2026 Library Publishing Forum Call For Proposals

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is now accepting proposals for the 2026 Library Publishing Forum to be held at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, on June 17 and 18, 2026! Some virtual engagement is also planned for remote presentations and viewing.

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 $2,500 in travel-related expenses and a Forum registration waiver. More information, including award details, application instructions, and application deadlines is shared via the LPC Forum Scholarships webpage.

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).

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.

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

Session Types

Full Sessions

Full sessions are in-person and run 60 minutes, including time for Q&A.

Full sessions may include a panel discussion, roundtable 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. Full session proposals that involve presenters from more than one institution will be prioritized, and interactivity in these sessions is encouraged. 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 in-person and run 60 minutes.

Hands-On sessions should use interactive formats. Some examples include workshops, hackathons, deep dives, un-conference sessions, etc. In your proposal, please describe how your active learning components require a hands-on session, 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

Birds-of-a-Feather sessions are in-person and run 60 minutes.

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

Individual presentations are in-person and run 15 minutes, with additional time for Q&A.

Individual presentations are appropriate for solo or collaborative presentations 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.

Pre-recorded Presentations

Pre-recorded presentations are 5–7 minutes long, with Q&A on Discord.

These pre-recorded presentations provide an opportunity for participants who cannot attend the Forum in person and will be limited in number. Pre-recorded presentations are appropriate for one to two presenters on a single topic. These may be project updates, research reports, lightning talks, new ideas, etc.

Presentations will be combined by the committee into 1-hour sessions, viewed synchronously during the conference with an a/synchronous Discord Q&A.

Exhibition Session

Exhibitions are in-person and run 60 minutes.

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).

Proposals must include:

Presenter name(s), 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, Pre-recorded Session, Exhibition Session)
Abstract (300 word max.)
Information on any interactive components of the session activities, if applicable
Information about any technology requirements
3–5 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;
Resources for helping audience members put learning into action;
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: December 12, 2025

Acceptance Notification: Early February, 2026

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

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