Planning for Atla Annual 2023 is underway. We will gather in Fort Worth, Texas, from June 14-17, 2023, for a hybrid event with multiple onsite and online options. But before that can happen, we need your help.
Join your fellow theological librarians and submit a proposal for Atla Annual. This is your chance to share your new ideas, new best practices, or new insightful reflections on major events or experiences with your colleagues at other institutions. What do you have to share with the members of Atla?
For many of us experienced presenters, submitting a proposal is a relatively easy matter to consider and accomplish. For those who have not presented before, please know that you are part of a receptive and supportive community. Ask another theological library colleague or a conference committee member for advice on your proposal. We are here to help one another succeed. For seasoned presenters, I encourage you to invite new members of the community to present with you.
My own experiences attest to the rewards that come with presenting at the conference. I have had the opportunity to further expand my professional credentials by adding a new line to my resume or CV. More meaningfully, I have had opportunities to work with new colleagues at various institutions, most of them hundreds of miles away. I have had the chance to express my own voice and perspective related to items of importance to me, and last year, improved my technical skills by helping to support a hybrid event. I am continually grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the guidance of the Association through my participation on an Atla committee. I am positive there are many more rewards yet to be discovered. Before those rewards are received, though, you need first to submit a proposal.
While it may seem like there is ample time to craft and submit a proposal, I recommend putting some effort toward this before the end of the current academic term, as the holiday season makes life stressed and chaotic. The submission deadline of Saturday, January 7, 2023, will be here much quicker than we imagine. This is doubly the case if you anticipate submitting a proposal with other colleagues and need to coordinate schedules to work together. Check this off your to-do list before buying a pumpkin pie or updating your course reserve shelf becomes more urgent.
Whether you are inclined toward a paper presentation, guiding a workshop, sitting on a panel discussion, or designing a poster, the Conference Committee is eager to hear your ideas. Put your imagination to work and help the Committee build a meaningful experience for next summer.
Submit Your Proposal
To submit your proposal(s), click on this link. You will be asked to log in to or create your account at the My Atla web portal. You do not have to be a member of Atla to submit a proposal, but you must create a free account on My Atla to submit. Once logged in, under “My Activities” select “Submit Proposal” on the left to begin the process.
Submissions are due on Saturday, January 7, 2023. Remember that leaders of interest groups and denominational groups should also use this form, submitting business meetings or presentation sessions on behalf of their group.
Conference Proposal Rubric Categories
A copy of the scoring rubric the Conference Committee uses to evaluate proposals is provided below. I hope this resource will help you understand what the Committee is looking for and will help you craft the best possible proposal.
- Contribution to Organizational Ends – Is the proposed session consistent with the organizational ends of Atla?
- Purpose and Session Type – Does the session description match the session type? Is there appropriate engagement for the session type?
- Currency, Timeliness, Appropriateness – Does the proposal address a recent and/or significant development or issue in theological librarianship?
- Quality of Proposal – Does the proposal represent accepted standards of professional communication (i.e., tone, grammar, spelling, etc.)?
- Audience Applicability – Does the proposal have a broad audience for librarians at institutions of different sizes and types?
- Attend – Would you attend or recommend attendance at this session?
Each category is scored on a scale of 1-4 (1=definitely not, 2=probably not, 3=probably, 4=definitely).
Conference Proposal Timeline
- November 2022 – Call for proposals
- January 7, 2023 – Deadline for submission of proposals
- Late January/Early February 2023 – Conference Committee meets to review and select proposals
- Mid- to Late February 2023 – Notification to proposal submitters
Other Resources
If you have any questions about this call for proposals or the annual conference, please contact me, the Chair of the Conference Committee, or Atla.
The Conference Committee looks forward to reading and considering your proposals!
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