Call for Papers — Open Sessions IFLA WLIC 2018

New Professionals Special Interest Group joint with Management of Library Associations Section and Public Libraries Section

Theme: "Librarian Fashion: What does the way we dress say about us?" 

The IFLA New Professionals Special Interest Group (NPSIG) in collaboration with Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS) and Public Libraries Section (PLS), invites proposals to be presented at a two-hour session at the next IFLA General Conference on 24-30 August 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Have you ever made a quick judgement about someone because of what they’re wearing? Sure, we have all done it. Does this mean that the way we dress at work influences how we are perceived and categorized in society?

The topic of Librarian Fashion opens a myriad of questions: Should librarians wear a uniform? Can we wear tattoos? Should we dress with dignity – and what does dignity mean? What about piercings? Jewels? Religious or political symbols? Does it depend on a personal choice, on the country we live in, or on the position we hold in the library? Should a library director dress like a librarian or like a director? Do you believe in enclothed cognition?

This session aims at walking the audience through the image we give our patrons, communities and, to a lesser extent, our colleagues.

We would like to address these issues traditionally, through a call for papers and an international survey, from the point of view of sociology, geography and library sciences. Nevertheless, the topic is an opportunity to challenge the rules of IFLA sessions, for instance through a visual moment or a participatory event.

We are seeking proposals for 7 lightning talks (~6 minutes each) aimed at igniting  lively discussions among the audience: share your stories, thoughts, images, films  and experiments with us!

The talks may include PowerPoint presentations (but it’s not a must!), a short movie, a slam poem, a sketch, or an intriguing dialogue on the stage. We welcome all innovative and outside-the-box approaches as long as they fit in 6 minutes.

Language of the session

The working language of the session will be English. Nevertheless, presentations can be made in any of the IFLA official languages.

Important dates:

• All proposals must be submitted by 18 February 2018.
• Notification of acceptance will be sent by 12 March 2018.
• Successful candidates will submit a full paper by 1 June 2018. The full paper will be posted online.

 Proposals should include:

• Title of proposed presentation
• An abstract of the proposed paper of 500 words maximum, in English
• Name(s) of presenter(s)
• Position or title of presenter(s)
• Employer or affiliated institution of presenter(s)
• Email address
• Short biographical statement(s) regarding the presenter(s)

Proposals will be evaluated by the programme committee, comprising representatives from the NPSIG, MLAS and PLS.

Submissions

All proposals must be in before 18 February 2018.

Please email your proposals to: npsig.ifla@gmail.com   

Please note

At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Abstracts should only be submitted with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

All papers that are presented at the WLIC 2018 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.

All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to authors.

Source: https://2018.ifla.org/cfp-calls/new-professionals-with-management-of-library-associations-and-public-libraries