UPDATE: Visit the Call for Proposal page on the new APALA 35th Anniversary & Symposium website!
Asian / Pacific American Librarians Association
35th Anniversary & Symposium
San Francisco • June 25, 2015
Building Bridges: Connecting Communities Through Librarianship & Advocacy
Embracing the Past
Engaging the Present
Empowering the Future
The Asian / Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) turns 35 in 2015! To commemorate this milestone, APALA is holding a one-day symposium on Thursday, June 25 at McLaren Hall on the University of San Francisco campus. Additional programs and cultural events will be organized during the American Library Association Annual Conference.
Founded in 1980 by librarians of diverse Asian and Pacific ancestries, APALA has long been committed to supporting and providing greater visibility for Asian / Pacific American (APA) professionals in the areas of libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) and advancing services to APA communities. The 35th Anniversary & Symposium is an opportune time to reflect upon and continue to execute its mission by providing information and/or training on: library programs and resources for APA communities; becoming successful library leaders and advocates; and creating linkages with other library associations and APA organizations.
APALA has always aimed to serve as a bridge between LAM professionals and APA communities; LAM professionals of diverse backgrounds; and libraries and APA communities. The symposium continues this theme, bringing in the idea of building bridges in all its connotations — physical, temporal, historical, virtual, individual, organizational, local, and global.
Building Bridges: Connecting Communities Through Librarianship & Advocacy
- Embracing the Past — Build on APALA’s vision and learn about proven tools and practices for serving APA communities
- Engaging the Present — Find out how to make a difference here and now for our organizations and beyond through leadership and community building
- Empowering the Future — Pave the way to success through lessons and tips on advocacy and professional development
The event is intended to foster discussion address questions such as:
- How have libraries and cultural institutions served APA communities? How can APALA create and ensure more programs and tools for APA communities, both physical and virtual, local and global?
- What kinds of bridges have APALA, and libraries in general, built with APA communities? How can APALA and APA information professionals continue to make alliances and build communities?
- How have APALA and library leaders advocated for information services to APA communities? What lessons and advice do they have to share?
- What are the challenges facing APA librarians and communities? What are the new information and technology trends? How can information professionals improve their knowledge and skills for the benefit of APA communities?
- How can APALA maintain its active role in creating a culturally diverse and inclusive society? How can libraries ensure that APA communities have the information they need to participate fully in society?
With its iconic bridges, San Francisco provides an ideal backdrop for these discussions. The fact that it is also the site of several key landmarks and significant historical events for APAs, such as Angel Island, the I-Hotel, the first Ethnic Studies Department, makes it an even more appropriate place to connect past with the present and future.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
APALA invites you to submit a proposal that addresses the symposium’s theme of building bridges that highlight the vital links between libraries and communities; librarians and library users; ideas and successful outcomes. The ideal presentation would fall under one of these tracks and focus on diverse communities, particularly Asian / Pacific Americans.
Program Tracks
a. Community Building and Outreach
- Designing effective outreach programs that engage and reflect local community needs
- Developing best practices and models with respect to issues affecting APA and pan- ethnic communities
- Building successful collaborations on programming for all ages with different communities and library organizations
b. Cultural Heritage and Educational Materials
- Developing resources and building library collections related to APAs
- Creating and preserving APA archival materials (e.g., oral history, community papers, musical recordings, films, etc.) and developing institutional and digital repositories
- Creating materials that provide APA visibility and representation in a range of formats, such as films, websites, exhibitions, digital storytelling, music, and print literature
- Developing programs through collaborations with government, non-profit organizations, and local community groups that preserve, maintain, and promote APA cultures and histories
c. Leadership and Advocacy
- Training and mentoring individuals to acquire essential skills and understanding in working with a diverse staff and clientele
- Developing essential skills to be effective advocates and change agents.
- Developing ways to encourage engagement and participation toward making a positive change in the workplace and society
- Exploring different leadership models that address issues such as, empowerment, micro- aggression, changing organizational culture, consensus building, and mentoring
d. Interpersonal and Career Growth
- Addressing issues related to workplace dynamics and structure (e.g., cultural competence, conflict resolution and mediation, mentoring, re-organization, staff and professional issues, institutional change)
- Acquiring or providing training for skills for career change or growth (e.g., technology, public relations, social media, fundraising, grant writing, assessment, management, and planning)
- Creating a culture that encourages learning and growth as well as trust and respect
PROGRAM FORMATS
Workshop Session (75 minutes)
A group session with facilitator(s) who provide an interactive workshop on a project or topic. The session could be on music, research, video/film making, music, archiving, oral history, outreach programming, advocacy training, or related topics.
Roundtable Session (75 minutes)
A facilitated a discussion amongst presenters and audience participants on a particular topic or broader issue. Submissions should include multiple viewpoints and diverse voices. The majority of the allotted time should be devoted to discussion involving audience members.
Paper/Panel Presentation (75 minutes)
Presentations may cover a specialized topic from different perspectives or a general topic in- depth. Presenters should provide sufficient time for audience discussion. The proposal should specify a moderator who will organize the panel and regulate time. Individual paper submissions could be added in a panel program.
Poster Session (60 minutes)
A creative visual representation of a topic that provides an informal way to convey research, projects, services or ideas of interest to attendees. Presenters will be expected to set-up and host their poster during the allotted time.
RULES FOR SUBMISSION
Please include the following information in your proposal:
Primary Contact: Name, title, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, phone number Participants: name, title, affiliation, email address, and phone number
Proposal information:
- Program Title
- Descriptive Abstract for the program booklet (80 word maximum)
- Program Abstract to include up to three learning outcomes (300 word maximum)
Program Track (select one of the following):
- Community Building and Outreach
- Cultural Heritage and Educational Materials
- Leadership and Advocacy
- Interpersonal and Career Growth
Program Format (select one of the following):
- Workshop Session
- Roundtable Session
- Paper/Panel Presentation
- Poster Session
Audio-visual needs:
Data projector and screen will be provided.
Deadline
All proposals must be received by midnight PST on October 31, 2014 as a Word document to apala35proposals@gmail.com. Notifications of proposal selection will be made beginning November 15, 2014.
Questions
Questions may be sent to the APALA 35 Program Committee at apala35proposals@gmail.com.
Non-Commercial Policy
APALA programs are non-commercial educational learning experiences. Under no circumstances should a workshop, session or poster presentation be used for direct promotion of a speaker’s product, service, or other self-interest.
Additional Requirements
All selected program presenters must be registered for the APALA 35th Anniversary & Symposium in order to present.
Presenters are responsible for paying the conference registration fee, travel, and lodging.
Presenters may be invited to use a format other than the one(s) selected or might be invited to co- present with others who have proposed similar topics.