Academic Librarians Belong at the ILA 2025 Annual Conference!

Illinois Association of College & Research Libraries Forum (IACRL)

February 28, 2025

by Joshua Newport, Illinois State University, IACRL Vice President/President-Elect

I have had the opportunity to attend the ILA Annual Conference the last two years and have loved the community of other academic library workers I have encountered at the conference. Even more so I have found great inspiration and learned more about the skills I need to improve my own librarianship through the programs presented by academic library folk. Programs that invited me to think about ways to improve my teaching, my reference, my scholarship, and my working relationships with people outside of the library have all helped me to continue to improve myself as a librarian.

Having seen the exciting contributions of academic library workers the last two years I’m eagerly anticipating attending this year’s conference from the 14th to the 16th of October in Rosemont. I encourage our members to submit proposals for ILA 2025, whose theme is “You Belong Here.” Academic librarians are, indeed, a vital part of the ILA community and absolutely belong here. I can’t wait to experience your presentations this fall. The deadline for submissions is April 4, 2025.

Submitting a proposal can be intimidating – I remember how daunting it was submitting my first poster proposal for ILA 2012 – but I want to assure you that whatever you are doing inside and beyond your library buildings is worth sharing! And you’re not alone! There is help available to help you find program collaborators from around the state, assistance with writing your proposal, and even, potentially, financial assistance to help speakers attend the conference. The point of the conference is to give you an opportunity to network with library allies across the state, learn about the great work being done, and get inspired to continue the great work started by your colleagues. Experience the conference and help create it through sharing your work and ideas!

ILA has curated helpful resources to guide applicants through the submission process. I’ve linked them below.

Here are the links related to submitting a proposal:

  • Speaker Information and Resources: Includes Speaker FAQ, Proposal Guidance, and Financial Assistance resources - includes the link to start the proposal submission

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