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MLA '10: Call for Papers and Posters
To submit a paper or poster abstract, review the instructions below, then begin the online submission process. Submission deadline is November 2, 2009.
Download the Call for Participation
Abstract Submission deadline is Monday, November 2, 2009, midnight, CST.
Five years ago, MLA was in Washington, DC, seizing the power. Traveling to San Antonio, we celebrated our diversity, and then we transformed ourselves in Arizona. In Chicago, we bridged the gaps to make "Connections," and in Honolulu, we explored "iFusions" between information and innovation. Returning to Washington, DC, May 21-26, 2010, MLA attendees can take the opportunity to “Reflect & Connect” as they explore the changes in both the information scene and the District.
MLA ’10 offers time and places for participants to reconnect with friends and colleagues in order to compare notes and ideas about building relationships with our communities, identifying their (and our) information needs, and developing innovative means of meeting those needs. Both formal program and informal meetings will entice attendees to review past practices and identify future opportunities for change.
For the first time, the 2010 National Program Committee (NPC) has selected a common book, Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind, for attendees to read and discuss—before, during, and after the meeting. MLA ’10 will also make use of cutting-edge technologies to enhance meeting attendees’ experience and to allow members who are unable to attend to participate in the discussions and make connections.
The urban setting of Washington, DC, offers numerous opportunities to connect with your legislators, your colleagues, and your friends. Consider attending a legislative briefing and visiting your representatives.
Enroll in a continuing education class and build a new skill set. Join your friends (old and new) over roundtables, posters, lunches and meetings to develop fresh insights for projects at home.
An Open Invitation
Contributed Papers
The 2010 National Program Committee (NPC) invites abstract submissions for contributed papers that reflect on the best ideas and practices in health sciences librarianship today. What have we learned from the past and how do we apply it to the future? Consider what is best in local practices, research, and current trends. What roles do health sciences libraries, information centers, librarians, and information professionals play in connecting with our communities? How do we build successful communities? Handouts and electronic presentations from the paper presentations will be posted to MLANET for further reflection. MLA’s Research Section will award prizes for the best research-based papers.
For more information about papers, see the frequently asked questions on MLANET or contact Gale Dutcher, Section Council Liaison, 301.984.0025.
Posters
The 2010 NPC invites proposals for ideas best expressed as a poster, electronic demonstration, or a 5-minute lightning presentation. The range of opportunities for self-expression is unlimited. Consider the use or development of innovative technologies, programs, research, local best practices, current trends and future projects that highlight how health sciences libraries and information professionals connect with their communities and each other. Individuals will have the opportunity to present in traditional paper or electronic format for viewing or give a 5-minute presentation, grouped with similar topics during MLA ’10. Posters and related handouts will be posted to MLANET prior to the meeting.
Posters should not repeat information submitted for papers. MLA’s Research Section will award prizes for the best research-basded posters.
For more information about posters, see the frequently asked questions on MLANET or contact, for paper or electronic posters: Carole Gilbert, AHIP, FMLA, NPC poster coordinator, 4020 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Royal Oak, MI 48073, and for five-minute lightning presentations: Chris Shaffer, AHIP, NPC virtual meeting coordinator, Oregon Health & Science University Library, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97236-3098.
Guidelines for Submission
Plan to submit your abstract by Monday, November 2, 2009 at midnight, central time. There will be no extensions.
As a guide in the submission process, review the article, “The Structured Abstract: An Essential Tool for Researchers” which originally appeared in Hypothesis: The Journal of the Research Section of MLA. The Southern Chapter of MLA’s Suggested Formats for structured abstracts (http://www.scmla.org/abformat.htm) gives further examples of formats for research and non-research–based reports. Authors may postpone entering results and conclusions until after the peer-review process is completed. If the abstract is selected, authors must add results and conclusions.
All submissions must be classified as not research or by the primary research method used in the work. Use the pull-down menu in the abstract submission system to select the primary research method used. If you indicate “Other not listed,” please be sure to clearly state the method used in your structured abstract submission. The list of methods came from and is further explained in “Inventory of Research Methods for Librarianship and Informatics,” published in the January 2004 issue of the Journal of the Medical Library Association available on PubMed Central. Please also consult the MLA Style Manual for guidance on style, spelling, and grammar.
Contributed Papers
Submit your abstract by November 2 , 2009, midnight, central time. Paper contributions should relate to one of the proposed section or NPC-sponsored programs. Please select the first session for which you are contributing a paper. You may also submit a second program for which you would like your paper to be considered. However, you may not submit the same idea for both a paper and a poster session.
