Call for Global Postcards Column: International Information & Library Review

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION & LIBRARY REVIEW:  The International Information & Library Review | Taylor & Francis Online (tandfonline.com) is inviting submissions of 3000 words or longer for its Global Postcards column.

The “Global Postcards” column features news and reports from around the world. Contributions do not need to be lengthy but should be informative. The strength of the column is its broad, international focus, and contributors are encouraged to explore issues and share news relevant to their geographical region, as well as the larger, global audience.

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Reports from on-the-ground projects
• Recaps of conferences and meetings around the world
• Accounts of professional development experiences
• Summaries of research projects
• Grants and other funding opportunities

Submission Instructions

Interested authors are invited to submit proposals and articles to Stephen Bales at sbales@tamu.edu.  Manuscripts may be submitted year-round. Articles should be written in Word.

 

Some titles of recently published Global Postcards include:

• Historical View of University Libraries in Azerbaijan: ADA University Library Case Study
• Enhancing Business Competencies in Library and Information Science Program: A Case Study of Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
• I am Ukraine, We are Strong: Thoughts of a Librarian after a Year of War
• The Libraries at Koç University: Building a World-Class Library in Thirty Years

Call for Participation: Libraries Advancing Community Learning to Reduce Substance Use

 Subject: Call for Participation: Libraries Advancing Community Learning to Reduce Substance Use

 

 

Do you feel that your library could do more to help people in recovery from substance abuse? Do you believe in the healing power of reading? Is your library an innovator in these domains? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we want to hear from you! 

 

We invite applications from public library workers and administrators who are interested in participating in an IMLS-funded national forum (Grant #RE-256563-OLS-24), Libraries Advancing Community Learning to Reduce Substance Use (LACL), which will be held both online and on-site at the Kansas City Public Library on May 15 and 16, 2025. Experts in the library and substance abuse recovery fields will engage participants to envision and create support for people experiencing alcohol use disorder (AUD) and/or substance use disorder (SUD) through reading, bibliotherapy, and peer-to-peer learning circles. 

 

Guided breakout discussion sessions will provide opportunities for participants to share knowledge and develop resources to:

• facilitate social connections
• develop working relationships and partnerships with professionals in the recovery field
• recommend therapeutic uses of literature and provide support for reading groups focusing on AUD and/or SUD
• support library staff suffering from AUD and/or SUD and secondary trauma
• apply effective marketing and outreach tactics that reach people who will benefit from these efforts.

 

The forum will provide the basis for an openly available online toolkit that can be used in public libraries.

 

Selected participants will be able to participate on-site. All on-site participants will expected to actively participate in discussions and contribute to the toolkit. They will be provided with travel, two nights’ accommodation at a hotel near the event space, and a stipend for meals not included at the conference. Any library staff member who wishes to learn and contribute to the event can attend the online sessions for free and will be invited to provide feedback on the preliminary materials.

 

Apply:

On-site event, Kansas City

Online-only event

 

Applications for the on-site event are due October 31, 2024. 

 

The project team will review applications and select 50 participants for the on-site forum. We aim to include adult-services public library workers who represent a diverse cross-section of the U.S. (i.e., urban, rural, diverse socio-cultural demographic characteristics, etc.) and from different sizes of libraries. Priority will be given to applicants who have experience with substance abuse recovery programs, facilitating reading and learning groups, outreach, social services, and/or those who represent underserved communities. 

 

Notifications of acceptance will be issued by November 30, and selected participants must confirm their participation by December 15. 

 

Jenny S. Bossaller

Associate Professor

School of Information Science & Learning Technologies

University of Missouri

CFP: Figuring It Out: The Search for Meaningful Metrics - Advances in Library Administration and Organization

Call for Proposals

Advances in Library Administration and Organization
Volume 45: Figuring It Out: The Search for Meaningful Metrics

Series Editor/Volume Co-Editor: David Ketchum, University of Oregon
Volume Co-Editor: Katy Miller, University of Central Florida

Telling the story of one’s library through assessment has always been an essential aspect of library administration and management, but doing this work effectively can be challenging. Even for experienced library leaders, sustaining awareness of varying audiences and changing priorities, as well as keeping up with best practices for assessment and reporting, require ongoing consideration and adaptation. This is particularly true if the goal is to enhance perception and build support among stakeholders while securing essential funding and resources.

ALAO seeks chapter submissions for a volume entitled Figuring It Out: The Search for Meaningful Metrics. This volume will examine the concepts, challenges, and successes of assessment and storytelling in libraries.Proposals that emphasize research-based and methodologically strong projects will be prioritized and proposals in the following areas would be of particular interest:

• Knowing your audience and what to assess
• Using data to tell effective stories
• Learning from approaches that proved less effective
• Approaches that demonstrate impact rather than just outcomes
• Challenges and issues
• Deciding to use qualitative vs. quantitative metrics
• Success stories

ALAO (https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0732-0671) publishes long-form research and content, theoretical and philosophical discussions, and in-depth accounts of practice related to library administration and organization. The series helps answer the questions, “How have libraries been managed and how could they be managed better?” Through this series, readers explore library-related challenges and solutions and glean new approaches to library administration and organization.

How to Submit
We are currently seeking proposals for the 2026 volume, Figuring It Out: The Search for Meaningful Metrics. If you are interested in contributing to this volume, please complete this form - including a brief author bio and chapter proposal - no later than September 30, 2024, https://forms.gle/eYExtzc8V3n8EEpa8. 

Chapters with multiple authors are welcome! Contact David Ketchum at  dketchum@uoregon.edu  if you have any questions.

Deadlines

• Submission deadline for chapter proposals: September 30, 2024
• Notification of acceptance: October 31, 2024
• Submission deadline for full chapters: January 31, 2025
• Comments returned to authors: March 31, 2025
• Submission deadline for chapter revisions: May 15, 2025

Propose a Topic for the ITAL "From the Field" Column

Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), the quarterly open-access journal published by ALA’s Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures division, is looking for contributions to its newly-established ”From the Field” column for the December 2024, March 2025, and June 2025 issues. This column will highlight a technology-based project, practice, or innovation from any library in the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) community. Proposals are due by September 20, 2024.

Topics could include:

• Community engagement through technology
• Virtual programming, education, and learning
• Technology that expands diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
• Open source software
• Digital libraries
• Digital archiving and preservation
• Web usability and UX, design thinking, design systems
• Innovations in materials checkout or handling 
• Privacy and cyber-security
• Virtual and augmented reality
• Artificial intelligence, NLP, LLMs
• Data science and analytics 
• Geographic information systems and mapping
• Self-service technology
• Anything else related to GLAM institutions and innovations in technology

 

Columns are in the 1,000-1,500 word range and may include illustrations. These will not be research articles but are meant to share practical experience with technology development or uses within the library.

Since this is a non-peer-reviewed column, there is also an opportunity to engage in new ways or different formats, so creative submissions will also be considered. (Examples: comics, zines, videos, autoethnography, case studies, white papers, policy documents, interviews, reports, or other pieces commonly referred to as "grey literature.") If you would like your column to be in a format that differs from a standard editorial essay, please explain in your proposal.

Those who are interested in being an author for this column should submit a brief proposal / abstract that outlines the topic to be covered. Proposals should be no more than 250 words. Please submit your proposals via this form no later than September 20, 2024.

 

Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by September 27, 2024 with the submission deadline for our quarterly issues on the first of December, March, and June quarterly issues. Completed column submissions should be roughly 1500-2000 words. 

 

Please contact Cindi Blyberg, Guest Editor, at cindi.blyberg@uky.edu with any questions. Please forward to any colleagues who may be interested. Thank you!