Call for Proposals

During the past year, libraries have faced various challenges in restructuring library services, staff turnover, and navigating library services in the post-COVID-19 world. This year’s theme, “Recovering, Revitalizing, and Reconnecting: Overcoming Challenges and Adversity to Strengthen BIPOC Communities in a Post-COVID World” aims to highlight what libraries around the country have been doing to both reconnect with their communities, and pivot library services through library programming and collections.

18th Annual Joint Mini-Conference

Date: Friday, June 17, 2022

Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center

Queens Public Library, Corona NY

Call For Proposals -Deadline: May 16, 2022*

The Joint Mini-Conference (JMC) brings together presenters from the National Associations of Librarians of Color (NALCos), the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking.

The Joint Mini-Conference has traditionally been a free, full-day event open to librarians and library staff as an opportunity to network and exchange information about library services, collections, and projects that serve newcomers and underserved populations in our communities.

During the past year, libraries have faced various challenges in restructuring library services, staff turnover, and navigating library services in the post-COVID-19 world. This year’s theme, “Recovering, Revitalizing, and Reconnecting: Overcoming Challenges and Adversity to Strengthen BIPOC Communities in a Post-COVID World” aims to highlight what libraries around the country have been doing to both reconnect with their communities, and pivot library services through library programming and collections.

Presenters are encouraged to explain, from their own perspective, ways in which their work has successfully:

• Provide support to staff in any of the following areas: training, technology resources, redeployment of staff, updating of job roles and responsibilities, mental health, and work/life balance.

• Supported a welcoming environment for people of different ethnic groups

• Provided impactful and positive programming for their public during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Promoted reading and collections using innovative methods in inclusive ways

• Highlighted diverse and own voices collections representative of their community

• Utilized available technologies to provide programs and/or services in remote or virtual scenarios

PRESENTATION FORMAT:

• The RNE Joint Mini-Conference program will be held from 11am-4pm.

• Presentations will run approximately 25 minutes each (10 minutes for lightning talks), followed by a 5-minute question-and-answer period. Time will be finalized once the conference schedule is completed.

• Presenters should share their presentations with the Committee in order for them to be published on the RNE website. We would like to invite you to view previous presentations listed on the RNE website (tab Mini-Conferences) or by visiting the following links:

https://www.reformanortheast.org/mini-conferences.html

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Proposals, presentations, and papers must be written and delivered in English.

Proposal should include:

1. Title of the presentation

2. Name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid email address) for each presenter

3. Abstract of 300-500 words

4. A short biographical profile of each presenter and a professional photograph for public relations and publication on the Joint Mini-Conference (JMC) website and other conference-related materials.

5. Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single MSW/Google document attachment) to the Joint-Mini Conference Chair, elisagarcia@nypl.org with a copy to reformane@gmail.com.

Please include the subject heading: 2022 Joint Mini Conference Proposal

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS IS FRIDAY, MAY 16TH, 2022 *Extended to 5/27/22

Any questions should be directed to Elisa Garcia, REFORMA Northeast Chapter President and Joint Mini-Conference Chair, at elisagarcia@nypl.org or reformane@gmail.com.

Thank you,

REFORMA Northeast Chapter

18th Annual Joint Mini-Conference Committee