SEFLIN 2016 Regional Conference
Changes in the Profession: New Frontiers, Challenges, and Opportunities
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Kovens Conference Center - Miami, FL
Call for Presenters | Proposal Guidelines
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Session Formats
- Presentation: 45-minute time slot for a solo or co-presented information session or demonstration. Please remember to allow time for questions from the audience.
- Panel session: Invite professional colleagues to discuss a topic as a panel for a 45-minute session. To keep the conversation engaging and informative, consider inviting panelists with different perspectives on the topic. As the moderator, allow time for audience questions.
- Workshop: An option for presentation of a hands-on task in a computer lab. Consider the limitations - 45 minutes and any hardware or software requirements for attendees. Please add in the notes field of the proposal form any software downloads needed and any prior knowledge necessary for the audience.
Notes about the Kovens Conference Center
The Kovens Conference Center rooms are set for conference seating. Room size varies from 40 – 75 participants. The rooms include presenter laptops, projectors and screens. There will be a speaker table and chairs. Some rooms have podiums and others have instructor computer stations. Microphones are available. There is Wi-Fi available to all conference presenters and attendees, though at times of heavy usage bandwidth is limited. A computer lab is potentially available with about 25 networked computers.
Proposal Preparation
When preparing your proposal, please keep in mind that we are looking for a mixture of sessions that are interactive and/or which provide practical skills and information, which will appeal to a wide range of libraries and that are of high interest to libraries.
The deadline for completing the proposal form is March 31, 2016. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by April 15, 2016 and will sign a Letter of Agreement to present. Presenters will receive complimentary registration for the conference. Registration will open on or about May 1, 2016. If selected as a presenter, you will be sent instructions on how to register as a presenter. Presenters are often requested to repeat their session at two of the three breakout sessions.
Proposal Evaluation
Relevance to Conference Goals
How relevant is the proposal to the conference goals? The Changes in the Profession: New Frontiers, Challenges, and Opportunities conference seeks to (a) offer sessions that explore how changes in technology, populations, economies, and access to data are changing the library profession; (b) introduce strategies for supporting the needs for library staff's increased, and different, knowledge and skills; and (c) offer sessions that provide the opportunity for attendees to learn about new skills or tools to apply at their library.
Currency of Session Topic
The SEFLIN Regional Conference is most interested in sessions that explore current and innovative approaches relevant to libraries of all types. Special attention will be given to challenges and opportunities receiving attention in the broader world, but only now are starting to impact libraries.
Appeal to Diverse Library Audience
The SEFLIN Regional Conference attracts a broad range of participants by type of library, and by type of position within libraries (front line desk worker, reference librarian, library director, technology coordinator, etc.). We will strive to find a balance of sessions that meet the needs of both large and small academic libraries, large and small public libraries, as well as school and special libraries. Attendees range from librarians just starting their career, those in mid-career positions as well as those in leadership and management roles. Please indicate in the proposal whether the session content is ‘general interest,’ ‘beginner level,’ ‘intermediate,’ or ‘advanced’ level.
Quality of Written Proposal
The quality of a submitted session proposal is important. Is it well thought out and organized? Does the presenter(s) have the background, experience and qualifications to present on this topic? Is the title of the session descriptive and appealing? Does the session description clearly and concisely outline the content to be covered? Does the proposal include the skills or knowledge that participants should expect to learn if they attend?
Proposal Submission
The online proposal form does not email a copy to the submitter. Please retain a copy of your proposal submission. Submission deadline is March 31, 2016.
Download and complete the PDF document and send as an attachment to pratt@seflin.org.