2024 Presenter Guidelines

Thank you for presenting at the 2024 Library Assessment Conference! Please see the presenter guidelines below, organized by format. Send any questions to laconf@arl.org.

Jump to a section:

• Paper Presentations
• Poster Presentations
• Learning Labs
• Common Read Discussions
• Perspectives Panels
• Local Printer

Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian/Aleutian time on the outlined date.

Detailed descriptions of all the formats and their requirements are available on the conference call for submissions website.

The ARL Code of Conduct applies to presenters and attendees. During the registration process you had an opportunity to review it and acknowledge your commitment. 

All presenters should sign up for sessions where they are presenting (this will add it to your schedule and make sure you have a seat for the other presentations in your block, if applicable). Review the information on the Know Before You Go page to learn how to sign up in the app.

Presenters are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to your presentation room to make sure you are ready to present.

Paper, Learning Lab, Panel, and Common Reads Discussion Presenters

Each session room will have a Room Manager and Session Scanner(s). The room manager is responsible for assisting with seating, microphone management during Q&A, and requesting in-room AV support if needed. LAC will have a team of floating techs to provide support. If you would like to incorporate polling in your presentation, each show laptop in each session room, will have Slido installed.

Presenters were asked to send their slides in advance of the conference for inclusion on the app and website and to be pre-loaded onto show laptops. Presenters are encouraged to arrive 5-10 minutes early to ensure you're prepared to present. AV support is not provided for video conferencing or embedded videos, if you chose to include those.

We are inviting presenters to share visual descriptions of yourselves at the top of your presentation to further support of our community of care and inclusion. An example is, "I am Angela Pappalardo and I use she/her pronouns. I am a Caucasian woman, about 5’2”, with long dark hair. I am wearing large glasses and a black shirt and pants."

Paper sessions will have a moderator to welcome and introduce presenters, keep time, and manage Q&A. Paper presentations should be a maximum of 25 minutes (20 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for Q&A).

Each room will be equipped with:

• Podium and handheld (wireless) microphone(s)
• Access to power for presenters (not all attendees)
• PC laptop and basic Wi-Fi (web browsing and email)
• Presentations pre-loaded to the computer 

More information on room layouts will be added here soon.

Review Your Presentation Details

Please ensure that your presentation format and description are accurate on the program schedule. Submit any changes to session titles, abstracts, and presentation information by October 4, 2024 via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Submit Your Draft Paper

To support accessibility, presenters are strongly encouraged to submit their draft paper in advance of the conference. Draft papers are due October 14, 2024. While we do suggest submitting your draft paper, it is not required (a change from the original proposal guidelines). Draft papers will be made available to attendees ahead of the conference. Draft papers and handouts will be made available as they are received.

• Papers should be 3000–5000 words in length for the conference website.
• Your contributions must conform to the ARL paper style guide: https://www.libraryassessment.org/paper-style-guide/.
• Please check the accessibility of your paper. Tools such as the accessibility checkers in Microsoft or the Adobe suite can support this. See Microsoft’s guidance on creating accessible documents.
• Please upload your draft paper (PDF) via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Prepare Your Presentation

Please time your presentation so that you do not exceed the time limit of 25 minutes (20 minutes to present and 5 minutes for Q&A) for papers. Paper presentations are limited to two speakers. Presenters should discuss the key points of their work within the allotted time frame. 

Each session will include up to four paper presentations on a common theme. A moderator will welcome the audience, coordinate the speakers, and keep time. View the schedule page to find your session time. Presenters will speak in the order listed in the conference program.

Presentations must be submitted by Friday, October 25, 2024. Last minute replacement slides will not be accepted.

Accessibility in Slide Design

Please see the following resources for ensuring your slides are accessible to people with disabilities:

• Accessible Presentation Techniques (University of Arizona)
• Create Accessible PowerPoint Presentations (Harvard University)
• Microsoft’s best practices and Section508.gov resources

Submit Your Slides

Your presentation slides are due October 25, 2024. These slides should be submitted in Microsoft PowerPoint only.

