It's Academic

Call for Presenters – Share Your Ideas, Knowledge & Experience at the Pennsylvania Library Association 2021 Conference!

The 2021 Pennsylvania Library Association Conference, Welcome, Neighbor! is scheduled to take place October 17 – 20, 2021 at the Pittsburgh-Monroeville Convention Center.* 

The 2021 Program Committee is currently accepting proposals for sessions to take place during the conference, to include more than sixty educational sessions on topics of interest for the library community.  

If you are an expert on a topic that you feel will be of interest to this group, we invite you to submit a session proposal!

The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 22, 2021.

Why Present?

The PaLA Annual Conference provides the library community a variety of continuing education, supplier resources and networking opportunities. The typical attendance of nearly 600 library practitioners includes approximately 75% from public libraries, 20% from academic libraries and the remaining 5% from corporate, medical, or government libraries or other affiliations in the library community.

PaLA Conference presenters are afforded the following benefits:

• Establishment as an expert in the field.
• The potential for future speaking engagements with a pending invitation to join PaLA’s speakers bureau. (Invitation based on favorable session evaluations)
• Possible publication opportunities for your abstract or presentation.
• Recognition of your presentation to be included in the conference registration brochure and in the final conference program book. Both publications will also be available on the PaLA website.
• The satisfaction of sharing your expertise with the PA library community and improving library service in the Commonwealth.

Presenter Registration & Compensation

• Session presenters must attend their session during the live, virtual event, whether or not the session is live or pre-recorded.
• Please note that we value speakers who are members of the Pennsylvania library community, however unless funded by an outside source, we are not able to offer speaking fees or reimbursement of expenses for this group.*
• With required registration for PA library professionals* on the day of their presentation,presenters can take part in networking opportunities and receive inspiration from other library leaders during conference sessions.
• Discounted registration fee. (Nonmember presenters may register at the member rate.)

*Rule does not apply for out of state presenters or those working outside the library field. 

Submission & Decision Timeline

• Program proposals will be accepted through Monday, March 22, 2021.
• Review and selection of submissions will take place March 23 – April 10.
• Notification regarding acceptance will begin the week of April 19.
• Presenter confirmation of program acceptance due by April 30.

Session Evaluation Criteria

The charge of the Conference Program Committee is to analyze, design and develop the educational content for PaLA’s Annual Conference. Such content must address the educational needs and interests of the Pennsylvania library community.

• Session objectives are measurable, achievable and provides an opportunity for our members to grow as professionals.
• Presenter appears qualified to lead the session.
• Presenter is able to make a firm commitment to be available.
• Speaker Fee (if requested) is within conference budget parameters.
• For session proposals on similar topics, peer-to-peer presenters, who are PaLA members, are preferred over nonmembers. 

We receive many more proposals than the program schedule can accommodate. Please do not be discouraged if your proposal is not selected. We do multiple events, and may be able to include your presentation as a poster session or at a regional chapter workshop.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021ProgSub

*The PaLA Board is monitoring CDC guidelines, as well as input from the Pennsylvania library community regarding an in-person event.  Potential presenters are provided with the option to share their preference regarding an in-person or virtual presentation.

One-shots are always challenging, but perhaps especially so in the virtual learning space. While I have not yet been stuck teaching class as a cat, for about two weeks I couldn’t deactivate a wonky virtual background in Google Meet. And instead of half the students going to the library building and half to their usual classroom, we now have people lost in the wrong Zoom room! But overall, I’ve found my virtual one-shots to be a surprisingly good experience.

Years ago I decided that one of my learning objectives for every one-shot session, whether I actually typed it out in my formal “objectives” list or not, was “Students will remember that the librarians are friendly and helpful, and they will be able to explain at least one method of reaching a librarian to get research assistance.” They might forget where I told them to click, but hopefully they will remember that we want them to succeed and are there to help them do just that.

