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 and Mentors

Management of Library Associations Section and Continuing Professional Development

Theme: "Librarians on the Cat Walk: Communicating for Advocacy to Influence Policy and Practice"

This programme is a collaboration between the Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS), and the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section (CPDWL).

Global Library Association Development Program (GLAD) was developed by MLAS and received the approval of the IFLA Governing Board in 2006 as a strategic initiative.

The objective of the GLAD Programme is to help to develop a set of skills relating to Library Association Management in order to strengthen the pool of qualified personnel who will potentially manage Library Associations at the local level. This in turn will help to strengthen the pool of potential candidates from which IFLA can draw for leadership positions within the association.

MLAS, and CPDWL share the mission of the GLAD Programme: to strengthen the management of library associations in order to make associations stronger players in the development of libraries and thus in the development of societies in all parts of the world. This is to be achieved through continuous training and development of information professionals, as one of the objectives of the CPDWL Section.

The World Library & Information Congress/ IFLA General Conference takes place in Milan, Italy, August 23-27, 2009. The overall conference theme is "Libraries create futures: Building on cultural heritage". As part of the conference program the MLAS and CPDWL will host a one-day session:

Part 1: Papers* will focus on topics including:

Successful Advocacy Programmes

Communication and Promotion

Influencing the Political Agenda

Identifying the Right Arena for Advocacy

Working with Media

*Note: Invited speakers will be allocated 20 minutes presentation time after which there will be 10 minutes of discussion.

Part 2: Interactive practice in making presentations:

Solicitation will be made for volunteers to submit their presentations of which two will be selected for review and evaluation

The two selected presentations will be given by the volunteers

After the volunteers have finished, a film on presentations will be shown

The two selected volunteer presenters will be assigned mentors to assist with improving their presentations*

To demonstrate lessons learned after working with their mentor, the same two presentations will be given again by the volunteers

*Note: While the selected presenters are working with their mentors the rest of the audience will have an opportunity to work with other mentors with any presentations they have with them.

LIS educators and practitioners are invited to submit:

Part 1) Papers for presentation on the topics listed above,

Part 2) Interactive practice presentations

Letters of qualification of expertise on presentation mentoring;

Volunteer presentations for review and presentation

Submissions

Submissions should provide practical information that will enhance the ability of participants to become successful Library Association Managers and Leaders in the profession.

Part 1: To submit a paper please send a 1000 word abstract, that will allow us to evaluate the suitability of the paper for presentation, on one of the topics mentioned above or any other topic that is in keeping with the objective of the workshop. Include a short biography on the author and a digital photo if available.

Part 2: If interested in being a volunteer presenter, please send a 200 word statement on your presentation and the PowerPoint you have developed for your presentation.Include a short biography on the volunteer presenter and a digital photo if available.

If interested in being a mentor please send a letter of qualification of expertise on mentoring and a digital photo, if available.

All material must be submitted by 15 December 2008 to:

Sylvia Piggott
CPDWL Section
E-mail: spiggott@sympatico.ca

Timeline and Process

All material will be reviewed by MLAS and CPDWL standing committee members. Successful applicants will be notified by end of February 2009. Full papers will be due 1May 2009 to allow time for review of final papers and translations. Papers should not be longer than 20 pages. A maximum of 20 minutes will be allowed for a PowerPoint summary of the paper during the Sections’ program in the Conference.

All submitted material must be in English. Papers can be presented at the Conference in any IFLA working language (English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic). The Interactive practice in making presentations sessions in Part 2 should be conducted in English.

Information on the author, volunteer presenter, or mentor should include name, contact details, affiliations (home institution, professional memberships, etc.).

Please note that the expenses of attending the Milan conference will be the responsibility of the author(s) /presenter(s) of accepted papers.