You may choose to include handouts with your presentation. Please upload handouts with your PowerPoint file so they can be placed on the event website and app. If you have multiple handouts for a single presentation, please combine them into one digital file. Alternatively, you may submit the handouts as links to be incorporated into your session description. Please submit those links via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

Presentations will be loaded on a Windows PC in the session room and online in advance of the conference to facilitate smooth transitions between presenters.

Submit Your Final Paper

Your final paper will be posted on the conference website as submitted (without formatting or editing) if submitted by January 15, 2025. Please note that papers will not be accepted after this date.

• Papers should be 3000–5000 words in length for the conference website.
• Please follow the paper style guide: https://www.libraryassessment.org/paper-style-guide/.
• Please check the accessibility of your paper. See Microsoft’s guidance on creating accessible documents.
• Please upload your final paper (PDF) via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Review Your Presentation Details

Please ensure that your presentation format and description are accurate on the poster schedule. Submit any changes to session titles, abstracts, and presentation information by October 4, 2024 via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Prepare Your Poster

A poster is a formal graphic presentation of a topic displayed on a poster board. This format offers an excellent opportunity for presenting data and visualizations, big ideas, and action. Posters will be exhibited and presented during a reception. Posters should not be used to advertise a product or service.

• You are welcome to organize your poster using the proposal elements requested in the LAC poster proposal form, but are not required to do so. 
• Please see below for important information about setup, materials, and shipping.

What does the LAC 2024 poster exhibition look like? 

• All posters are presented during the poster session and reception scheduled to take place on Friday, November 8. Posters will be grouped by theme.

• There will be two one-hour time slots for poster presentations and presenters will be notified of their presentation time slot in advance.

• Half the poster presenters will be standing next to their poster during the first hour of the poster session, the other half during the second hour. This will enable poster presenters to get food and network during the session when not scheduled to be available for your poster.

• Posters are presented on double-sided poster boards (4 feet tall x 8 feet wide) throughout the room. There will be two posters assigned to each side of a poster board (four posters per board). 

• The maximum poster size for each poster presenter is 4 feet x 4 feet (48” x 48”, we suggest making it slightly smaller and not edge to edge on the board). 

• Poster presenters stand beside their posters and discuss their work one-on-one or in small groups of attendees. They may reference the audience questions they proposed in their submission.

• Most poster presenters supplement their posters with additional information that summarizes their work and provides contact information for further follow up. To support sustainability, we encourage you to please consider using a QR code that attendees can scan on their own device, rather than paper handouts.
  • You may choose to upload handouts with your digital poster file so they can be placed on the event website and app. If you have multiple handouts for a single presentation, please combine them into one digital file. Alternatively, you may submit the handouts as links to be incorporated into your session description. Please submit those links/files via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

• There will not be power resources or display tables available for the poster session. 

• Printing: Poster presenters are responsible for printing, carrying/shipping their posters to the conference, or having it printed locally in Portland (see local printer information below).

• Poster drop-off: Poster presenters will drop-off their physical poster at LAC attendee check-in by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, November 7. The onsite conference planning team will manage the assembly of posters on the boards. Standard push pins will be used to hang posters.

• Poster pick-up: Presenters who want to keep their posters should take them at the end of the session on Friday evening. Remaining posters not taken at the end of the evening will be recycled at the end of the conference. LAC is not able to assist with shipping posters.

• Poster Awards: Posters will be reviewed by two volunteer experts for each poster theme; the top poster in each theme will be recognized during the Saturday opening/breakfast.

