Atla Annual FAQs
When is the call for proposals?
Now! The Atla Conference Committee invites members and friends to submit proposals. The deadline for all submissions is Monday, September 30, 2019.
While we welcome proposals pertaining to all areas of librarianship, we are particularly interested in topics that relate to creative uses of technology, open access in relation to scholarly communications, leadership and administration topics, and programs that apply to religious studies bibliographers working in university settings.
How do I submit a proposal?
You must log in to your My Atla web portal account. If you do not have one, you will need to create one. Once logged in, under “My Activities” select “Proposal Submission” on the left to begin the process.
If accepted this proposal will be published as submitted in conference promotions, including the official Conference Program Book. Before submitting, please proofread and do not double space after punctuation.
Proposals should include a title that captures the scope of the session; a description of no more than 200 words outlining the significance and focus of the session; and the name(s), e-mail address(es), and institution(s) of the presenter(s).
What are the types of sessions?
Business Meeting (50-minute Session)
- Denominational Group – A meeting of an Atla Denominational Group. All meetings of this type are held concurrently at a time to be assigned.
- Interest Group Meeting – A meeting of an Atla Interest Group. Groups will be given time slot options to select from in the Spring.
- Regional Group Meeting – A meeting of a Regional Group. Groups will be given time slot options to select from in the Spring.
- Other Meeting – A meeting of any other group, such as NACO, Reciprocal Borrowing, Atla Digital Library, Atla Open Press editorial boards, etc. Groups will be given time t options to select from in the Spring.
Conversation Group (50-minute Session) – Presenter(s) gives brief introductory remarks (5-10 minutes) and facilitates a discussion among participants.
Excursion – Groups or an individual organize an excursion for conference attendees. Atla staff will follow up in the Fall to discuss logistics and feasibility.
Exhibitor (50-minute Session) – Exhibitors present or demonstrate their products and services to conference attendees during a concurrent time slot. Sponsorship or additional fees may be required.
In-Conference Workshop (50-minute Session) – Workshop leaders operate in a classroom environment to deliver in-depth practical training on a specific topic.
Listen & Learn (50-minute Session) – The session leader(s) introduces a new product or idea, showcases best practices in an area of librarianship, and/or provides suggestions for practical application in attendees’ library settings — time for questions should be included.
Panel Presentation (50-minute Session) – A panel presentation is a small group (a moderator and a maximum of three panelists) in which the individual participants interact and present differing viewpoints on a topic. The purpose of a panel presentation is to be able to hear a wide range of perspectives on a given topic and to hear support and reasons for those positions from a group of experts.
Paper (50-minute Session) – Presenters give an executive summary of a paper that includes a research-based component. Presenters are encouraged to post their papers to the conference website one month prior to the conference to allow attendees to review the paper in advance of the presentation. At the conference, the presenter should designate a respondent to facilitate discussion.
Poster – An informal session in which presenter(s) deliver(s) information that would be useful to the theological librarianship community.
Pre-Conference Workshop – Workshop leaders operate in a classroom environment to deliver in-depth practical training on a specific topic.
- ¼ day – 2 hours
- ½ day – 4 hours
- Full day – 8 hours
Worship – Groups or individuals organize worship or other observance including identifying program and officiant and possibly a location other than the conference hotel. Atla staff will follow up in the Fall to discuss logistics and feasibility.
How do you select proposals?
Each year, the Conference Committee asks for proposals from members of Atla and the theological library community to build the conference schedule for the coming year.
Submissions are collected by Atla staff and forwarded to the committee for initial review prior to the committee’s fall meeting.
During the meeting, committee members discuss each proposal in turn, noting the strengths of each proposal; the places where more clarification is needed to make the intent clearer to the committee and the eventual conference attendees; any similarities between proposals received that might warrant a joint presentation; and if there are additional topics not present that should be included (and if so, where we might find members able to present on these topics).
