CALL FOR PROPOSALS: NCLA 66th Biennial Conference

Deadline: March 21, 2025 (see timeline below)

The North Carolina Library Association invites proposals for the 66th Biennial NCLA Conference, October 13-17, 2025, at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem. The theme for this conference is "Books and Beyond: Navigating New Frontiers."

This year's theme focuses on all the work libraries and librarians do for their communities, from traditional book-related work to services, programs, and resources beyond that scope. It also encourages us to look towards the future, imagining and exploring how libraries can provide services and resources, and utilize emerging technologies, to meet the needs of a changing society.

To Apply

We encourage proposals that represent all aspects of library work (including technical services, access services, interlibrary loan, reference, instruction, library administration, technology, youth services, archives, and more) and library workers (including librarians, library students, paraprofessionals, and members of underrepresented groups).

Currently, we are accepting proposals for the following presentation types (Click the link to apply for the presentation type):

• ·        Pre-Conference Workshops
• ·        Paired Presentations
• ·        Presentations
• ·        Panel Discussions

More information about each presentation type can be found at the end of this document.

If you haven’t submitted a presentation before or are curious about topics that have been accepted at past conferences, please review the 2023 Conference schedule or the 2019 Conference schedule. You can also view past NCLA Conference themes.

NOTE: Once you submit a proposal, all presenters will receive an email message to confirm their email address. Please take the time to whitelist "@sched.com" to ensure that you will receive the email. You can also ask your system admin or IT Department to whitelist Sched for the entire network. Sched emails are sent from the IP address 198.2.136.100.

General Proposal Information Needed

• ·        Primary Contact Name
• ·        Primary Contact Email
• ·        Primary Contact Library/Institution
• ·        Presenter’s Name, Title, Library/Organization, and Email
• ·        Moderator’s Name, Title, Library/Organization, and Email (for Panel Discussions only)
• ·        Pre-Conference Workshop OR Presentation Title
• ·        Pre-Conference Workshop OR Presentation Description (maximum of 500 words)
• ·        Pre-Conference Workshop OR Presentation Takeaways
• ·        Membership Affiliation (NLCA, NCSLMA, SELA, SNCA)
• ·        Will your presentation be sponsored by an NCLA section?: we encourage you to explore the association’s sections (https://nclaonline.wildapricot.org/Sections) to see if your topic relates to their scope/mission. You can contact one or multiple sections if you are interested in being sponsored, which is up to their discretion.
• ·        Are you a library school student, recent graduate, or new professional?
• ·        Are you a member of the 2024 NCLA Leadership Institute Cohort?
• ·        Is there anything else the Programs Committee should know about this proposal? (the presenter's unique expertise on/relationship to this topic, etc.)

Presenter Rate

The accepted presenters will be eligible for the discounted presenter registration rate of $150 (members) / $200 (non-members).

Poster Session Proposals - coming soon!

Important Dates

●       January 21, 2025: CFP opens

●       February 17, 2025: Poster proposals open [More information on Posters will be released at that time.]

●       March 21, 2025: CFP closes; Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the Programs Committee (see criteria below)

●       April 14-18, 2025: Acceptance emails sent for presentations

●       May 16, 2025: Poster proposals close

●       June 9, 2025: Early Bird registration opens

●       June 16-20, 2025: Acceptance emails sent for posters

●       September 12, 2025: Early Bird registration closes

●       October 13-17, 2025: NCLA Conference

General Proposal Criteria for Evaluation

All proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the members of the Programs Committee based on these criteria:

●       Fit - The proposal seems like a suitable fit for the type of session selected (45-minute presentation, panel discussion, paired presentation, pre-conference workshop), such as the amount of time needed to cover the topic or discussion effectively. 

●       Clarity and thoughtfulness of proposal - The Programs Committee favors proposals that are very clear about their content, explicit about what presenters will do in the session and what attendees will take from the session, and thoughtful in identifying a meaningful focus and providing a compelling rationale. Preference may be given to proposals that have a unique take or perspective on a relevant issue.

●       Relevance: Connection to the conference theme (see above) - While all proposals will be considered, the Programs Committee may favor proposals that directly address the conference theme, “Books and Beyond: Navigating New Frontiers.” The committee is looking for presentations that can be applied to a variety of library types, which are reasonable for librarians and library staff at all skill levels and present a topic that is not too broad or too narrow.

●       Timeliness: Content and issues are timely (see list of potential topics for ideas). The Programs Committee favors proposals that address issues relevant to library work and workers, including those of broad significance as well as those specific to a particular area.

For more detailed information, please see the Rubric for General Proposal Evaluation

We are aware that our work can change rapidly, and we recognize that, as a result, you may need to alter your presentation. You will have the opportunity to update your presentation information closer to the date of the conference when needed.

Examples of potential topics

●       Innovative programs and services

●       Collaborations between librarians and libraries

●       Supporting and empowering marginalized/underrepresented groups in your community

●       Equity, diversity, and inclusion

●       Self-care

●       Sustainability efforts

●       Sustaining library outreach

●       Marketing in libraries

●       Design thinking, re-imagining ourselves

●       Addressing digital equity gaps

●       Combating mis/disinformation

●       Critical media literacy

●       Online teaching and learning in libraries

●       Community partnerships 

●       Library Advocacy

●       Social justice and libraries 

●       Financial Health

●       Collection development

●       Cataloging for the future

●       Providing access to library materials to your community

●       Future of LIS education

●       Equity in library policies

●       Mentoring

●       Genealogical research or local history

●       Library programming

●       Digital citizenship

General Proposal Formats

Proposals should fall into one of these categories:

●       Pre-Conference Workshop (half-day, 3 hours) - These sessions will be offered on Tuesday, October 14 (morning: 9 am-noon or 1-4 pm). These sessions should be interactive and collaborative.

○       You could also offer a full-day Workshop and split it into a morning and afternoon session (one hour for a lunch break). It is your prerogative to require attendance at the morning session to attend the afternoon session.

○       The selection committee will look for substantive workshop topics that will provide the attendees with tangible, relevant, and reasonable takeaways that could be immediately applied to their library or institution.

●       Presentation (45 minutes including Q & A) - Session presented by an individual or a group (up to 3 presenters).

●       Panel Discussion (45 minutes including Q & A): This is a session featuring a moderator and up to four panelists discussing a particular topic.

●       Paired Presentation (15 minutes per presentation; 2 presentations per time slot; 10-15 minutes of combined Q & A) - Presentations will be paired (by the Programs Committee) with another presentation on a related topic during the same session. Limit 2 presenters per paired presentation. You can request to be paired with a specific presentation if you know of one.

●       Posters [Call for Posters will open on February 17]

Presenter Information/Expectations

●       Presenters will need to provide their own laptops or devices and adapters to connect to the projection equipment in the room. More details will be provided after acceptance.

●       Plan for 10-15 minutes of Q & A time after your presentation.

Please direct any questions to programs@nclaonline.org.