Forum News

A message about costs for this year’s Library Publishing Forum

The 2026 Library Publishing Forum is still five months away (June 17–18, Seattle, Washington), and registration won’t open for a little while yet, but we wanted to help attendee planning with some information about expected costs. We are excited to have the opportunity to co-locate with the Association of University Presses Annual Meeting and to host a day of joint programming (June 16—announcement coming next week!), but the trade-off is that we will be in an already expensive city during a very busy time (Seattle is hosting some World Cup matches).

Hotel costs: We have a limited hotel block with rooms available June 15–17 at $389/night. Typically room costs are lower; however, the World Cup has greatly inflated prices during this time period. Some current estimates of hotel costs near the arena are as high as $1,300/night. If you haven’t already booked a hotel room and wish to book one at our hotel block, see additional details and contact information on the Forum website. Because costs are so high this year, we have also set up a spreadsheet (see Forum website) to help those who might wish to share a hotel room get in contact.

Registration costs: As we hinted in the report out from our last in-person Forum (2024 in Minneapolis), registration costs for this year will be slightly higher. Registration for our in-person conferences has always been a bargain and has never increased in our 10+ years of hosting, but hosting costs are much higher these days. We are still keeping registration relatively low (compared both to other conferences and to our per-attendee costs), with sponsorships expected to make up the difference. This year’s registration costs will be:

• Standard: $400
• LPC member discount (two per each member institution): $250
• Low and middle income countries: $50
• Students (limited number): $50

The bottom line: We understand that this year’s Forum will be a pretty significant investment, and we deeply appreciate the individuals and institutions who plan to join us in Seattle! For community members who aren’t able to attend—for financial or other reasons—stay tuned for opportunities to engage with the Forum from a distance. And don’t forget that we’re alternating in-person and virtual years, so 2027 will be another budget-friendly virtual conference!

LPC and AUPresses plan joint summit

In cooperation with the University-Based Publishing Futures (UBPF) community, the Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) and Association of University Presses (AUPresses) are hosting a joint summit between the AUPresses Annual Meeting and the Library Publishing Forum. This event is titled “Responding to Universities in Crisis: A Summit for University-Based Publishing.” It’s open to attendees from both conferences, but we also welcome community members who want to come to just the Summit. 

The Summit will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 16, 2026 on the University of Washington campus.  Registration and other details will be available on the UBPF website by early February, as well as through the sponsoring organizations.  

Call for applications for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum scholarships

About the Forum scholarships

The Library Publishing Coalition is offering scholarships to offset travel costs for first-time Forum attendees from the United States and Canada, with a focus on individuals who will bring new and diverse perspectives to the community. There are two scholarships available, each of which will cover up to $2,500 USD in travel-related expenses, including airfare, hotel, and meals. Scholarship awardees will have Forum registration fees waived and will be paired with a community mentor to help introduce them to the conference and the community. For awardees from non-member institutions, the award includes guest access to the LPC community for the year following the in-person Forum. This would include access to the listserv and service opportunities, and the opportunity to participate in the peer mentorship program. All recipients will also receive a waived registration to the virtual Forum planned for May 2027. (If you live outside the US and Canada, and are interested in travelling to the Library Publishing Forum, you can visit the IFLA International Scholarship site.)

Eligibility

• This round of the scholarship program will only be open to applicants from the United States and Canada. 
• Applications will be accepted from individuals at both Library Publishing Coalition member and non-member institutions. 
• Anyone who has not attended a previous in-person Library Publishing Forum is eligible to apply. (Anyone who has -only- attended the Library Publishing Forum virtually is encouraged to apply for this scholarship for travel funding to the 2026 in-person Forum.)
• Applicants new to their librarianship career (first 3–5 years), new to the field of library publishing, and/or who identify as members of a group (or groups) underrepresented among library and publishing practitioners will be given preference.  These groups include – but are not limited to – members of a racial/ethnic minority, first-generation college graduates, immigrants and refugees, persons with a disability, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. 

• Applications from people who could contribute to the diversity of perspectives at the Forum in other ways are also warmly welcomed.

How to apply for a scholarship

To apply for a scholarship, please fill out the application form. Applications are due by December 12, 2025.

UPDATE: The deadline for applications has been extended to January 5, 2026.

The Library Publishing Coalition’s Forum Scholarship Committee will review applications and notify applicants by Early February 2026.

Questions?

Email contact@librarypublishing.org. 

About the Library Publishing Forum

The Library Publishing Forum is an annual conference bringing together representatives from libraries engaged in (or considering) publishing initiatives to define and address major questions and challenges; to identify and document collaborative opportunities; and to strengthen and promote this community of practice. The Forum includes representatives from a broad, international spectrum of academic library backgrounds, as well as groups that collaborate with libraries to publish scholarly works, including publishing vendors, university presses, and scholars. The Forum is sponsored by the Library Publishing Coalition, but you do not need to be a member of the LPC to attend.

2026 Library Publishing Forum Call for Proposals

The Library Publishing Forum is an annual conference bringing together representatives from libraries engaged in or considering publishing initiatives to define and address major questions and challenges; to identify and document collaborative opportunities; and to strengthen and promote this community of practice. The Forum is sponsored by the Library Publishing Coalition, but you do not need to be a member of the LPC to attend. 

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is now accepting in-person and a limited number remote proposals for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum! We are thrilled to offer an in-person conference at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, on June 17 and 18, 2026, with active remote engagement also planned.  Proposals may address any topic of interest to the library publishing community. The proposal deadline is December 12, 2025. UPDATE: The deadline for submitting a proposal has been extended to January 5, 2026.

Proposal submissions are welcome from LPC members and nonmembers, including library employees, university press employees, scholars, students, and other scholarly communication and publishing professionals. Again, we welcome proposals from first-time presenters and representatives of small and emerging publishing programs.

The Library Publishing Coalition is pleased to announce that we will once again be offering scholarships to offset travel costs for first-time Forum attendees from the United States and Canada, with a focus on individuals who will bring new and diverse perspectives to the community. There will be two scholarships available, each of which will cover up to $2,500 in travel-related expenses and a Forum registration waiver. More information, including award details, application instructions, and application deadlines are available on the Library Publishing Forum Scholarships Webpage. 

We are committed to expanding the diversity of perspectives we hear from at the Library Publishing Forum. Working towards some of the “Continuing Initiatives” from the LPC Roadmap for Anti-Racist Practice, we ask all proposals to explicitly address how they are inclusive of multiple perspectives, address DEI, or incorporate anti-racist and anti-oppressive approaches. Presentations about specific communities should include members of that community in their speaker list, and for sessions with multiple speakers, we seek to avoid demographically homogeneous panels. Everyone submitting a presentation will also have an opportunity to complete a brief, anonymous demographic survey so we can better understand who is submitting proposals to LPF.

Learn more and submit a proposal.

LPC Program Committee

• Ryan Otto, Kansas State University (co-chair) 
• Jessica Thorlakson, University of Alberta (co-chair) 
• Elizabeth Bedford, University of Washington (host liaison)
• Ginelle Baskin, Middle Tennessee State University
• Stefanie Buck, Oregon State University
• Christine Cata, University of Miami
• Jennifer Coronado, Butler University (PALNI)
• Annie Johnson, University of Delaware (Board liaison)
• Cheryl Ball, Library Publishing Coalition
• Melanie Schlosser, Library Publishing Coalition