CFP: Biographies Area of the 2026 Popular Culture Association Conference (PCA) Conference, Atlanta, Georgia

The Biographies Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA)  is soliciting papers for the 2026 conference that examine the connections between biography and popular culture. Papers and full panel presentations regarding any aspect of popular culture and biography are encouraged. Potential topics might include:

• Biography and entertainment, art, music, theater

• Biography and film

• Biography and criminal justice

• Television programs about biography

• Biography and urban legends

• Biography and folklore

• Biography and literature

• Scholarly Biography

• Controversial Biography

• Psychoanalysis and Biography

• Historical Biography

• Political Biography

• Autobiography

The conference will be held April 8-11, 2026 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Ave NE.  Sessions are scheduled in 1½ hour slots, typically with four papers or speakers per standard session.  Presentations should not exceed 20 minutes.

Below are some recent titles of presentations in the Biographies Area panels:

• Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll: Celebrity Biography through the Lens of Autopsy
• Will Rogers: American Folk Hero or Elitist Fraud
• Manufacturing “Soupy Sales:” Biographical Insights in the Emergence of a Comic Entertainer

Please see this link for details and guidelines on submitting to the conference:
https://pcaaca.org/general/custom.asp?page=submissionguidelines

If interested in submitting for the conference, please provide the title and abstract of your presentation.  

Deadline for Paper Proposals: November 30, 2025.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Biographies Chair:
Susie Skarl
Associate Professor/Urban Affairs Librarian
susie.skarl@unlv.edu
702-895-2141

CFP: Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL) #OpenAccess

Call for articles: Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL)

Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (ISTL) is accepting articles for open access publication. This includes peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles covering a range of topics related interest to science and technology librarians.

Some of the different types of articles we are looking for include case studies, practical applications, theoretical essays, and research papers relevant to the functions and operations of science and technology libraries in all settings. Take a look at the current issue to see the type of articles published in ISTL.

Take a look at the submission process here. Articles will be published on a rolling basis.

Have questions or any concerns? Feel free to email Hannah Lee at halee@csudh.edu (co-editor-in-chief)

CFP: "Serials Spoken Here" Column in Serials Review - Fall Conference Reports

The “Serials Spoken Here” column in Serials Review is actively seeking contributors to submit conference reports for 

• NASIG Autumn, Coverage of any session is welcome:  https://nasigautumn2025.sched.com 
• The Charleston Conference, Coverage of any session is welcome: https://www.charleston-hub.com/the-charleston-conference/agenda/
• Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, Coverage of any session is welcome: https://acquisitionsinstitute.org/2025-program/ 
• ALA Core Forum, Coverage of sessions pertaining to serials only: https://2025coreforum.sched.com/list/simple 
• or any local or regional conference session focusing on serials. 

 

Conference reports are 750 words or less. 

 

New for this “Serials Spoken Here” cycle: we are experimenting with poster session recaps. To complete a poster session recap, please focus on one poster per session that is germane to the very broad topic of “serials.” Please review the text of the poster as well as engage with the presenter about this topic, however that looks for you (in-person discussion, email conversation, reviewing any material linked from the poster, etc.).

 

Writing for “Serials Spoken Here” is an excellent way to inform colleagues who were unable to attend conferences, as well as complete a publication goal that could count towards tenure and promotion or continuing appointment. After submission it can take up to six months for your recap to be published in Serials Review.

 

When you submit your conference report, please add your ORCID iD (https://orcid.org/). If you do not have an ORCID iD, please seriously consider creating one. This unique identifier will afford you the opportunity to keep track of your research output. 

 

Please fill out this Google Form to claim your session(s): https://forms.gle/t6joi2FfF5qitpyo7  You may sign up for multiple sessions and different conferences. Please fill out the form separately for each. You’ll get a copy of your responses. We will contact you to confirm your session(s). If needed, we will provide a copy of the submission guidelines and a sample copy of a session recap. If your session has already been claimed, we will contact you to arrange a different session. 

 

If you have any questions please email both co-editors Michelle Colquitt (mcolqui@clemson.edu) and Melissa Zilic (mzilic@depaul.edu).

 

This round of contributions will be due by December 1, 2025. 

CFP: Academic Brass #BusnessLibrarianship

The Business Reference in Academic Libraries Committee of BRASS is seeking articles for the next issue of its online publication, Academic BRASS.

Academic BRASS is a newsletter--not a journal--that publishes issue-based articles and information for the general and educational interest of BRASS members and academic business librarians.

Topics of interest to the editors are those dealing with business librarianship, such as resources, liaison and outreach activities, strategies, and instruction. Reviews of books, databases, and websites are welcome as well. Maybe you have another cool idea - that's fine too - get those submissions in!

*Deadline for submissions for the upcoming issue is November 7, 2025 (Friday).*

You may want to see previous editions. For access to the full text articles of past issues of Academic BRASS, see http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/brass/publications/academicbrass

The typical length of an Academic BRASS article is 500-800 words, but past articles have been as long as 1,000 words or more. Authors should be guided by what they have to say rather than by an arbitrary word length. All articles are subject to editing for length, style, and content, and there is a template on the "About Academic BRASS" page (www.ala.org/rusa/sections/brass/publications/...) that provides formatting guidance. The newsletter follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, for all matters of style and citation. Authors whose articles include references to print or Internet resources are urged to observe the conventions set forth in that publication and on the APA website (http://www.apastyle.org/).

Regarding AI in writing, we added one more guideline this fall: The use of generative AI tools must be fully disclosed in accordance with APA Journals policy on generative AI: Additional guidance. Articles must be authored and co-authored by humans; AI tools may only be used to support the author's own ideation, critical thinking, and creative processes.