Accessibility in Poster Design

We strongly encourage you to review and follow guidance on designing accessible posters. Please pay particular attention to the amount of information you include and the font size and style you employ on the posters.
Resources to guide your poster design:

• Yale University Library Academic Poster Resources: Accessibility
• Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology at the University of Washington

Submit Your Digital Poster File

PDF poster files are required to be posted to the conference website/app in advance of the conference for accessibility for all attendees. The digital files are due October 25, 2024 and can be submitted via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

Review Your Presentation Details

Please ensure that your presentation format and description are accurate on the program schedule. Submit any changes to session titles, abstracts, and presentation information by October 4, 2024 via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Learning Lab presenters will also be asked to provide instructions for attendees, if any (i.e., equipment they may need, programs to have downloaded, resources to review). The conference will have basic Wi-Fi services onsite; high-volume data streaming is not supported.

These selections should also be submitted via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

Prepare Your Presentation

Learning Labs are short hands-on sessions teaching practical knowledge on an assessment topic. These interactive sessions may share innovative strategies or approaches related to library assessment; orient other library professionals to new perspectives to consider in their practice; or update colleagues’ knowledge to meet current needs.

Learning Labs are allotted 2 hours and will require advance sign up. More information will be shared in October. Maximum capacity is 50 people.

Submit Your Materials

If you wish to show slides during your Learning Lab, please upload your presentation in PowerPoint format by October 25, 2024. Slides will be made available to all conference attendees via the website and app and will be pre-loaded onto a computer in the session room. Submit your files via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

Review Your Presentation Details

Please ensure that your presentation format and description are accurate on the program schedule. Submit any changes to session titles, abstracts, and presentation information by October 4, 2024 via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Prepare Your Presentation

Common Read discussions are facilitated, audience-engaging conversations organized around one publication (e.g., article, book, white paper) of any length. Discussions are allotted 50 minutes and we expect between 20–50 participants, maximum of 50 participants.

Submit Your Materials

If you wish to show slides during your Common Read Discussion, please upload your presentation in PowerPoint format by October 25, 2024. Slides will be made available to all conference attendees via the website and app and will be pre-loaded onto a computer in the session room. Submit your files via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

Review Your Presentation Details

Please ensure that your presentation format and description are accurate on the program schedule. Submit any changes to session titles, abstracts, and presentation information by October 4, 2024 via the Presenter Changes & File Uploads Google Form.

Prepare Your Presentation

Perspectives Panels are designed to represent various perspectives or experiences on a topic of interest to the library assessment community. Panels are a structured, discussion-based format that creates an opportunity for panelists with diverse views on a question or topic to engage in dialogue with each other and attendees. Panels should actively engage attendees and have elements of audience-panelist engagement beyond Q&A at the end of the session. 

• 1–2 moderators and 4–6 panelists
• Perspective Panels are allotted 50 minutes, maximum, and must include audience-panelist engagement.
• Handheld microphones will be shared among panelists.

Submit Your Materials

If you wish to show slides during your Perspectives Panel, please upload your presentation in PowerPoint format by October 25, 2024. Slides will be made available to all conference attendees via the website and app and will be pre-loaded onto a computer in the session room. Submit your files via the Presenter Changes & File Submission Google Form.

If you would like to have your poster printed locally or if your presentation requires any printed material for attendees (LAC encourages electronic resources as much as possible), we have connected with the following local printer near the Hilton Downtown Portland. 

Alphagraphics Portland #243
200 SW Market St., Suite 103
Portland, OR 97201
503.248.0666

Costs for printing are at your own expense; you may schedule and pick-up your order yourself from Alphagraphics or LAC will coordinate one delivery for Tuesday, November 5 to the Hilton for any LAC orders. 

Pricing

• 4’ x 4’ poster prints on paper: US$160
• Black/White copies: double-sided US$.05 each; single-side US$.08 each
• Color copies US$.40 each

Place an Order: By Monday, October 28

To place an order email us243@alphagraphics.com or place the order on their website to upload large files at pdx243.alphagraphics.com. Select the "send a file" button when it pops up on the homepage in the bottom right. Use the the subject/title: LAC Conference 11/5 Hilton for easy identification.