Call for Papers — Open Sessions

Library Services to People with Special Needs

• 21 February 2020, 19:58

Theme: "A New Home: Library Services to Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants, and Asylum Seekers"

The Library Services to People with Special Needs (LSN) Section is developing Guidelines on Library Services to Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants and Asylum Seekers. We have already completed a survey on library services to this target group and the results of this survey will also be presented at this program.

LSN is now inviting presenters:

• from a variety of libraries and organizations and from a wide range of countries
• to speak on how library services, programs, projects, and activities
• support refugees,  immigrants, migrants and asylum seekers.

Under this topic, presentations might cover but are not limited to:

• Services to a specific group of refugees, immigrants, migrants, or asylum seekers
• Services to adults, families, or unaccompanied minors in the target population
• Description of different services offered to the target population
• How staff are trained to best serve the target population
• Methods of cooperation with other agencies serving the target population
• Method of evaluation of the services and results
• Legal and ethical perspectives of serving the target population

Proposals dealing with multiple topics above and other approaches to serving this population will receive higher priority.

Please submit by 3 April 2020 the extended deadline 1 May 2020 an abstract of your presentation to:

Nancy Bolt
Email: nancybolt@earthlink.net

The abstract should be no more than 300 words and must include:

• your library’s name and country;
• speaker contact information and title;
• your presentation title;
• a brief description of your services to this target population;
• and indicate that you can be in Dublin to make the presentation.

Final selection will be made by 15 May and the full paper due on 15 June 2020.

Important Dates

1 May 2020: Proposal abstracts must be submitted

15 May 2020: Selected presenters will be notified

15 June 2020: Written papers due

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. Please be reasonably confident that you have funding for the Dublin conference if you are selected to make a presentation and state this in your proposal.

Congress Participation Grants

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