The committee then attempts to create a rough schedule for the conference. The final schedule aims to place topics of interest for the same general audience at different times when possible and to keep one person from making different presentations close together. The time period requested for each session is considered also as the committee develops the general time table for each day.
Related Note
Meet the Conference Committee.
ReadFollowing the meeting, committee members contact each proposal submitter with information about the acceptance process, including requests for additional information or suggestions to consider joining forces with another member who has proposed a similar topic. The final schedule is built from these accepted proposals.
Overall, the goal of the conference committee is to ensure that topics proposed are in line with conference objectives, are clear and appropriate for the type of session and time slot selected, and represent a broad range of the interests of Atla Annual attendees. The committee welcomes sessions from both new and returning conference presenters.
As Atla members themselves, the committee shares an interest in making the Atla Annual as helpful and educational as possible.
How can I register to attend?
Registration opens in the Spring.
Where is the conference held?
Atla Annual 2020 will be hosted at The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
1114 Washington Boulevard
Detroit, Michigan USA
Where is the conference schedule?
What are the fees to attend the conference?*
| Pass Type | Member Type | Early Bird | After May 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Conference Experience | Individual, Retired, or Institutional Member Representative | $200 | $250 |
| Student Member | $125 | $175 | |
| Emeritus Member | $0 | $0 | |
| International (not including Canada or business representative) | $0 | $0 | |
| Non-Member from Member Institution | $230 | $280 | |
| Affiliate Member Representative | $ 350 | $400 | |
| Non-Member (including business representative) | $400 | $450 | |
| One Day Pass | Individual, Retired, or Institutional Member Representative | $150 | $200 |
| Student Member | $150 | $200 | |
| Emeritus Member | $0 | $0 | |
| International (not including Canada or business representative) | $0 | $0 | |
| Non-Member from Member Institution | $165 | $215 | |
| Affiliate Member Representative | $250 | $300 | |
| Non-Member (including business representative) | $300 | $350 | |
| Spouse/Partner of registered attendee (non-member) Pass | Spouse/Partner – Full Conference | $125 | $175 |
| Spouse/Partner – Opening Reception (Wednesday) | $25 | $25 | |
| Spouse/Partner – Closing Luncheon (Saturday) | $25 | $25 | |
| Spouse/Partner – One Day Pass | $95 | $95 | |
| Exhibit Hall Pass | Exhibit Hall Pass Only – Thursday or Friday | $25 | $25 |
Pricing in USD. One day passes may not be combined. Pre-conference sessions may have additional fees.
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your conference registration for a full refund until Friday, May 10, 2019. After Friday, May 10 refunds are subject to a $50 processing fee.
*Fees are from 2019. Atla Annual 2020 prices will be released in the Spring.
Are there any discounts for institutions that subscribe to Atla products?
Yes, Atla is proud to sponsor the Member Product Loyalty Program. This member benefit is designed to recognize and reward our current Institutional and Affiliate Members who demonstrate their loyalty to Atla through subscription to our databases. Learn more about this program.
Are travel grants available?
We are pleased to offer grants to support attendance to Atla Annual. Any Student or Individual member in good standing as of January 1, 2019, is eligible to apply. Learn more about this program.
Where can I make hotel reservations?
Our conference block will open in the Spring. Stay tuned.
What is Atla’s Photo Policy?
Atla believes using photos of our members and colleagues in our print and web publications fosters a greater sense of community. There may be photography, audio, or video recording at the event. Photographs and recordings taken at the event may be used in future marketing, publicity, promotions, advertising, and training activities for Atla. By entering the event premises, you agree to allow Atla to use these photographs and recordings, which may include you, in all media formats worldwide. Atla will never post images with identifying information such as name, email address, or address. No special compensation is provided to any individual included in images taken at the event. Atla does not contact individuals to notify them if or when their images are used by Atla.
You may opt-out of inclusion by submitting the Media Opt-Out form. Once you have submitted a completed form, you should endeavor to alert photographers and videographers you see nearby to you at the event so you are not accidentally captured in crowd shots.