The ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Subcommittee is seeking proposals for this year’s conference. The deadline for submissions is June 13, 2022 at Noon (12:00 p.m. CDT).

This year's conference theme, The New Normal, is all about acknowledging the struggles we’ve faced in the last two years with the COVID-19 pandemic; the emerging threats to freedom of information and the organized national efforts to censor materials in libraries; the evolution and reorganization of ArLA and the ongoing transition of the American Library Association; and taking stock of where we have arrived artistically, economically, educationally, and technologically at the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century.

All conference events, including Programs, Community of Interest and Committee meetings, and Poster Sessions, will be scheduled using the ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Event Form submitted through Google Forms. (A Google account is not necessary to submit a form.)

ArLA is committed to hosting an inclusive and welcoming conference experience for the entirety of our membership. We invite participation, and especially program proposals, from people of all ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, religions, and sexual orientations. ArLA is committed to making all reasonable accommodations that will allow conference attendees and presenters to fully participate in conference events.

Conference Programs

When we gather in Fort Smith in October 2022, it will be the first time in three years that we have been together. The 2022 Annual Conference will be dedicated to honoring how far we have come; taking a deep breath as we recalibrate our personal, professional, and organizational identities; and bolster ourselves for the challenges ahead and the ground still to cover.

To that end, the Program Subcommittee is looking for program proposals that:

• celebrate the innovative programs and initiatives Arkansas’ libraries have undertaken during times of duress;
• explore the ways we can build deeper connections within our communities and within our own professional community;
• provide a sense of individual value, renewal, and growth for the work done in libraries regardless of the type of library worked in or the type of position held; and
• explore the ways that library services intersect with the larger culture and mood of this particular moment in time through the lens of art, economics, education, or technology.

The Conference Program Subcommittee will use the following information to select a range of programs that support the conference theme, and represent the range of our diverse membership including academic, public, school, and special library organizations, and professional and para-professional members.

The detailed description of your proposed program should include:

• topics that will be addressed or activities that will take place during the session;
• 3-5 learning outcomes that use active verbs, are measurable, and state what the participants should know or be able to do after attending your session (e.g. "At the end of this session, participants will...");
• how the program fits the conference theme.

Programs may include single or multiple presenters, panel discussions, case studies, interactive hands-on activities, demonstrations of projects, etc.

Communities of Interest and ArLA Committees

ArLA's Communities of Interest and Committees are also invited to hold meetings during the Annual Conference.

CIs and Committees wishing to schedule meetings during the Annual Conference should complete an ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Event Form so that the Program Subcommittee can reserve your meeting time and space in the Conference Program.

Poster Sessions

Poster sessions are a great way to highlight library programs, initiatives, and collaborations without committing to a full presentation.

Poster proposals may describe an innovative library program; an analysis of a solution to a problem; a report of a research study; or provide any other information that would benefit the ArLA community.

Posters will be evaluated by the Conference Program Subcommittee on:

• how the content supports the conference theme;
• relevancy and interest of the content to the ArLA community; and
• clarity of the submitted abstract.

Poster proposals should be submitted through the ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Event Form.

Timeline

Monday, June 13, 2022, Noon (12:00 p.m. CDT): All ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Event Forms due for Program Proposals, and Committee Meetings, and Poster Proposals

Friday, July 22, 2022: Program and Poster Presenters notified of selection status

Friday, September 9, 2022: Signed program speaker agreements due

Friday, October 14- Sunday, October 16, 2022: ArLA Annual Conference held in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Submit Your ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Event

Submit a separate form for each program, meeting, or poster you're proposing.

The form does not allow you to save your work and return to it later. A PDF copy of the ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Event Form is available so that you can review the entire form before you begin. Do not submit the PDF copy in lieu of the online Program Event Form. The PDF copy is only for your convenience.

ArLA Annual Conference Program Event Form

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSZPc6jJCx5GWxPMn9UfwJJivp1NsGvVp8mdIXmBTUKh80dQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

PDF copy of the ArLA 2022 Annual Conference Program Event Form

Questions

If you have any questions, or need assistance, please contact Jenn Wann, ArLA Conference Program Subcommittee Chair, at jennwann@outlook.com.

Program Subcommittee

Aly Rattler, Northwest Arkansas Community College

Amanda Hayes, Central Arkansas Library System

Jenn Wann (Program Subcommittee Chair), Arkansas State Library

Laren Anderson, Lyons College

Sarah Jefferson, Flippin High School

Shannan Hicks, William F. Laman Public Library