Call for WLA Conference Proposals

Hey youth services folks! Put on those thinking caps and get in a proposal! Reach out to colleagues around the state to create a panel or find a co-presenter (nothing is more powerful than a panel made up of librarians from different size libraries, different communities and diverse situations!). Share your good ideas and thoughts about the theme. Let's get some great youth content on providing service to youth ages birth-age 18 and their families at this year's conference!

We’re looking for library staff who are ready to rise to the challenge! The Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference programming committee seeks program proposals for the next conference to be held November 1-4, 2022 at the Grand Geneva Hotel in Lake Geneva.  

The theme for this year’s conference is “Rising to the Challenge'' and we would like you to share your stories of how you’ve overcome obstacles, collaborated with your communities and how you’ve not just survived but thrived despite the challenges of the past few years as well as how you’re preparing for future challenges. We’d also like to continue the important conversations about diversity and inclusivity, staffing, fundraising, advocacy and cultivating connections. We’d like you to consider the big picture but also encourage you to share your practical and effective strategies and inspiring projects from your corner of the library world. 

Need some inspiration? Here are a few suggestions: 

· Intellectual freedom

· Navigating a pandemic and post-pandemic world  

· Data and analytics  

· Equity, diversity, and inclusion  

· Managing e-resources  

· Funding and support  

· Digitization  

· Staff training  

· Self-care and healthy boundaries

· Privacy

· Accessing government data  

· Collaboration  

· Community outreach  

· Customer service  

· Navigating stakeholder relationships

· Futurecasting post-pandemic library services

· Leadership pathways and career growth

Proposals for presentations, panels, and workshops are welcome. Sessions will run 45 minutes in length (with a limited number of 90 minutes sessions available) and with a maximum of four presenters.

Help us shape this year’s conference by submitting your proposal via this link by Monday, April 25, 2022.

We look forward to your fantastic proposals!

Sincerely,

The WLA conference program committee:

Linda Jerome   ljerome@lacrosselibrary.org   608.789.7157

Becky Phillips    becky.phillips@browncountywi.gov    920.448.5915

Margaret Murphy    msmurphy4@wisc.edu      920.268.2187