CALL FOR PARTICIPATION ACRL INVITES YOU TO SHARE YOUR RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ENDEAVORS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES AT ACRL 2021. Today’s higher education environment calls for innovative ways to support student, faculty, and institution success. Submit your ideas for presentation at ACRL 2021 in Seattle, where we will explore the theme Ascending into An Open Future in the hometown of the iconic, soaring Space Needle. Through the work of talented library workers like you, and ACRL’s commitments to equitable and open scholarship as well as equity, diversity and inclusion, today’s academic and research libraries are providing more open and inclusive collections and services. Share your ideas with your colleagues in Seattle as we work together for an open future. PARTICIPATION LIMITS As we look to democratize the ACRL Conference experience and allow as many individuals as possible to participate as conference presenters, an individual may submit, or be included as a co-presenter on, a maximum of two proposals for the spring submission deadline (May 8, 2020) and a maximum of two proposals for the fall submission deadline (October 9, 2020). This means a potential for a maximum of four total acceptances. However, an indi- vidual can present a maximum of two times during the ACRL Conference. While it is uncommon for an individual to have up to four proposals accepted, in the case that happens, the individual would need to con- firm with ACRL which two programs they plan to present in order to comply with the two-presentation limit. EQUITY STATEMENT ACRL strives to develop an inclusive confer- ence program that will reflect the library community’s diverse range of race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual ori- entation, economic background, age, and/ or ability. We also seek presenters and top- ics from all types of libraries, positions, and experiences, including non-library faculty, staff, and administrators. Individuals are encouraged to address how their proposed sessions and their personal and professional experiences will advance these goals and will promote equity and inclusion. CONFERENCE TAGS Consult the conference tags on the ACRL 2021 website to stimulate your thinking and position your proposal within the conference theme. The tags will serve to create our own C-2 conference map and guide attendees to themes of interest and inspiration. SESSION FORMATS The ACRL 2021 Panel Sessions Committee is seeking proposals that explore how librar- ians can recast and advance their roles, challenge existing narratives, and revitalize their libraries to meet the ongoing, dynamic needs of their communities. From first-time presenters to seasoned experts, there is surely a format best suited to your ideas. We challenge you to inspire your colleagues in the higher education community with proposals that examine the most dynamic issues and ideas facing academic and research libraries today. CONTRIBUTED PAPERS The Contributed Papers committee invites research and position papers that chal- lenge current assumptions and provoke conference participants to think creatively about issues facing academic and research librarians. Papers may report the results of completed research, describe research in progress, or present a position on a compelling problem or issue relevant to one or more of the confer- ence tags. Research papers should highlight the problem, results, and conclusions while very briefly touching on method. The paper must be delivered in a maximum of 30 minutes, including time for Q&A, and presenters are expected to discuss their ideas rather than read their papers. Completed papers should be about 2,500–5,000 words and should be scholarly, well organized, clearly written, and rigor- ously argued. The paper should be prepared according to The Chicago Manual of Style and should include a bibliography of cited references (in addition to the 2,500–5,000 words). Papers must be provided no later than February 12, 2021 and will be published in the online conference proceedings. LIGHTNING TALKS Fire up colleagues with a five-minute Lightning Talk. Inspire others with quick glimpses at your interesting ideas, new ini- tiatives, or lessons learned from a success or failure. The sky’s the limit! A Lightning Talk will require you to create 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds (we’ll pro- vide tips and support as needed to help you make it happen). The Lightning Talks com- mittee will select the top proposals based on strength of title and program description and strive to achieve a diverse program of talks that will be interesting to a broad cross sec- tion of attendees. Proposal submissions are limited to two authors, and only one person may present the Lightning Talk. PANEL SESSIONS The ACRL 2021 Panel Sessions Committee is seeking proposals that explore how librar- ians can recast their roles, renew their approaches, and revitalize their libraries to meet the ongoing, dynamic needs of their intricate communities. Panel sessions offer two to four presenters the opportunity to weave together innovative ideas, practical experiences, fresh approaches and perspec- tives, and critical reflection on a current topic or pressing issue. Lasting a total of 60 min- utes for all speakers and Q&A, these sessions are intended to inspire audience members to consider multiple, diverse perspectives on a particular topic and their potential impact on professional practice. Sessions will be selected based on their relevance to academic librar- ies; clarity of purpose and intended outcomes for the audience; and the overall contribution to the conference as a mechanism for mov- ing the profession forward. DIGITAL POSTER SESSIONS Digital poster sessions provide an oppor- tunity for informal, interactive, multime- dia electronic presentation and discussion of diverse topics in the field of library and information science. Proposals should con- sider innovative projects, best practices, and original research findings related to the con- ference theme. The ACRL 2021 poster format will be electronic, allowing for the inclusion of interactive graphics, videos, and images. For a sample of this format, visit https:// ipostersessions.com/sample/. Electronic posters should be eye-catching visual rep- resentations of a topic, including graphics, tables, charts, text, videos, and/or images. Proposals should include a brief abstract, place an emphasis on the unique value of the work, and summarize contributions or results being presented. A maximum of two presenters per poster is recommended, and presenters will have 45 minutes to present their content multiple times during the time block. The selection committee will evalu- ate proposals primarily on their potential to stimulate interesting discussion, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and promote col- laboration across varied functional areas. Accepted electronic posters will be available via the ACRL Virtual Conference archive. PRECONFERENCES Preconferences are full-day, in-depth pro- grams that focus on a particular subject of interest to academic and research library personnel. These programs should enable participants to develop a skill on a specific topic and should focus on interactive learn- ing using a variety of presentation styles. Preconferences that offer practical tips and cutting-edge techniques, as well as pro- grams that address one or more of the con- ference’s tags, are especially encouraged. ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS Roundtables are small, informal group dis- cussions that give attendees the opportu- nity to exchange information, discuss best practices, and network with others around common themes and issues. Discussion facilitators should identify and develop a topic that will allow participants to discuss how they are dealing with specific issues at their libraries. Roundtable discussions are limited approximately twenty individu- als per table, including participants and facilitator(s). Individuals submitting round- table proposals should address the topics to be covered, their importance to academic libraries, and three questions they would use to keep the discussion moving. C-4 TECHCONNECT PRESENTATIONS The ACRL 2021 TechConnect Presentations Committee is seeking proposals that show- case how technologies are being used in academic libraries for teaching and learn- ing, day-to-day operations, and knowl- edge creation. We welcome proposal topics including, but not limited to: internet-of- things, augmented reality, making and maker culture, and data visualization. Do you experiment with technology-focused innovations? We want to hear about them— successes and failures. Are researchers and students creating new knowledge using your library’s technology? Do you adapt cur- rent applications or tools in unique ways to engage students and faculty? Have you dis- covered methods to improve library opera- tions by using a technological platform or delivery mechanism? Do you have ideas for new technologies or developmental appli- cations of existing software or hardware? Do you find the use of specific technologies problematic or challenging to our work as librarians? TechConnect presentations are 20 minutes, can consist of both demonstra- tive and participatory content, and should include at least 5 minutes for audience Q&A. A computer, data projector, screen, and microphone will be provided. You will be responsible for bringing all other equipment required for your session, except as agreed to in advance. VIRTUAL CONFERENCE WEBCASTS The Virtual Conference’s synchronous web- casts allow presenters and attendees to interact online via audio, video, and screen share. This is a great option if you want to present at ACRL 2021 but do not have the time or budget to travel. You may present from the conference location in Seattle or remotely from another location with a high- speed Internet connection and microphone. Webcasts are 60 minutes long (includ- ing Q&A). Choose a relevant, timely topic that lends itself to presentation in an online environment. If your proposal is accepted, you will receive training on how to give an effective virtual presentation using our soft- ware system (Adobe Connect or similar). Proposals will be eval- uated by the following criteria: timeliness of the topic; ability to provoke new ways of thinking or demonstrate innovative approaches; potential to engage the audience and incor- porate active learning; inclusion of well defined, actionable learning objectives (see “Proposal Instructions” for guidance on cre- ating learning outcomes); and appropriate- ness of the selected conference tags. WORKSHOPS Workshops offer two to three contact hours that provide active and in-depth learning. Participants will engage an issue, learn a new skill, or develop an action plan or other activity where hands-on learning is inte- gral. Proposals should allow for significant involvement and contribution to the learning process from the participants. Proposals will be selected for the conference based on the timeliness of the topic, the stated learning outcomes, drafts of interactive exercise(s), and the degree of active learning. In order to ensure that the sessions really are “hands- on” and provide participants with a tangible skill or action plan by the end of the session, submissions must include an example of an activity you plan to provide. The learning experience should excite and encourage the participants to take risks, question assump- tions, and fully engage in the learning pro- cess. Participants should leave the session with information to share with their home institutions. Sessions will be limited to 64 participants in order to provide a meaning- ful environment for active learning. ACRL 2021 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION C- 5 QUESTIONS? See the list of ACRL 2021 contacts at www.acrl.org/acrlconference. ACRL 50 E. Huron Street Chicago, IL 60611 (800) 545-2433, ext. 2522 acrl@ala.org www.acrl.org/acrlconference HOW TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS Proposals must be submitted via the Program Proposal Form, available online at www.acrl.org/acrlconference (click “Program”). DEADLINES May 8, 2020 Proposals due for contributed papers, panel sessions, workshops, and preconferences October 9, 2020 Proposals due for lightning talks, poster ses- sions, roundtable discussions, TechConnect presentations, virtual conference webcasts REQUIREMENTS ACRL 2021 presenters will be required to: • register for and attend the conference (complimentary registration may be requested for non-librarian presenters on the submission form) • grant permission for possible record- ing (slidecasts) and broadcast of their presentation; • participate in online speaker orientation; • assign ACRL first publication rights, as contributed papers will be published as part of the ACRL conference proceedings; and • contributed paper presenters must pro- vide completed papers in both hard copy and electronic versions by the paper sub- mission deadline date. SELECTION CRITERIA • The ACRL 20121 Conference committees will evaluate the content of your proposal for relevance to the conference tracks and theme, clarity, originality, and timeliness. Proposals should be for original work that has not been previously published. Special attention will be given to proposals that: • demonstrate innovative thinking; • generate ideas or report research that contribute to ongoing discussion about the future of academic and research libraries; • contribute ideas for positioning academic and research librarians to be leaders both on and off campus; • present strategies for effectively imple- menting new ideas and technology; and • encourage active learning among conference attendees