Embracing Courage, Candor and Authenticity in Academic Libraries

Libraries have long been a symbol of and a place for learning and inquiry, but also information access, social justice, and safety. In times of uncertainty, the library can provide space for respite and quiet contemplation in addition to inquiry and understanding and challenging knowledge. Librarians, library staff, and administrators need to embrace courage, candor, and authenticity in order to provide intellectual and emotional space for our users. Courage to let your convictions and values drive your practice and action. Candor in telling, and hearing, the truth in a caring and compassionate way. And authenticity to do this purposefully and intentionally.

The CARL 2020 Conference invites librarians to consider how courage, candor, and authenticity can be used in difficult and challenging times to better advocate for our students, faculty, and larger communities. How can our courage and collective strength in truth-telling and speaking truth to power lead to a more inclusive library and university environment? How can greater authenticity assist us in aligning our values with our practice to best move forward as the world changes? How can we move towards an ethic of care, both personally and organizationally, for more equity amongst library employees and for our students?

Topics could include, but are not limited to:
- Taking audacious risks and learning from failure in the classroom and beyond
- Centering underrepresented (or misrepresented) pasts and heritages and valuing different ways of knowing
- Questioning whether our practices have evolved to meet the needs of today’s students
- Understanding the importance of authenticity and the privilege of being authentic
- Embracing collective strength to foster change in our libraries, campuses, and the profession
- Aligning our values and actions in our day-to-day work
- Pursuing equity in our libraries for users and library workers
- Creating safe spaces in our libraries for users and employees and fostering academic freedom
- Looking at our experiences holistically to see the interconnectedness between the personal and the professional

Consider how your functional area fits within this theme as we seek to represent a wide range of functional areas in libraries -- how are the above themes present in our work in technical services, circulation, instruction, reference, outreach, scholarly communications, and more?

We will accept proposals on your research or practice related to the conference theme for the following session types:
 
> Pre-Conference Sessions: These 4-hour workshop sessions will provide a research framework for practical activities that engage participants around a topic. Preconferences will be scheduled on Wednesday, April 1, 12:30pm-4:30pm. The due date for these proposals will be October 1, 2019.

> Research into Practice Sessions: These sessions will present original research around the conference theme in a 50-minute session. The due date for these proposals will be October 1, 2019.

> Engaging in Practice Sessions: This presentation is a 50-minute session that is structured to include audience participation in the form of engaging discussion questions or activities, and have a practical take-away for the attendees. The due date for these proposals will be October 1, 2019.

> Panel Presentations: These sessions bring together 2-5 presenters into a cohesive conversation intended to engage audience members in a 50-minute session. The due date for these proposals will be October 1, 2019.

> Poster Sessions: This sessions will be posters on a topic related to the conference theme. The due date for these proposals will be January 15, 2020.

> Round Table Discussions: These sessions will offer conversation on a current topic in libraries, in a casual, round table setting. The due date for these proposals will be January 15, 2020.

> Interest Group Showcase: 50-minute session to present on a topic that is related to the conference, and highlight the work of the IG.