[Ohiodig] Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) 2026 Call for Conference Proposals

Tue Apr 14 14:26:51 EDT 2026

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*Proposal Guidelines*

The Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) conference planning
committee invites you to submit proposals for the 52nd Annual
Conference, *Preserving
the Past, Empowering the Future: Ohio Academic Libraries*

ALAO has a long tradition of being a foundation for first-time presenters
of sessions, posters, lightning talks, and panel discussions. Our
conference provides a welcoming and supportive environment that is perfect
for your first journey into presenting! In this spirit, the 2026 ALAO
Conference Planning Committee hosted an informal virtual conversation to
empower potential first-time presenters and anyone else interested in
sharing their dynamic ideas. The Webinar happened on April 9th at 12pm
virtually through Microsoft Teams; please find a recording here
<https://youtu.be/G60zWySs8I0>. You can also view last year’s webinar here
<https://youtu.be/_mnDG1V1OiY?si=G1lBFUge35lOr_v0>.

*Conference Date & Venue*

*In-Person Conference Location (Thursday and Friday, Oct 29th-30th, 2026)*:
OCLC Conference Center, Dublin, OH

*Submission Deadline*: Friday April 24th, 2026

We encourage thoughtful, timely proposals from *all areas of library work*.

Adherence to the conference theme is encouraged *but not required*.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

   - Libraries’ role supporting citizenship and civic engagement
   - Leadership in libraries during challenging times
   - Preserving historical materials and documents
   - Advocacy for libraries and library workers
   - Innovative instruction & research support
   - Generating student success in the classroom and beyond
   - Measuring the impact of library programs and services
   - Original use of generative AI in library work
   - Exploring new acquisition models
   - Strategies for working with Alma normalization rules
   - Inventive student worker roles and duties
   - Expressing the value of the library to stakeholders
   - Collection assessment, management, & development
   - Libraries as supportive environments and communities
   - Self-care for library personnel
   - Library integrations with campus systems like Workday or EAB Navigate
   - Strategies for creating successful library outreach
   - Connecting and collaborating with non-library units
   - Universal access in libraries: spaces, interfaces, licenses, etc

*SUBMIT YOUR CONFERENCE PROPOSAL HERE!*
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScz18R9DeFuPHHeDdOgvsUgjvfNMN5_nj_lL4YtfmQ1F4cdYA/viewform?usp=header>

*Proposal Guidelines*

Choose which option best fits your topic(s). Multiple submissions are
allowed, but each must represent a different topic.

   - Proposals should appeal and be relevant to academic library work in
   any area, department, or specialty. Adherence to the conference theme is
   encouraged but not required.
   - Proposals should provide a clear indication of actionable takeaways or
   practical applications.
   - Proposals should be concise, descriptive, and clearly written.
   - Proposals are blinded and peer-reviewed by the selection committee.
      - Exclude the name of your institution, department, and any personal
      names in the title or abstract. If you include this identifying
      information, your proposal may not receive further consideration.
   - Multiple submissions of presentations, posters, and lightning talks
   are allowed.
      - No more than two (e.g. two presentations, two posters, one
      presentation and one poster, or one presentation/poster and
lightning talk)
      will be included in the final program.

*Proposal Types*:

   - Presentation (50-minute session)
      - These sessions can include panels, presentations and breakouts.
   - Poster Session (1 hour session where you engage with individuals or
   small groups for a few minutes at a time, uses visual format to give an
   overview of a topic)
   - Discussions (50-minute session) where you lead attendees through a
   guided discussion around a defined theme.
   - Lightning Talk (7 minute session with a shared Q&A)

*Proposal Components*:

   - Title: 25 word limit
   - Abstract: 200 word limit
      - Exclude the name of your institution, department and any personal
      names. If you include this identifying information, your proposal may not
      receive further consideration.
   - How the presentation/poster will engage with audience
   - Keywords that describe the content
   - Presenter bio(s): 100 word limit
   - The content of this proposal will be:
      - Content is completely new
      - Previously presented/published, but takes a different focus or adds
      new information
      - Previously presented elsewhere
   - Learning Outcomes for Presentations
      - A well-written learning outcome will identify what participants
      will be able to do as a result of attending your program. How will your
      target audience’s skills, attitudes, knowledge, behavior, status, or life
      condition change or improve by participating in your program? Think about
      the intended impact of the program and how it fills a need or solves a
      problem.
      - Tip: Consider using a verb or action phrase + “in order to” + an
      impact statement to design your outcomes. The first phrase describes the
      skill or task you want the learner to perform, and the second phrase
      describes its impact and why it is important. (Guidelines
adopted from ALA
      Annual Submission Guide
      <https://2024.alaannual.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Annual%20Conference%202024%20Submission%20Guide_FINAL2_5.pdf>
       & Primer for Learning Outcomes
      <https://2026.alaannual.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/A-Primer-on-Learning-Outcomes_IACET.pdf>
      )
      - At least one outcome is required; no more than three can be
      submitted.
   - For discussions, in lieu of learning outcomes please provide 3
   discussion questions that you plan to use to guide the conversation.

*All conference presenters (presentation, poster, discussion, or lightning
talk) are responsible for their own registration costs.* Please note also
that grants are available for Students
<https://www.alaoweb.org/Student-Presenter-Grant>, Library Support Staff
<https://www.alaoweb.org/Support-Staff-Conference-Grant>, and Technical
Services Staff
<https://2026.alaannual.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/A-Primer-on-Learning-Outcomes_IACET.pdf>
to
attend or aid in presenting at the conference. Grant applications for 2026
will open later this year—check back soon!

*COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS*

The conference planners seek to create a space for respectful dialogue and
debate about critical issues. Upon registration, attendees will be asked to
review and accept a list of community agreements. Conference planners will
actively strive to create spaces in which multiple perspectives can be
heard and no one voice dominates.

If you have questions, please contact the Conference Planning Committee at
program at alaoweb.org.

*SUBMIT YOUR CONFERENCE PROPOSALS HERE*
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScz18R9DeFuPHHeDdOgvsUgjvfNMN5_nj_lL4YtfmQ1F4cdYA/viewform?usp=header>

Rubric: http://tinyurl.com/ALAORubric
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