, and distribute information to their own members.  They are able to advocate with government for policies and services to address the needs identified in cooperation with civil society groups.

Language of the session

The language of the session is English.  However, presenters may also give their talk in any of the IFLA working languages.  Simultaneous translation is not guaranteed; therefore presenters are encouraged to provide the PowerPoint presentation in English to facilitate the understanding of ideas presented.

Important dates:

  • All proposals must be submitted by 17 February 2017.
  • Notification of acceptance will be sent by 10 March 2017.
  • Successful candidates will submit a full paper by 16 June 2017. The full paper will be posted online.

 Proposals should include:

  • Title of proposed presentation
  • An abstract of the proposed paper of 500 words maximum
  • Name(s) of presenter(s)
  • Position or title of presenter(s)
  • Employer or affiliated institution of presenter(s)
  • Email address
  • Telephone/fax numbers
  • Short biographical statement(s) regarding the presenter(s)

Submissions

All proposals must be in before 17 February 2017.

Please email your proposals to:

Barbara Schleihagen
Email:  ifla.mlas@bibliotheksverband.de

Please note

At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the program in Wrocław, Poland. Abstracts should only be submitted with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

All papers that are presented at the WLIC 2017 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.

All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to authors.

Congress Participation Grants

List of opportunities for support is available on our Conference Participation Grants webpage