A presenting author needs to be identified upon submission and must register and pay for at least the day of presentation during MLA ’10. Audiovisual equipment supplied by MLA will be identified on the submission site, but Internet access and computer needs will be at the authors’ expense.
Presentations will be approximately fifteen minutes plus five minutes for questions and answers and changing speakers. Session moderators will confirm presentation lengths in March 2010. Presentations will be audio-recorded for sale by MLA. A few weeks before the meeting, presenters will be asked to email electronic slides and handouts to be incorporated in the recording.
For more information about contributed papers, see the frequently asked questions on the MLA ’10 website. Inquiries about section programs, abstracts, or contributed paper topics should be sent to Gale Dutcher, AHIP, 2010 NPC Section Council liaison.
Posters
Submit your abstract by November 2 , 2009, midnight, central time. Posters should not repeat information submitted for papers. Awards will be given for best research posters.
Contributed posters should present research results, innovative library programs, or notable projects. Presenters may not submit the same idea for both a poster and contributed paper session. Poster submitters will be asked to categorize their posters based on predetermined themes that are described on the MLANET submission site.
Poster boards will be eight-foot-by-four-foot in size. Note: no tables will be provided unless requested in advance or if the presenter has indicated that the poster is electronic. Electronic posters will occupy the same exhibition space as paper posters, and presenters should take advantage of the poster boards to draw attention to their presentations—perhaps by using signage. Internet access and equipment can be ordered for a fee, although a “canned” presentation is recommended. Electricity will be not be supplied. Poster sessions are one hour in length, so presenters should check to make sure their laptop batteries are fully charged. If you are interested in the five-minute lightning poster presentations, indicate as such on the online submission site.
Additionally, accepted poster presenters will be required to submit electronic versions (PDF, PowerPoint, etc.) of their posters prior to the meeting to give attendees a chance to digest material ahead of time. Posters and related handouts submitted by presenters will remain on MLANET after the meeting as well.
The lead or presenting author must be identified at the time of submission and are expected to pay for that day’s registration. Presenters will be required to staff their poster displays during their assigned times.
For more information about paper and electronic posters, see the frequently asked questions on the MLA ’10 website or contact 2010 NPC member Carole Gilbert, AHIP, FMLA, and for five-minute lightning presentations, 2010 NPC member Chris Shaffer, AHIP.
Submission Process
MLA offers an easy-to-use, online abstract submission process with blinding and formatting options. Abstracts for papers and posters must be submitted using the structured abstract template available on MLANET. The final submission deadline is Monday, Novenber 2, 2009, at midnight, central time. There will be no extensions of this deadline. If you cannot submit online, contact Brenda Dreier before October 19, 2009, to receive a paper submission form by email attachment or fax.
The original submission must include, at a minimum, the objective and methods sections of the structured abstract. The total abstract is not to exceed 350 words. The objective section, for which a research question may be submitted, cannot exceed 60 words, and the methods section, which may include brief descriptions of the population and expected results, cannot exceed 140 words. Authors have the option to input the results and conclusions sections, not to exceed 150 words, with their original submission or they can add them after acceptance and no later than February 17, 2010. In either case, the results and conclusions sections will be blinded during the review to make the process more objective. Abstracts should not contain tables, figures, or bibliographic references. Abstracts may be prepared and uploaded using Microsoft Word with Times New Roman, 10-point font, and Symbol font for symbols.
Accepted abstracts will be published in the MLA ’10 Abstracts: Supplement to the Official Program (online only) and on the MLA ’10 Program Planner.
Submitting authors can make abstract changes up to, but not after, Monday, November 2, 2009, at midnight, central time. At that time, the submission site will close and the review process will begin.
Important: To allow for blind review, author names, institutional affiliations, and address information should only be listed in the author section of the electronic submission system, not in the body of the abstract. MLA reserves the right to edit abstracts containing any author, institutional, location, or company names for the purpose of eliminating this identifying information before sending the abstract to reviewers. Authors are urged to blind their abstracts themselves because MLA cannot guarantee the resulting quality if changes must be made after submission. As noted previously, the results and conclusions field, if entered, will not be visible to the reviewers.
The primary author will be notified of acceptance by email sent the week of December 16, 2009.
Questions about the submission process should be directed to Brenda Dreier, MLA meeting manager.
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