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Call for Proposals

Posted June 6, 2023

We are issuing a call for proposals for an edited volume tentatively titled, Advocacy and Policy Work for Academic and Research Library Workers: Perspectives and Strategies to be published by ACRL (forthcoming Spring 2024).

This book focuses on how academic and research library workers can engage in advocacy and policy work at different levels (local, regional, and national), and shares strategies on advocating for specific policies/issues impacting academic/research libraries. The book will highlight specific policy issues affecting academic/research libraries, and case studies/perspectives from academic/research library workers doing advocacy work. 

We encourage submissions from library workers from all types of higher education/research institutions, including research intensive universities, public/private universities/colleges, community colleges, rural colleges, Tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). Please see below for specific topic suggestions. The sections of the book are tentatively divided as the following:

Section I: Overviews of Public Policy Issues Impacting Academic and Research Libraries

  • Accessibility
  • Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (AIM HIGH)
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Broadband Access/Speed
  • Controlled Digital Lending
  • Copyright (e.g. SMART Copyright Act of 2022)
  • Critical Race Theory
  • Data Ethics and Access
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)
  • Digital/Information Literacy
  • E-Book Bills & Database Costs
  • Environmental impact on data centers 
  • Ethnic Studies Curriculum Assembly Bills
  • Federal Depositories (e.g. Federal Depository Library Program [FDLP] Modernization Act)
  • Intellectual Freedom
  • Infrastructure
  • Federal/State Funding for Higher Education
  • Net Neutrality
  • Open Access 
  • Open Educational Resources (OER) and Affordable College Textbook Act
  • Open Science
  • Preservation and Conservation
  • Privacy and Surveillance (e.g. Consumer Data Privacy)
  • Public access to federally funded research (e.g. OTSP memo on open access)
  • Subject Heading Changes
  • United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Workforce Development
  • & more !

Section II: Perspectives and Strategies from Academic and Research Library Workers

Testimonial experiences and strategies, including but not limited to: grassroots experiences, advocacy work from within, marketing/promotion of messages, social media engagement with legislators, advocacy and lobbying activities, library association work, building coalitions, dialogues/interviews, research case studies, academic/research libraries’ efforts supporting public/school libraries, etc. This may include external and community advocacy from departments/units within the library or within higher education.

Please fill out this google form to submit your proposal: (title, section, up to 500 words for abstract/description) in this google form & include a brief biography of all authors (up to 250 words per person).

See here for proposal reviewing rubric.

Each chapter will go through an open peer review process: 2 peer reviewers will review your chapter and provide input, in addition to 2 co-editors, and an ACRL copyeditor.

Proposals due: July 31, 2023 and Notifications sent by: August 11, 2023 

Proposals will be reviewed by co-editors. Each selected chapter will run between 1000-3500 words due on November 3, 2023.

Expected Book Publication: Spring 2024.

Please send questions to: Ray Pun at [email protected] Please share this CFP widely.

Scholarship