AMICAL 2027 Update – target audience, financial support, suggest keynote speakers

We’re here with a quick update on AMICAL 2027 and a request for input.

As a reminder: the event will take place April 8–10, 2027, at the Budapest site of Central European University (CEU).

AMICAL 2027 aims to bring together library, academic technology and faculty colleagues for:

• Professional development – leveraging external and in-consortium expertise to create opportunities for knowledge sharing, in structured group settings as well as through informal peer interactions

• Collaborative project development – facilitating opportunities for members to collaborate and gather peer input on member-driven projects with multi-institutional or consortium-wide impact

Audience & topical focus

The main audience for the event will be:

• Library directors

• Directors of Centers for Learning & Teaching (CLTs) – or, if there’s no CLT, colleagues responsible for coordinating faculty development on their campus

• Colleagues engaged in campus-level AI initiatives

• Colleagues engaged in collaborations between librarians and faculty or technologists

Detailed guidance for proposals will be announced in next month’s Call for Proposals, but session topics and design should be aimed primarily at professional development or collaborative project development for the audiences described above. Any topic related to AMICAL’s mission and strategy may potentially be of interest, but we’ll be looking in particular for sessions that support the following strategic priorities for the consortium:

• Engage strategically with AI

• Enable peer knowledge exchange

• Reduce costs for members

Preparing for the Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals will be announced mid-November with a deadline expected to fall mid-December, leaving a 1-month window for AMICAL members to submit proposals.

Special guidance for colleagues whose proposals were accepted for AMICAL 2026 will also be shared when the CFP opens. For those interested in re-submitting their earlier proposal, we will assist you and make this as easy as possible.

Having a proposal accepted will be one of the factors we consider in providing financial support to attend the event.

Financial support

AMICAL will cover:

• Registration fees for all member attendees.

• Hotel accommodation for library directors, AMICAL leadership (Representatives, Executive Committee, AMICAL staff) and speakers/contributors to the program

• Airfare for colleagues in the above categories who are unable to obtain support from their own institution, within the limits of available funds. (Exception: Member institutions are expected to fund airfare for at least their Representative. In cases of exceptional need, as funds permit, we may accept requests for airfare funding for the Representative.)

Suggest keynote speakers

Who would you like to see speak at the Conference?

Suggest a keynote speaker