World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA General Conference and Assembly

"Libraries create futures: Building on cultural heritage"

23-27 August 2009, Milan, Italy

Call for Papers

Statistics and Evaluation Section

Theme: "Statistics on the agenda"

This is the first call for papers for a Program sponsored by the IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Section at the World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA Conference, Milan, 23-27 August 2009.

In this two hour session we want to focus on library statistics as tools for advocacy and strategic decision making. We invite proposals that look at the way statistics are - or can be - used to influence those who decide our future: publics and politicians, academics and administrators, government bodies and commercial actors.

Papers may focus on particular libraries (case studies), on particular library sectors (public, school, academic, special), on libraries and library systems in general - or on particular topics such as reading skills, digital skills, social benefits or the economic impact of libraries. They may also address indicator development and other methodological issues if these are clearly linked to the basic goal of advocacy: changing attitudes and actions.

Papers should have an empirical basis. The may present the results of completed projects - successful or unsuccessful - or describe new experiments and developments. Presentations of substantial project proposals are welcomed.

Submissions

Proposals are due Sunday, 18 January, 2009, and should be sent to:

Tord Høivik
E-mail: tordhoivik@gmail.com

or to:

Roswitha Poll
E-mail: pollr@uni-muenster.de

Both represent the IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Section.

Accepted authors will be notified by Sunday, February 8, 2009. Accepted papers are due 15 April, 2009. The proposal must include the abstract (not more than 250 words), name, contact information and institutional affiliation of the author [authors]. The paper must be original and between 3000 and 6000 words in length.

We plan for a session with a maximum of six papers. To allow time for questions and comments, each presentation will therefore be limited to fifteen minutes - which means 1000 - 1500 words.

Abstracts and papers should be in an approved IFLA language.

For additional information, please consult the General Guidelines for Papers.