(via Tristan Draper, Beloit College)
The Wisconsin Association of Academic Libraries (WAAL) Conference Planning Committee invites breakout session, poster and lightning talk proposals for the conference, “Concentric Communities: Academic libraries serving campus and beyond”. This in-person event will take place from Monday, October 27, to Tuesday, October 28, at the Madison-Marriott West in Middleton, WI, and will be immediately followed by the 2025 WLA Conference taking place in the same venue.
We are now accepting proposals for breakout sessions, lightning talks, and posters. WAAL members and non-members are encouraged to apply. Breakout sessions will run 60 minutes in length, with a maximum of four presenters and one moderator. Presenters may be part of up to two breakout sessions. Only proposals for in-person sessions will be considered.
Session Types
Breakout sessions are 60-minute sessions that can take a variety of forms (defined below):
• Presentation: 1-2 presenters sharing ideas, initiatives, or research using slides.
• Panel: 2-4 presenters offering diverse viewpoints on a topic or sharing joint research.
Lightning talks are 5-minute snapshots of a topic, idea, or initiative given by 1-2 presenters using slides.
Poster sessions are informal, interactive discussions of topics in the field given by 1-2 presenters using a poster.
Who is encouraged to send us a proposal?
• People from various departments in libraries and library adjacent organizations.
• People across the organizational hierarchy: patron-facing staff, administration, directors, emerging and incumbent leaders, trustees, etc.
• People from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities, including those who identify as: BIPOC, neurodivergent, people with disabilities, or LGBTQ+.
• WAAL members and non-members are encouraged to apply.
Submission Deadline
Please submit your proposal using the online form by 5:00 PM CDT on Friday, May 9.
Contact program committee member Tristan Draper (drapert@beloit.edu) with questions. We look forward to receiving your proposals and seeing you in October!