Call for Papers — Open Sessions

Knowledge Management joint with Subject Analysis and Access

• 19 December 2019, 17:16

Theme: "Subject Access and Artificial Intelligence: Enhancing competencies and safeguarding ethics"

Digital technologies of all its sorts have given rise to wider considerations and applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in library and information environments. In particular, the exponential growth of data, information and knowledge can no longer be managed by libraries, research centres and similar institutions via traditional means. AI operates via algorithms that restrict freedom of choice, changing the ways in which public users (externally) and library professionals and workers (internally) access resources.

Historically, two important aspects of our profession have been to understand: a) the user’s information needs and b) ways in which users interact with resources. AI-based solutions may assist or altogether replace manual procedures traditionally developed and performed by trained, educated professionals. Thus, the library and information sciences field must empower subject librarians to draw upon and evaluate their own unique skill set for the discovery and analysis of AI’s advantages and disadvantages, including ethical considerations.

We – the Knowledge Management Section and the Subject Analysis and Access Section invite papers on the following range of topics dealing with subject access and application of AI in the library domain.

Sub-themes

• Technological and practical issues with applications of AI in subject analysis and access in libraries including applications of data analysis, automatic indexing, machine learning, transforming big data into meaningful semantic data and data visualization;
• Ethical challenges in subject access and impact of AI and automatic categorization/classification on creativity, freedom of choice and privacy in resource discovery. Including: recognizing misuse and manipulation of algorithms and biases in the choice of training sets; preventing discriminatory outcomes in machine learning, risks of censorship or biases and risks to information integrity;
• Ethical challenges in application of traditional knowledge organization systems and vocabulary control in library collections vs Ethical challenges in designing and applying algorithms in automatic classification and resource discovery;
• Enhancing subject analysis and knowledge organization systems’ skills in supporting decision making and improving practices in libraries in the context of AI; discussing principles and values guiding the development and use of AI in knowledge organization and subject indexing and access in integrated and/or digital library systems; identifying knowledge organization and subject access expertise
• Evaluating the role of subject access in improving user experience and usability of library collections and assessing transferability of these skills into the new technological environment; evaluating potential impact of AI on libraries with respect to design and implementation of new technologies and how this affects staff, necessary competencies and skills, education and training.

Important dates

• 21 February 2020 extended to 15 March 2020 – Deadline for submitting and abstract
• 1 April 2020 – Presenters will be notified
• 1 June 2020 – Deadline for submitting a paper (approximately 8-12 pages)

How to submit a proposal

Proposals should include:

• Title of the presentation
• An abstract for your paper (up to 400 words)
• A short bio for all intended authors of your paper, including name, email, and institutional affiliation (as appropriate)-
• Language of the paper
• Language of the presentation (preferably English)

Proposals should be submitted electronically no later than 15 March 2020 to:

Harriet Aagaard
IFLA Subject Analysis and Access Section

Email: harriet.aagaard@kb.se

And to:

Spencer Arcadia

IFLA Knowledge Management Section

Email: acadias1@gmail.com

Proposals will be reviewed by members of the SAA-KM Joint Organising Committee. Selection will be based on proposal content and fit to the overall theme of the session.

Authors will be notified of acceptance status by 1 April 2020.

For accepted proposals, full papers will be due by 1 June 2020. Papers should be original work not published elsewhere and written in one of the official IFLA languages (English is preferred, but Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian or Spanish is accepted as long you also are able to provide an English translation).

Please note:

At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the program in Dublin. Abstracts should only be submitted with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

The paper must be an original submission not presented or published elsewhere. All papers that are presented at the WLIC 2020 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.

All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

Congress Participation Grants

List of opportunities for support is available on the Apply for Grants & Awards webpage.