International Paper Session

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/iro/iroactivities/papersession.cfm

Call for International Paper Sessions to be presented during the ALA Annual Conference.

CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL PAPER SESSION

The American Library Association, International Papers Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, June 24-29, 2010. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers Session scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2010.

The International Papers Program provides librarians with an opportunity to exchange information about library services, collections and projects throughout the world. The program also serves to stimulate the interest of U.S. librarians in international library matters. Through its International Papers Committee, ALA’s International Relations Round Table (IRRT) invites librarians to submit a presentation proposal. The 2010 International Papers Program theme is

Libraries as Gateways to Local History around the World

Libraries and librarians often create collections, provide resources, and develop programs and services specific to the local history of the communities they serve. Libraries also reflect the local history of which they are a part. Exhibits and programs, special collections, and genealogy services help to preserve the memory of the community and to keep the local history alive. Libraries may also collaborate with other local cultural heritage organizations (e.g., archives, museums, historical societies, etc.) to create content.   Deeply embedded in the local history, libraries increasingly seek to open up this history and cultural heritage to the global community. This year’s program will explore successful projects and initiatives implemented by libraries around the world to preserve local history and to open up their cultural heritage to the global community.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Proposals, presentations, and papers must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program.

Proposals should include:
1.    Title of the presentation
2.    Name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address) for each presenter
3.    Abstract (300-500 words)
4.    A short biographical profile of each presenter

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to:
    International Relations Office
    American Library Association
    50 East Huron Street
    Chicago, IL 60611-2795
    USA
    E-mail: intl@ala.org

Deadline for submitting proposals is December 4, 2009.

SELECTION PROCESS
Four (4) official and four (4) alternate proposals will be selected. Alternate proposals will be ranked and considered in place of official ones, in case substitutions are necessary. All proponents will be notified of the selection results by Monday, February 15, 2010.

PRESENTATION FORMAT
This year, the International Papers Program has been extended from 1.5 hours to 2 hours total. Presentations should run about 20 minutes each, followed by a Q&A session. PowerPoints are common, but speakers who want to read a paper or refer to it are welcome to do so. In either case, presenters are encouraged to submit a formal paper (5000-10,000 words), to be published on the International Papers Committee Web site.

We would like to invite you to view previous presentations listed on IRRT's International Paper Session Committee site.