2026 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.

The 2026 Library Publishing Forum will be an in-person event, scheduled to take place June 17-18, 2026, at the University of Washington in Seattle. This year we are co-locating the Forum with the Association of University Presses’ Annual Meeting (June 13-15) and co-hosting Responding to Universities in Crisis: A Summit for University-Based Publishing (June 16). This year we’ve also created a new program for those unable to attend the Forum in person: Forum Friends will provide some limited engagement opportunities.

Quick schedule

June 16 | Responding to Universities in Crisis: A Summit for University-Based Publishing

June 17–18 | Library Publishing Forum

Forum News

March 10, 2026:

Registration open: 2026 Library Publishing Forum, UBPF summit, and Forum Friends

Registration is now open for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum! This year’s Forum is an in-person event, to be held in June at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. We … Continue reading Registration open: 2026 Library Publishing Forum, UBPF summit, and Forum Friends →

February 13, 2026:

Full COVID Policy for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum

Goal LPC’s goal for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum is to encourage the safest possible in-person conference environment through careful planning and mutual care. Although public concern has waned, COVID-19 … Continue reading Full COVID Policy for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum →

January 26, 2026:

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 … Continue reading A message about costs for this year’s Library Publishing Forum →

See All Forum News »

Keynote Speakers

Heather Joseph
Executive Director, SPARC
COPYRIGHT REBECCA DROBIS

Heather Joseph
Executive Director, SPARC

As SPARC’s Executive Director since 2005, Heather has focused the organization’s efforts on sharing knowledge. Under her stewardship, SPARC has become the leading advocacy organization promoting innovative open and equitable global systems of research and education. She leads SPARC’s strategic work, which has resulted in a fundamental shift in public policy towards open knowledge sharing, including the establishment of the landmark White House Memorandum requiring open access to all U.S. federally funded research outputs in 2023.

She has provided guidance and advice to both public and private funders through her service on national boards and committees ranging from the U.S. Department of Commerce Data Advisory Council to the National Institute of Standards Research Data Framework Committee and has worked to incentivize knowledge sharing by spearheading the establishment of the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Roundtable on Aligning Incentives to Support Open Science.

She is a widely respected expert on national and international open research policies, practices, and implementation strategies; Heather has worked on initiatives and consultations promoting the open sharing of research outputs from the United Nations to the World Bank. Through SPARC’s global network of affiliates in Europe, Asia and Africa, she is an active collaborator on projects that support community-developed and controlled solutions for knowledge sharing.

Prior to joining SPARC, Heather spent 15 years as a publisher in both commercial and not-for-profit journal publishing organizations. She is deeply engaged in the global knowledge-sharing community and serves on the Board of Directors of organizations ranging from the Public Resource to OurResearch. She is a frequent speaker and writer on scholarly communications and higher education issues and open access to research in particular.

Please check back later for further information about keynotes.

Code of Conduct & COVID Policy

All participation in the Library Publishing Forum is subject to the Library Publishing Coalition’s Code of Conduct, which includes a policy for event-specific health guidelines.

COVID Policy Short Version

LPC’s goal for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum is to encourage the safest possible in-person conference environment through careful planning and mutual care.

COVID remains a serious health risk, especially for those with weakened immune systems or other vulnerabilities. Because of these risks, we feel that precautions for in-person gatherings are warranted.

Some of the precautions LPC is taking include:

Providing masks
Providing rapid COVID tests
Encouraging community members to have up-to-date vaccinations, to test each morning before entering the venue, and to mask when possible

Please see the full COVID Policy for more details on the venue, scheduling, ventilation, and other COVID-related guidance.

An in-person event will inevitably carry a higher level of risk than a virtual one. For that and other reasons, we will continue to alternate in-person events with fully virtual ones.

Sponsor Information

Sponsors of the Library Publishing Forum demonstrate their commitment to the emerging community of library publishers, including their many affiliates and partners. By becoming a sponsor, you will reach a highly influential, international audience of potential new partners and clients. Sponsorship dollars fund the costs associated with hosting this conference (venue, catering, reception).

More information about sponsorship opportunities is available on the Sponsorships page.

Committees

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)
Brandon Locke, CALMA, University of Washington (host liaison)

Library Publishing Forum Scholarships Committee

Jason Boczar, University of South Florida (chair)
Laureen Boutang, University of Minnesota
Becky Diamond, Rutgers University
Matt Fredericks, Wayne State University
Jonah McAllister-Erickson, West Virginia University

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee

Josephine Chaet, University of Delaware
Iliana Cosme-Brooks, Virginia Tech
Amanda Karby, California Digital Library
Shannon Kipphut-Smith, Rice University
Jules Luck, Penn State University
Rhonda Marker, Rutgers University
Joshua Neds-Fox, Wayne State University
Kate Sheridan University of Minnesota