The Library Publishing Special Interest Group (SIG) has recently been established and is holding its FIRST one-hour Open Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Athens, Greece, from August 24-30, 2019.

Theme: Libraries: dialogue for change – how library publishing can act as a dialogue for change

Library Publishing, in an increasing number of mostly electronic forms and formats, has been on the rise over this decade. Buzz and excitement surround a growing assumption that publishing is in some way and to some extent a critical function for the library of the future. Much – though not all – of this activity is driven by a desire to advance open access, as well as to meet local needs related to the creation and dissemination of scholarship.

Within the theme, possible topics may include:

  • How and why should libraries get involved?
  • Case studies that demonstrate the success and challenges of libraries in publishing
  • Should libraries act as formal publishers or should they focus on informal hosting and support (for example, via institutional repositories or offering advice on where to publish)?
  • Will library publishing continue to grow and be sustainable? What resources will be required?
  • What are the ethical and legal implications of libraries taking an active role in publishing activities

Format of presentations

As this is the first Open Session for the SIG we want it to enjoyable, stimulating and memorable!

Presentations are to be no longer than 6 – 8 minutes each and can be in the style of a TED talk, Storyboard, short presentation (no more than 5 slides) or a 3MT (3-minute thesis – 1 slide only).

Proposal abstracts must be submitted by 29 March 2019.

See the full call for papers on the IFLA WLIC 2019 website.