Call for Conference Proposals - Lake Superior Library Symposium

The Lake Superior Library Symposium is an amazing small, multi-type library conference. It has been held in Duluth each June for the past eight years. The passionate planning team invites library staff from northern WI  & MN to share great content that appeals to everyone working in libraries. Many of us from throughout WI have attended this one-day gem of a conference and it is a marvelous learning opportunity.

This year's conference  will be held Friday June 5 at UW-M's Kathryn A. Martin Library in Duluth. If you are coming from a distance, plan for a few extra days before or after to stay and play along MN's rugged North Shore of Lake Superior! Fobazi Ettarh has just been announced as conference keynoter and June 4 preconference speaker!! Watch for registration information and a full schedule in April.

In their proposal call, LSLS folks write: "Be a presenter at LSLS20! This year's theme is "Mapping Our Identity." At this year's conference we will ask, and hopefully start to answer, the questions of “Who are we?,” “Who do we want to become?,” and “How are we getting there?” For more information or to submit your proposal, visit our website. Please submit your proposals by March 29.

Possibilities for presentation topics include:

Redefining Boundaries - How have we, as individuals or organizations, broken barriers to create a new sense of who we are? How do we balance our work with our personal lives? What do we do – and just as importantly, what don’t we do – to reinvigorate and advance our missions?

Expanding Our Reach - What partnerships have we been involved in, and how have they changed how we position ourselves? How can interdisciplinary approaches positively shift who we are and what we do? What types of programming, marketing campaigns, tools, or services have we implemented to reach farther than we used to?

Defining Ourselves - How do our personal identities intertwine with the identity of being a library worker? What happens when we shift jobs or professions partway through our careers? How does learning about our past influence who we are and who we’re becoming?

Protecting Our Identity - How do we ensure the security of the data we collect, the information and resources we steward, and the systems we use? How do we help our patrons protect their identities? How do we show that we value and advocate for the diverse identities of our communities?

Perceiving Libraries - How are libraries perceived, by library workers and by our communities? What do we find helpful about how library workers are perceived, and what might we like to change? How do we capitalize on the positive perceptions? How do we address what’s misunderstood?"