2027 Library Publishing Forum Call For Proposals

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is now accepting proposals for the 2027 Virtual Library Publishing Forum to be held May 10-13, 2027!

Who Should Submit?

We welcome proposal submissions 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 and representatives of small and emerging publishing programs.

Commitment to DEIA

We are committed to expanding the diversity of perspectives we hear from at the Forum. We ask all proposals to explicitly address how they are inclusive of multiple perspectives, address DEIA, 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 encourage organizers to consider demographic and perspective diversity. Proposal submitters will have an opportunity to complete a brief, anonymous demographic survey for data collection purposes only.

About the Forum

The Library Publishing Forum is an annual conference bringing together representatives from

libraries engaged in 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 to present or attend.

Session Types

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

TYPE	LENGTH	MODE	DESCRIPTION
Panel	60 minutes	Live	Multi-institution panel presentation
Active	60 minutes	Live	Interactive presentations
Birds-of-a-feather	30 minutes	Live	Guided conversations around a specific topic
Individual	15 minutes	Prerecorded with live Q&A	Brief, single topic presentation
Lightning	5 minutes	Pre-recorded with live Q&A	Virtual poster sessions

Panel presentations

Time: 60 minutes (including Q&A)

Mode: Live

Description: Panel presentations must involve presenters from more than one institution. If multiple proposals come in on similar topics, the committee may put you in touch with the other session presenters and encourage you to collaborate on a single session.

Active sessions

Time: 60 minutes (including Q&A)

Mode: Live

Description: Sessions with an active learning component. They should use interactive formats, possibly integrating polls, chat discussions, etc. Some examples include meetings, workshops, hackathons, deep dives, un-conference sessions, etc.

Proposal: Describe what resources you will need to conduct your session and whether there is a limit on the ideal number of session attendees.

Birds-of-a-Feather sessions

Time: 30 minutes

Mode: Live

Description: Guided discussion on a 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. You don’t need to be an expert on the topic you’re proposing to discuss, but you do need to be willing to lead the discussion.

Proposal: Include general topic description, what participants will gain from participating, and the techniques you will use to drive discussion (e.g., talking points, discussion prompts, etc.).

Individual presentations

Time: 15 minutes (including Q&A)

Mode: Pre-recorded.streamed to live audience, with live Q&A

Description: Individual presentations are appropriate for one to two presenters on a single topic. These may be project updates, research reports, or new ideas.

Note: Presentations are combined into 1-hour sessions. Presenters attend the session and answer questions from the audience during a live Q&A.

Lightning presentations

Time: 5 minutes

Mode: Pre-recorded, streamed to live audience, with live Q&A

Description: Lightning presentations are an opportunity to share a brief topic, concept, project summary or product/platform updates. Presenters can share posters or a brief slide deck.

Note: Several presentations will be combined into a longer session. Presenters attend the scheduled session and answer questions from the audience during a live Q&A.

If you have any questions about session types, please contact the Program Committee at contact@librarypublishing.org.

Proposal Requirements:

Presenter name(s), pronouns, job title, and affiliation(s)
Session title
Proposal format (Panel, Active, Birds-of-a-Feather, Individual, Lightning)
Abstract (300 word max)
Description of interactive components (if applicable)
2–3 Learning objectives
2–3 keywords/tag (describing theme and/or intended audience)
Explanation of how the proposed session 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. (100 word max)

How to Submit

Submit proposals using the submission form.

Submission Deadline: November 6, 2026

Acceptance Notification: By end of February

Selection Criteria

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

Demonstrated relevance to the audience
Originality of the topic
Clarity of session description and expected learning outcomes
Potential for audience engagement including inspiring discussion, collaboration, and innovation
Contribution to a diverse and inclusive Forum by encouraging multiple perspectives

Questions?

Email us at contact@librarypublishing.org.

Program & CFP