AMICAL 2020 will host two 1-day pre-conference workshops, each tailored for AMICAL members by the invited facilitators. The pre-conference workshops will run in parallel on Wednesday 15 January: Strategic approaches to the development of digital literaciesInstructor: Doug Belshaw Description: This workshop will cover the eight essential elements of digital literacies, exploring ways in which AMICAL institutions can benefit from a strategic approach to the area. The sessions will be of particular use to those who wish to think critically about the role of universities in 21st century society. Participants will leave the workshop empowered with the knowledge and skills to begin implementing digital literacies in a relevant context at their home institution. Intended for: librarians, faculty and technologists who are interested, or already involved, in the integration of digital literacies at the course or strategic level at their institution (veterans and newbies welcome). Library leadership in the global contextInstructor: Donna Scheeder Description: Globalization presents both challenges and opportunities for library leaders. Library Leaders are challenged to secure success through strategic thinking and actions. The workshop is a forum for library leaders to stretch their thinking and leave with practical next steps. Through a combination of presentations and discussion we will explore trends that are affecting your libraries, development of strategies for the future, and the tools, techniques, and competencies needed to successfully implement them. This workshop offers the chance to problem-solve, discuss, reflect, and network with colleagues. Intended for: library directors (or other top-level library leaders: deans of libraries, AULs, etc.) To apply for a workshop submit the application (link below) by midnight November 6. You will receive a response indicating whether you’ve been accepted within 2 days. Applications will be vetted according to how well your application aligns with the workshop, and according to space available. 🌟 Financial support Being accepted for a pre-conference workshop does not guarantee financial support to attend. Some workshop applicants may already be eligible for our financial support program, but there is not a separate program for support specifically for workshop participants. Shared-room hotel support to attend the workshop is only provided as an extension to the support already provided to those eligible for our financial support program: if you are already eligible for that support or become eligible through a nomination by your AMICAL representative, and you are accepted for a pre-conference workshop, your shared-room hotel coverage will be extended by the extra day necessary to attend the workshop. See How to check if you’re eligible for financial support. Note for those applying to attend the digital literacies pre-conference workshop: if you have a role or responsibilities that clearly allow you to benefit from your participation in this workshop, your AMICAL representative may be able to nominate you for financial support for the event as a whole (see Nomination-based support for Full/Affiliate members). 🗓️ Upcoming dates The following dates are subject to change. Check our Important dates & announcements page periodically for the most up-to-date information. 3 Nov:Deadline for speaker submission of revised session titles/abstracts 6 Nov:Deadline for pre-conference workshop applications Deadline for financial support nominations Deadline for Representatives' attendance and institutional support confirmation 8 Nov:Responses to pre-conference Workshop applications Registration opens 17 Nov: Deadline for registration Apply for a pre-conference workshop

