A Call for Proposals
The School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky is pleased to announce that we are hosting Library Research Seminar VIII: Telling Library Stories. The conference will be held at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky on Sept. 16-18, 2024.
The Library Research Seminar, a program of the American Library Association's Library Research Round Table, brings together library practitioners, scholars and students to share ideas and explore emerging research in the field of 21st century library and information science. It is a unique opportunity to gather with fellow professionals in a collegial setting to uncover new approaches for supporting evidence-based practice.
Under the theme of Telling Library Stories, programming will include (but not be limited to) discussions of how to use statistics and other data to tell compelling stories, how research stories reflect library practice, how library stories impact research and development and how libraries can tell stories to advocate for themselves and their communities. In Kentucky, storytelling is situated with a strong connection to Appalachian storytelling traditions. The goal of the seminar is to connect scholars and librarians or other practitioners in joining to tell library stories and communicate library value.
We warmly invite you to participate in this enriching seminar and contribute to the vibrant discussions that lie at the heart of our profession. Your experiences, insights and stories are invaluable to the tapestry of library and information science research. Let's come together to share, learn and inspire each other in advancing our field and advocating for the vital role of libraries in our communities.
We look forward to your submissions and to welcoming you at the University of Kentucky in September 2024.
Telling Library Stories
The eighth Library Research Seminar (LRS8) will highlight the theme Telling Library Stories, by bringing together a diverse community of scholars and students from academia and practitioners from libraries who are conducting research, or are interested in research that tells stories that center libraries and the value they provide for their communities.
These stories can center on library impacts, best practices, decision-making and creative storytelling methods or technologies in libraries and the communities they serve. Participants will share research projects, discuss potential new research agendas and have the opportunity to refine research methods and facilitate successful completion of research projects.
LRS is a research meeting that can include empirical, methodological and conceptual work with the field of library and information science. It can include, but is not limited to, the following kinds of scholarship:
- Quantitative and/or qualitative inquiry
- Research on any aspect of library services, with an emphasis on conveying library impacts and value
- Inquiry related to specific environments, such as public, academic, special or school libraries
- Research conducted by scholars, students or practitioners
- Collaborative work between professional practitioners and educators
- Practitioner research or storytelling methods are highly encouraged
The LRS8 Planning Committee invites proposals for papers, panels, posters and workshops. We anticipate that discussion will examine methods of communicating research on libraries to stakeholders in communities, academia and among practitioners, on storytelling as a research tool and on ways to center voices in the library story that are often marginalized or silenced. We welcome creative and non-traditional storytelling contributions (including visual storytelling or other methods) from individuals and groups, students, faculty and practitioners on a broad range of topics related to libraries, including but not limited to:
- Cutting edge research that crosses boundaries within and beyond the field of library and information science
- How values such as social justice ground stories in LIS research and practice
- Connecting diversity and inclusion consciousness to research and practice
- Community/campus engagement and collaboration
- Identification of research agendas and knowledge gaps
- Exploration of innovation in LIS education and storytelling
- Librarian/practitioner/faculty and other partnerships and their impact on research and the collaborative approach to storytelling
- Transformation of 21st century libraries and LIS research
- Innovation in evidence-based practice
- Public and school library stories
- Communication and sharing processes within and across institutional boundaries
Submission Details
Paper, panel and workshop submissions will be accepted March 17- May 17, 2024. Paper, panel and workshop acceptance notifications will be sent by June 15, 2024. Posters submissions will be accepted March 17-July 31, 2024. Poster acceptance notifications will be sent by July 31, 2024.
LRS8 is hosted jointly by the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information, the UK School of Information Science and UK Libraries. The LRS8 co-chairs include the UK Libraries' Colleen Barrett and UK School of Information Science's Sean Burns, Maria Cahill, Shannon Crawford-Barniskis, Shannon Oltmann and Brian Real.
All presentations will take place at LRS8 on Sept. 16-18, 2024 at the University of Kentucky Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Libraries and scholars face unique challenges in conveying their value in times of intense political polarization, resulting in communities that do not understand what libraries do, why and how they help. This seminar aims to help scholars and practitioners understand best practices for using statistics and other evidence to convey the stories we need to share with the public, with funders and with our profession, as advocacy efforts are vital to library survival and flourishing. The seminar aims to connect library practitioners and scholars, so they can talk to one another about what stories need telling, how they should be told, and who should be part of the research and storytelling processes. The LRS8 will connect new collaborators, discover new stories that need further research and develop a community of practice around library practitioner-infused scholarship.
LRS8 will consist of a convivial discussion of paper, panel, poster and workshop presentations and activities, including a half-day storytelling methods workshop for researchers and practitioners.
Proposal submission guidelines and formats:
The deadline for submission of paper, panel and workshop proposals is April 30, 2024. Poster submissions will be accepted until June 30, 2024. Proposals must include title, author/organizer name, affiliation and contact information for all participants. In addition to an abstract, each author or panelist must provide a separate biographical statement (maximum of 50 words).
Papers
- Paper proposals must include a title and abstract (maximum of 500 words). Please do not include identifying information in the paper proposal.
- Paper proposals should be submitted individually, and they will be grouped with others on a common theme, typically for a 90-minute session comprised of three paper presentations. The submitted abstract should state the focus of the paper and the way(s) in which it contributes to the body of knowledge in the field. Presentation time for papers will be no more than 25 minutes.
Posters
- Poster proposals must include a title, author(s), format and abstract (maximum of 500 words).
- This informal graphic and verbal presentation of the topic offers an excellent opportunity for reporting on evaluation results and gathering detailed feedback on one’s work. As such, the proposal should describe briefly, in a sentence or two, how the poster design will convey information in a compelling visual way.
- Posters should be no larger than 48" high and 44" wide.
- Graduate student and library practitioner submissions are encouraged.
Panels
- Panel proposals must include title, author(s) and abstract (maximum of 750 words).
- The abstract should describe how three or more panelists will creatively present a cohesive theme and promote lively and INTERACTIVE discussions between panelists and audience members. Proposals should provide a description of the issues to be discussed and a list of panelists who have agreed to participate, with their qualifications and contributions to the panel.
Workshops
- Workshop proposals must include title, author(s) and abstract (maximum of 750 words).
- The abstract should provide an outline of the workshop and describe how participants will engage an issue, learn a new skill or develop an action plan or other activity where hands-on learning is integral. Submissions must include at least three learning outcomes and an example of an activity you plan to conduct. The learning experience should excite and encourage the participants to take risks, question assumptions and fully engage in the learning process. Workshops are expected to be 90 minutes in length.
- Innovative and non-traditional workshop formats are encouraged.
The Conference Planning Committee will evaluate proposals based on:
- Relevance to the theme
- Significance of its contribution to LIS research or practice
- Clarity of expression
- Appropriateness of the methodology to the research question
- Status of research: Are the results in hand? When appropriate, please include the timeline for completion of research.
Proposals must include title, author/organizer name, affiliation and contact information for all participants. In addition to an abstract, each author or panelist must provide a separate biographical statement (maximum of 50 words).
- Conference dates: September 16-18, 2024
- Deadline for poster submissions: July 31, 2024
- Deadline for paper, panel or workshop submissions: March 17-May 17, 2024
