NDLC ’16: Bridges to Inclusion
The National Diversity in Libraries Conference (NDLC ’16), cosponsored by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Library and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), will take place on the UCLA campus August 10–13, 2016. The NDLC ’16 Program Committee invites you to submit presentation proposals that address the conference’s theme of “Bridges to Inclusion,” highlighting issues related to diversity and inclusion that affect staff, users, and institutions in the library, archive, and museum (LAM) fields. NDLC ’16 aims to articulate the value of and develop strategies for diversity and inclusion in LAMs in order to improve organizational excellence and community engagement. Presentation proposals are due by Monday, November 30, 2015.
NDLC ’16 Tracks and Topics
NDLC ’16 seeks conference presentation proposals in all areas of diversity, including but not limited to the following topics:
- Collections and Access—global and multicultural collections, different languages and formats, archives, oral histories, traditional knowledge, data, government information, digital collections, subject headings and controlled vocabulary, accessible spaces and equipment, assistive technologies, accessible catalogs, access services, preservation, etc.
- Programming, Outreach, and Advocacy—cultural programming, outreach to diverse populations, teaching and learning, reference and research, instructional design, assessment, community collaborations, services to special populations, health education, financial literacy, marketing, social media, apps, advocacy, community and learning spaces, emerging technologies, digital humanities, makerspaces, institutional repositories, online learning, etc.
- Personnel, Management, and Organization—recruitment and retention, staff development and training, administration and management, leadership development, mentoring, organizational culture, conflict resolution and mediation, bias and prejudice, harassment, unions, cultural competencies, institutional change, public policies, diversity programs, diversity plans, etc.
- Challenging Topics—difficult patrons, vulnerable users, book challenges, controversial displays, contentious collections, digitization of traditional knowledge, free speech, trigger warnings, censorship, intellectual freedom, privacy and confidentiality, policies, cultural competencies, other legal issues, etc.
Ideal sessions will: provide insightful information and practical skills and strategies; facilitate constructive conversations around critical issues, including an exploration of potential solutions; highlight new research in the field; showcase exemplary programs; examine the successes and failures of initiatives designed to improve diversity and inclusion; or offer approaches for substantive change on limited resources.
Session Formats
All sessions are 75 minutes in length. Possible formats include:
- Workshops may provide a facilitated in-depth introduction to a topic and/or practical skills and techniques.
- Roundtables that enable facilitated discussion among presenters and audience participants on a particular topic or broader issue. Should include multiple viewpoints and diverse voices.
- Panel Presentations may cover a specialized topic from different perspectives or a general topic in-depth. Should provide sufficient time for audience questions.
- Individual Papers/Presentations that are not already part of a set panel. May be assigned to a panel with similar topics.
NDLC ’16 will also accept presentation proposals in formats other than those listed above, especially if they provide a new way to engage the audience. A call for poster proposals will go out in early 2016.
Submissions
All presentation proposals must be submitted by midnight pacific standard time on Monday, November 30, 2015, via the online form on the NDLC ’16 website. For more details, including submission guidelines and selection criteria, see the full call for presentation proposals (PDF).
Questions
For additional information, visit the NDLC ’16 website or e-mail the NDLC ‘16 Program Committee at ndlc@library.ucla.edu.
About the Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in the US and Canada. ARL’s mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the web at https://www.arl.org/.
