The Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference operates on a two stage Call for Papers (CfP) process. This was consulted on and agreed in advance of the first CALC conference in 2020.
Our CfP is divided into two stages with proposals sought in each. The first stage is reserved for sessions where the lead speaker is from a group that experiences underrepresentation and/or marginalisation from libraries, academia or traditional library conferences. The groups eligible to submit in this stage are:
People of Colour/BAME/Global Ethnic Majority/Non-white presenters
People for whom English is an additional language
LGBTQIA+ people
Disabled people
Neurodivergent people
Deaf people
People from Working Class backgrounds
The list of eligible groups and communities is reviewed each year.
A key aim of CALC is to provide a venue to share the voices, experiences and perspectives of library workers, researchers and users who are underrepresented and/or marginalised by traditional academic conferences. In many library conferences where a single CfP is used, programs have tended to be filled by a small number of presenters with greater experience and confidence in writing abstracts; this is problematic where this prevents speakers from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds appearing in conference programs. Michelle and I believe that past initiatives to increase the diversity of conference programs have not gone far enough and that urgent action is necessary to address this gap. We hope that by trialing a two-stage CfP we can create a more even playing field. We believe that positive action in this way is warranted and preferable in this context to alternative actions such as positive discrimination through quotas.
This process has been in place since the first CALC Conference in 2020 and we believe has lead to a more diverse range of speakers, topics and sessions.
A second open CfP is launched after the initial stage. Any speaker can submit a session at this stage and each submission is reviewed on its merits.
No. As part of the review process all identifying information about authors are removed, this includes information about their eligibility to submit in stage 1.
No. Eligibility for the stage 1 CfP is based on self-identification. The only time a speaker would be questioned about an element of their identity is to ensure the policy on panel discussions is followed, that:
All panels must include at least one BAME panel member (speaker would be asked if they themselves fulfil this criteria or if they have another member who does)
That for panels based around a lived experience (e.g. experiences of disabled library workers) that at least one member must be from that lived experience as part of a 'not about me without me' ethos (speaker would be asked if they themselves fulfil this criteria or if they have another member who does)
No. The two-stage CfP process is to help improve representation and diversity on the conference programme. So long as the proposal meets the scope of the conference and review criteria, an eligible speaker can discuss any topic - for example an LGBTQIA+ speaker would not be expected to submit sessions only on LGBTQIA+ experiences in libraries.
No. The two-stage CfP process is designed to help level the playing field between speakers who experience underrepresentation /marginalisation and those who do not. Proposals at both stages of the CfP are reviewed based on their merits.