Forging that kind of connection with a roomful of people is one thing, but in a virtual classroom, it feels a little different. I was nervous about whether I would be able to develop a rapport with the students when we were all little talking heads on each other’s computer screens. I’ve found, though, that it’s not so different from what I do in the physical classroom. Usually the course instructor and I are the first to log on, and we chat with each other as the students trickle in. This lets the students relax a little and to get to know both of us as people.

In one memorable Monday-morning class, I was telling the professor about my comedy-of-errors camping weekend, which we’d had to cut short because the parking lights on my car wouldn’t turn off and we didn’t want to be stranded in the mountains with a dead battery. One of the students jumped in and asked if my car is a Subaru (it is). It turned out that her fiancé is a Subaru mechanic and that Subarus all have a parking-lights button on the steering column due to parking regulations in Japan. Who knew?! (This student and her fiancé, apparently.) That exchange set the tone for a relaxed and enthusiastic class session with lots of student participation and great questions.

In another class, the professor surprised me by explaining that they opened every class with everyone sharing about a pre-arranged topic. For this session, students were sharing something that had meaning to them and why; when they finished, they “tagged” a classmate to go next. Internally, I rolled my eyes (isn’t this college, not second-grade show and tell?). But I soon realized that this was a fantastic way to get the students talking to one another and to build real community even among people who might never meet face to face. I was working from home that day and I didn’t want to feel left out, so I carried my laptop over to show my dog!

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a virtual Teaching & Learning Summit hosted by Gannon University. A diverse group of educators shared the tactics they’ve been using to connect with their students in a virtual space. Dr. Karen Fetter at the University of Pittsburgh has employed scheduled moments of downtime to allow students to settle into the learning space and mindset. Dr. Leighann Forbes of Gannon University shared how she deploys her Bitmoji to put smiles on her students’ faces while also conveying important feedback and course information. Many of the summit attendees use a rotating slideshow to welcome students to the virtual space. Some play background music during the “trickling in” time at the beginning of class.

How are you finding ways to build rapport with students in your one-shot sessions? Are there any new tactics that you want to try? What has been working best for you, or what have you found particularly challenging about forging a connection over the internet?

I’m lucky enough to work for an institution that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, that regularly offers workshops and safe spaces to discuss diversity on our campus, which has been incredibly helpful as a white woman who wishes to be a better ally.  It’s not a hidden secret that many higher education institutions have accepted one group of people over others since it’s conception. I think it is really important to remember this, recognize how far we have come, and continue to do the work. Recent social unrest, though truly horrifying, has forced us to reevaluate where we are in implementing concrete strategies towards diversity. There are two areas I think libraries can focus on in support of diversity; our physical (and virtual) space and our resources.  

A library’s role on campus has changed throughout the years. Our physical space is so important. As an undergrad, I spent many, many hours nearly every day in the library and always felt welcome. But what if I didn’t? What if a student on your campus does not feel welcomed? What could that do to their self-esteem, their studies, and their grades? To ensure we meet the basic needs of our students, it is important to work continually to demonstrate our shared values.  Is your institution offering workshops on unconscious and conscious bias? Are you hiring people of color? Does your work environment allow for open and honest communication?  Do signs and posters show diverse people? These are just a few things to consider that have helped me, as a white woman, understand my role as an ally.  

Our ethos is sharing information, access to ALL information, but when systems in place favor the majority over the minority, it’s our responsibility to open the door wider on resources by people of color, widely share these resources, and use them in our courses. Recently, the librarians at my institution discussed purchasing resources by authors of color. I’ll admit, this was not something I immediately sought out to do in the past, but now of course it is something I will prioritize. It’s not enough to just consciously order materials by BIPOC authors, they must also be used. I see this as an opportunity to work with our faculty and encourage them to use these materials by diverse authors in their classes, if they aren’t already.  

As we continue into Black History Month, my hope is that these conversations and steps forward continue well beyond the month of February. There is a lot of work to be done, and no doubt we will make mistakes, but our role in contributing to diversity initiatives is an important one. If we work together, I believe we can take important, actionable steps to support our diverse student body.  

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for the session on February 9. The recording, slides, and handout are now available.