Please send article proposals or submissions to all of the editors, Henry Huang (yh4041@nyu.edu), Judy Opdahl (jopdahl@csusm.edu), Mary Carter (mary.carter@princeton.edu), Josh Herrington (Joshua.Herrington@colorado.edu), and Kelly LaVoice (Kelly.lavoice@vanderbilt.edu).

Best,

Henry

------------------------------
Henry Huang
Reference and Research Services Librarian for Business, Reference Services Coordinator
NYU Shanghai
Email: yh4041@nyu.edu
orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-7649

Call for Chapters: Supporting Skilled Trades Training in the Academic Library #ACRL #BookChapters #CFP

 Call for Proposals

ACRL book Supporting Skilled Trades Training in the Academic Library

“Please share widely!” 

I am excited to invite chapter proposals for the forthcoming ACRL book Supporting Skilled Trades Training in the Academic Library. This edited volume aims to help readers develop collections development, instruction, and research strategies that support skilled trades education. I am seeking case studies, empirical research, and alternative ways of knowing representing all types of academic libraries as important partners in skilled trades programs. Demand for skilled tradespeople has never been stronger, with private and public sectors responding with investment in training people for promising careers on the shop floor, the construction site, the kitchen, and the salon. The role of libraries in hands-on learning may not seem obvious but across North America, libraries are contributing everything from collaborative makerspaces and essential technical data to focused workshops and simulation technologies. This book examines the real challenges and opportunities in trades education and how academic libraries have positioned themselves to support learning and teaching success. I am looking for multiple perspectives on library/trades program partnerships that have real impact on student skill development, career pathways, and entrepreneurship. The book is tentatively divided into the following sections:

Part 1. Academic Libraries in the Skilled Trades Training Ecosystem

Chapter 1. Exploring the library / skilled trades training connection

• Definitions and the range of careers in trades
• Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats in trades education (e.g., retention, access to specialized tools, etc.)
• Critical thinking in the trades
• Implications of the above for libraries

Chapter 2. Collections Development in the Trades

• Identifying and acquiring the specialized, unique information resources for trades education
• Challenges and opportunities of working with industry-focused vendors; challenges (fiscal, technical) of acquiring industry resources for the library
• Copyright, fair dealing/use and the role of OER – library’s role
• How AR/VR Technology is Disrupting Trades Education – library’s role
• Creative collection development initiatives; libraries loaning non-traditional materials (e.g., a cooking gear or tools)

Chapter 3. Entrepreneurship and Trades Education

• The business of trades for those interested in opening their own businesses
• Ideas for courses and research assignments, like creating business plans, conducting local market research, etc.

 

Part 2. Case Studies from the Shop Floor to the Library

Case studies could include for each trade: collections/specialized resources, supporting off-campus locations, preparing students for exams from governing bodies, and specialized instruction, spaces, services, etc.

Chapter 4: Transportation Trades

Chapter 5: Construction Trades

Chapter 6: Manufacturing Trades

Chapter 7: Service Trades

To submit a proposal, please visit https://forms.gle/dNUKU1KjZNxwPTNz9  and complete the proposal form by December 1, 2025.

The form will require:

• Author names
• Job titles
• Emails
• Institutional affiliations
• A working chapter title
• An abstract up to 500 words
• Link to a current CV or list of publications

Timeline:

• December 1, 2025: Chapter proposals due
• January 12, 2026: Authors notified of acceptance of chapter proposals
• June 1, 2026: Chapter drafts due
• August 3, 2026: Chapter drafts returned to authors for revisions

Questions? libraries4tradesbook@gmail.com

CFP: The Library Collective - From Tidepools to Open Seas: Collective at Sea 2026 is Boarding (May 2026 - on a cruise ship out of Galveston)

 The Collective at Sea 2026: Call for Proposals + Registration Now Open!

From Tidepools to Open Seas – Growing Small Ideas into Big, Transformative Practices

Every great wave starts as a ripple. At The Collective at Sea 2026, we’re celebrating the small, strange, and sustaining ideas that shape the future of libraries. Tidepools are where experiments thrive — and we’re ready to see them swim into open waters.

 Be part of the voyage:

• Call for Proposals is OPEN! Share your experiments, your lessons learned, and your strangest ideas. We want sessions that mix imagination with action — bold ideas paired with practical skills. Submit here: Submit Your Proposal

• Registration is OPEN! Don’t miss your chance to join us on board. Cabins are filling fast, and you’ll want to secure your spot now. Register for The Collective at Sea 2026

This isn’t just another conference. It’s a voyage of curiosity, collaboration, and transformation — where ideas grow into big waves, and small sparks ripple outward into lasting change!

 Bring your experiments. Bring your creativity. Bring your sense of adventure. We’ll grow it all together at sea.

www.thelibrarycollective.org

Call for Peer Reviewers: Humanities Methods in Librarianship #OpenAccess

Humanities Methods in Librarianship is seeking peer reviewers to join our team!

Humanities Methods in Librarianship is a no-fee, open access journal that publishes high quality, peer-reviewed research with an emphasis on articles that push the boundaries — both thematically and formally — of what has been traditionally viewed as scholarship within the discipline. The journal aims to broaden the conversation by encouraging submissions that deploy methods from the humanities to address current or salient issues in the library profession. Humanistic methodological approaches may be used to address a wide range of topics within librarianship, so we encourage creative approaches and a diversity of submissions.

Are you interested in reviewing library papers relevant to your expertise in the following areas?

• Archives
• Art
• Cultural studies
• History
• Literature
• Philosophy
• Politics
• Religion

Please consider filling out this form. We would not expect to send peer reviewers more than one article per issue; at present, we expect to publish about one issue per year.

We hope that you will consider joining us! We look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

The Humanities Methods in Librarianship editorial board

Feel free to direct any questions to editors@humanitiesmethods.org.