Hello,
Submissions are now open for the Library Research Seminar VIII: Telling Library Stories. The conference will be held at the University of Kentucky (UK) in Lexington, KY on Sept. 16-18, 2024. Please visit the conference website from now through April 30 to submit a proposal; registration will open in May. <u5:p></u5:p>
<u5:p></u5:p>The Library Research Seminar is a program of the American Library Association's Library Research Round Table, hosted jointly this year with the UK College of Communication and Information, UK School of Information Science, and UK Libraries. Our goal is to bring together library practitioners, scholars, and students to share ideas and explore emerging research in the field of 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.<u5:p></u5:p>
<u5:p></u5:p>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. <u5:p></u5:p>
<u5:p></u5:p>An abridged CFP follows our signature, with the full version and the submissions portal being available on our website. We want strong representation from the Kentucky library community, so if anyone has any questions or wants advice on crafting a proposal, my colleagues on the conference committee (listed below) and I would be glad to talk.<u5:p></u5:p>
<u5:p></u5:p>Sincerely,<u5:p></u5:p>
<u5:p></u5:p>Maria Cahill, Professor ● Colleen Barrett, Rare Books Librarian ● Sean Burns, Associate Professor ● Brian Real, Assistant Professor ● Shannon Crawford Barniskis, Assistant Professor<u5:p></u5:p>
UK School of Information Science, College of Communication and Information, & University of Kentucky of Kentucky Libraries<u5:p></u5:p>
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Library Research Seminary 8: Telling Library Stories<u5:p></u5:p>
University of Kentucky<u5:p></u5:p>
September 16-18, 2024<u5:p></u5:p>
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Submissions now open through April 30<u5:p></u5:p>
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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. <u5:p></u5:p>
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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. <u5:p></u5:p>
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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: <u5:p></u5:p>
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- Quantitative and/or qualitative inquiry<u5:p></u5:p>
- Research on any aspect of library services, with an emphasis on conveying library impacts and value<u5:p></u5:p>
- Inquiry related to specific environments, such as public, academic, special or school libraries<u5:p></u5:p>
- Research conducted by scholars, students or practitioners<u5:p></u5:p>
- Collaborative work between professional practitioners and educators<u5:p></u5:p>
- Practitioner research or storytelling methods are highly encouraged<u5:p></u5:p>
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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: <u5:p></u5:p>
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- Cutting edge research that crosses boundaries within and beyond the field of library and information science<u5:p></u5:p>
- How values such as social justice ground stories in LIS research and practice<u5:p></u5:p>
- Connecting diversity and inclusion consciousness to research and practice<u5:p></u5:p>
- Community/campus engagement and collaboration<u5:p></u5:p>
- Identification of research agendas and knowledge gaps<u5:p></u5:p>
- Exploration of innovation in LIS education and storytelling<u5:p></u5:p>
- Librarian/practitioner/faculty and other partnerships and their impact on research and the collaborative approach to storytelling<u5:p></u5:p>
- Transformation of libraries and LIS research<u5:p></u5:p>
- Innovation in evidence-based practice<u5:p></u5:p>
- Public and school library stories<u5:p></u5:p>
- Communication and sharing processes within and across institutional boundaries <u5:p></u5:p>
<u5:p> </u5:p>The Library Research Seminar is a program of the American Library Association's Library Research Round Table, hosted jointly this year with the UK College of Communication and Information, UK School of Information Science, and UK Libraries. The full call for proposals and submission link are now available at this link.<u5:p></u5:p>
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Maria Cahill
Professor
University of Kentucky School of Information Science
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