Library History Round Table (LHRT)

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The Library History Round Table of the American Library Association exists to facilitate communication among scholars and students of library...

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LHRT awards honor dissertations, articles, and books that make notable contributions to the library history field.

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LHRT oversees the publication of Libraries: Culture, History, and Society and LHRT News and Notes.

LHRT encourages research and publication on library history and promotes awareness and discussion of historical issues in librarianship.


Call for Submissions to 2024 ALA LHRT Research Forum: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble 

The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) seeks proposals for its annual Research Forum, to be held in advance of the 2024 ALA Annual Meeting. 

To accommodate as many LHRT members as possible, the 2024 LHRT Research Forum will be held virtually on a date to be determined in early-to-mid June 2024.

 The theme of the Forum is “Trouble, Trouble, Trouble.” The Forum will examine libraries facing internal or external crises around the globe and across centuries. Each speaker will be asked to present for approximately 20 minutes, with a 10-minute Q&A to follow.

Possible topics may include, but are not limited to, histories of: 

  • Censorship, book banning, book burning
  • Libraries during wars and wartime conditions
  • Institutional financial difficulties and funding issues
  • Natural disasters and their impact on libraries and services
  • Survival and loss of libraries and staff
  • Disinformation and the spread of disinformation 

LHRT welcomes submissions from researchers of all backgrounds, including library students, practitioners, faculty, independent researchers, and those retired from the field. LHRT especially encourages submissions from early-career researchers.  

Each proposal must give the paper title, an abstract (up to 500 words), and the presenter’s one-page vita. Please indicate in the abstract whether the research is in-progress or completed. 

The LHRT Research Committee will select up to three authors to present their completed work at the Forum. Proposals were due January 31; successful proposals were notified shortly thereafter. Completed papers are due May 31

Please submit proposals and direct inquiries to Alea Henle, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair, at henlear@miamioh.edu

Research Committee Members: 

Alea Henle 

Jennifer Bartlett 

Catherine Minter 

Deborah Smith

Leah DiCiesare


Call for Award Submissions

Submissions for the Innovation and Advocacy in Library History Award will be due March 29, 2024. Individuals or organizations may be nominated for any projects or contributions such as, but not limited to, websites, library guides, and exhibitions (virtual or physical).

 


 

 Libraries: Culture, History, and Society

 

Libraries: Culture, History, and Society (LCHS) is  peer-reviewed publication of the Library History Round Table of the American Library Association and the Penn State University Press, LCHS is available in print and online via JSTOR and Project Muse.

The only journal in the United States devoted to library history, LCHS positions library history as its own field of scholarship, while bringing together scholars from many disciplines to examine the history of libraries as institutions, collections, and services, as well as the experiences of library employees and users. There are no limits of time period or geography, and libraries of every type are included (private, public, corporate, academic, and school libraries, and special collections). In addition to Library Science, the journal welcomes contributors from History, English, Literary Studies, Education, Sociology,  Gender/Women’s Studies, Race/Ethnic Studies, Political Science, Architecture, and other disciplines.
Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through LCHS’s Editorial Manager system at https://www.editorialmanager.com/LCHS . They must also conform to the instructions for authors at https://www.editorialmanager.com/LCHS/account/LCHS%20Author%20Submission%20Guidelines.pdf. New scholars, and authors whose work is in the "idea" stage, are welcomed to contact the editors if they would like guidance prior to submission.    

For further questions, please contact the editors:
Bernadette Lear, BAL19@psu.edu
Eric Novotny, ECN1@psu.edu

 

LHRT New and Notes: https://lhrtnews.wordpress.com

LHRT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibHistRoundTable/

 

 

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