The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is now accepting proposals for the 2024 Library Publishing Forum to be held at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN on May 15 and 16, 2024! 

Proposal submissions for the Forum are welcome from LPC members and nonmembers, including library employees, university press employees, scholars, students, and other scholarly communication and publishing professionals. We welcome proposals from first-time presenters, representatives of small and emerging publishing programs, and employees of non-member institutions.

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 $2,000 in travel-related expenses and a Forum registration waiver. More information, including award details, application instructions, and application deadlines will be shared the week of Oct. 30, 2023 via the LPC Scholarship Website.

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 all-white and all-male panels.

If you have questions or concerns about the accessibility of the space, please do not hesitate to reach out to the committee at contact@librarypublishing.org

About the 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.

We welcome proposals on topics including, but not limited to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), decolonial approaches to library publishing, intersections of library publishing with broader social issues, university presses, society and association partnerships, funding models, copyright, open access publishing, and Open Educational Resources (OER).

Please review the event and session format descriptions carefully to determine which best fits your proposal.

Session Types 

Full Sessions 

These sessions are 60 minutes long, including time for Q&A.

Full sessions must involve presenters from more than one institution. This could mean a panel discussion, or separate speaker presentations on a unifying theme. The abstract should include the topic and a clear description of the session format (i.e. speaker presentations or roundtable discussion).  If more than one proposal comes in for similar topics, the committee may put you in touch with the other session presenters and encourage you to collaborate on a single session. If you have a product or platform you would like to share, please consider an Exhibition Session instead.

Hands-On Sessions

Hands-On sessions are 60 minutes long. 

Hands-On sessions should use interactive formats. Some examples include workshops, hackathons, deep dives, un-conference sessions, etc. In your proposal, please describe what resources you will need to conduct your session and whether there is a limit on the ideal number of session attendees.

If you have any questions about Hands-On sessions, please contact the Program Committee at contact@librarypublishing.org

Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions

Birds-of-a-Feather sessions are 60 minutes long.

Birds-of-a-feather sessions allow for informal conversations around a certain topic. This is an ideal opportunity to lead a discussion to help individuals work through issues at their particular institutions or to help formulate collective action plans. In your proposal please describe your general topic, what you hope session participants and/or the wider community will gain from the discussion, and what structures you will suggest to help participants turn conversation into action. While discussion leaders are not expected to be experts in the topic, they should be able to actively guide the session through talking points, discussion prompts, or some other method. 

Individual Presentations 

These sessions are 15 minutes long, with additional time for Q&A. 

Individual presentations are appropriate for one to two presenters on a single topic. These may be project updates, research reports, or new ideas. The committee will combine multiple presentations into thematic 1-hour sessions. To help us match you with related presentations, the proposal abstract should highlight key topics and themes around which a full session could be organized.

Exhibition Session 

This consists of a 60 minute viewing session. 

This session allows participants to informally showcase their projects and is best suited to presenters who want the chance to get individual feedback from attendees. Presenters may include a poster element, a physical demonstration, and/or any other visual element that will support project progress discussion. In your application, please include a short abstract of the project or process you plan to showcase and your physical requirements, i.e. a board for a poster or a table for book samples or your laptop. 

All proposals must include:

  • Presenter name(s), preferred pronoun(s) (if comfortable providing this information), job title(s), and affiliation(s)
  • Session title (and a brief social-media-friendly title)
  • Proposal format (Full Session, Hands-On Session, Birds-of-a-Feather, Individual Session, Exhibition Session)
  • Abstract (300 word max.)
  • Information on any interactive components of the session activities, if applicable
  • Information about any technology requirements
  • Learning objectives
  • 2–3 keywords/tags that represent the theme of your presentation and/or intended audience
  • An explanation of how the proposal is inclusive of multiple perspectives; addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; or incorporates anti-racist or anti-oppressive approaches, topics or presentation techniques. Diversity encompasses many dimensions such as racial identities, ethnic identities, languages, geographic locations, ages, people with disabilities, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and lived experiences. 

Feedback from previous years indicates that sessions incorporating the following are particularly well received:

  • Case studies with timelines, costs and metrics for success;
  • New initiatives, partnerships, or research;
  • Sharing of best practices or lessons learned; 
  • Examples of library publishers working together to tackle challenges at scale;
  • Exploring the role of library publishing in the bigger context of scholarly communication;
  • Collaborations with on-campus, local, and international partners

How to Submit

Submit proposals using the submission form.

Submission deadline has been extended to December 15, 2023

Acceptance Notification: January 2024

Criteria for Selection

The LPC Program Committee will review and accept proposals based on:

  • relevance to the audience
  • originality of the topic
  • clarity of description
  • potential for inspiring discussion, collaboration, and innovation
  • consideration of how the proposed session contributes to a diverse and inclusive Forum
  • ensuring we provide opportunities on the program for as many voices as possible

Questions?

Email us at contact@librarypublishing.org.

On behalf of the Library Publishing Coalition Program Committee:

Elizabeth Bedford, University of Washington (2023–2024 co-chair)
Jennifer Coronado, Butler University (PALNI) (2023–2024 co-chair)
Jason Boczar, University of South Florida
Corinne Guimont, Virginia Tech
Loftan Hooker, Virginia Commonwealth University
Alexandra Marcaccio, University of Guelph
Emma Molls, University of Minnesota (host liaison)
Melanie Schlosser, Library Publishing Coalition