We are excited to announce the program for AMICAL 2020, the consortium’s 17th annual meeting and conference, which will take place 15–18 January the American University of Kuwait (AUK). We have also updated the conference website to include information about financial support, accommodation, visa information, and the venue. Registration will open in early November, after applications for pre-conference workshops and nomination-based financial support are submitted and have received responses. All potential attendees are expected to check periodically our list of Important dates & announcements, which is updated regularly and will help ensure you haven’t missed an important email because of your spam filter or other delivery problems.   🎯 Program Each year the AMICAL Conference brings consortium members together to critically grapple with issues relevant to international liberal arts institutions. This year’s program focuses on the impact of digital transformation at our institutions. What does innovation in teaching and learning look like? How we can work together to support such innovation and to make sure that our work is sustainable? Three invited guests will inspire and guide us as we address these questions: Doug Belshaw, Co-founder of We Are Open Co-op, will lead a pre-conference workshop on digital literacies Donna Scheeder, President of Library Strategies International, will lead a pre-conference workshop on library leadership Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, will open the main conference program with a keynote on our role in the current media landscape As always, the majority of the program is contributed by members in dynamic formats that emphasize discussion and hands-on activities, and showcase innovative local projects and initiatives. Sessions proposed by AMICAL colleagues will deal with the impact of the digital in various forms, including: digital pedagogy and scholarship; information, media and digital literacies; and digital collections. The program will also address other issues relevant to AMICAL members, such as: open access and OER, oral history projects, writing and first-year experience programs, e-resources, assessment, blended learning, and much more. The event is divided into three distinct components: Pre-conference pre-conference workshops (15 January)Digital literacies Library leadership Main conference program (16–17 January)Keynote Member-contributed sessions Unconference Vendor exhibits Plenary sessions All-conference dinner & social events Business meetings (18 January)Members Council Coordinating Committee Sightseeing tours You may view the tentative schedule and list of speakers for more details about the program. More information about how to apply to the pre-conference workshops will be sent out later this week. 👩‍🏫 Who should attend The majority of Conference attendees will be speakers whose proposals were accepted for the program, members contributing to the organization of the Conference, leaders of AMICAL’s committees, and members nominated by their AMICAL representative because of their potential benefit from and contribution to the conference (see below). We also encourage other staff and faculty of AMICAL institutions to attend if they are interested in the Conference theme or, more broadly, AMICAL’s mission of working together on libraries, technology and learning. 🌟 Financial support for attendees Various levels of financial support are awarded automatically to attendees who are from Full or Affiliate member institutions and who are speakers or playing certain essential roles in the conference or the consortium. Review the financial support page to find out what level of support you may have to attend the event. In addition to the automatic role-based financial support, a limited number of members can also be supported through our nomination-based awards for new professionals and others likely to benefit from and contribute to the conference. Room sharing is a requirement this year for all members benefiting from support for hotel accommodations. Sharing rooms allows AMICAL to enable the participation of a larger number of our members, with a more sustainable financial model.. You may find it helpful to review the list of members eligible for financial support (linked from the financial support page) to help you identify a roommate. ✉️ Clarify your visa requirements Make sure to check if you need a visa and what the process of acquiring one is for your nationality. Most attendees will need a visa. Important notes: Those who can apply online should wait until December 16 to apply, as the visa will allow you to enter Kuwait State only within a month from its issuance. (The visa will take only a few working days to be issued.) Those who will apply through the American University of Kuwait as host institution will need to provide a scan of their passport and academic degree – so make sure to locate these in time. 🗓️ Upcoming dates Pre-conference workshop applications will open later this week. If you wish to participate in one of the pre-conference workshops, you must submit this application in advance of Conference registration, by the date that will be announced. Nomination-based financial support will close November 6. Registration for the conference will open in early November. Only those who have applied and been accepted for a pre-conference workshop will be able to register for the pre-conference day. In the meantime, you may find information to prepare for your attendance on our conference site, including details about the program, financial support, visas, accommodation and the venue. Visit the AMICAL 2020 website –The AMICAL 2020 Organizers

The Program Committee is pleased to announce that Round 2 of the Call for Proposals is now open! Starting today, and until 15 September, we will be accepting final session proposals in all formats. You can submit directly in Round 2, even if you hadn't submitted a proposal in Round 1. (Please forward this message to any of your colleagues who may be interested in proposing sessions.) We invite proposals relating to the theme of “Digital transformation at international liberal arts institutions: Innovation, collaboration & sustainability.” You may propose a session inspired by aspects of this theme or other topics pertinent to libraries, technology and learning at consortium member institutions, including Digital pedagogy & digital humanities Information literacy & digital literacies Innovative & effective library and technology leadership Interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations Innovative & effective teaching Open learning & scholarship Civic engagement & social justice Digital collections Assessment & data These topics, and suggestions for proposing sessions that will resonate with the expected attendee profiles, are further developed in the call for proposals. We look forward to reading your proposals! View the “Call for proposals” Note: We have already sent out responses to those who submitted to Round 1. If you submitted a draft proposal and did not receive a response on August 30, get in touch with us. –The AMICAL 2020 Program Committee

In this cycle, we received 16 applications, a record number. The Small Grant Review committee has reviewed all of them and responded last week as follows: Accepted: 7 Requested revision: 5 Declined: 4 The following applications were accepted with either full or partial funding: Title Applicant Institution Category Activity dates Training course in digital humanities Mai Zaki American University of Sharjah Professional development 4 day workshop: 19-22 January 2020 Mortenson Center Associates Program May-June 2020 Farrukh Shahzad Forman Christian College Professional development Month-long program: 27 May - 23 June 2020 Enhancing Access to Egyptian Village Oral Histories via Transcription and Translation Stephen Urgola American University in Cairo Project Year-long project: September 2019 - September 2020 Open Education Global 2019 Conference Jyldyz Bekbalaeva American University of Central Asia Professional development 3 day conference: 26-28 November 2019 NYU Abu Dhabi Winter Institute in Digital Humanities - Course: Object-Based Digital Humanities for Cultural Heritage Araz Markosian American University of Armenia Professional development 4 day workshop: 19-22 January 2020 Educational technology and digital literacy group workshops and individual consultations for the American University of Paris Rebekah Rast American University of Paris Staff exchange/consultation 5-day staff exchange/consulting Spatial Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage in Research, Teaching, and Archiving Najla Jarkas American University of Beirut Staff exchange/consultation 3-day staff exchange/consulting Responses have already been sent out to all the applicants. How to apply in the next cycle The deadline for the next round of applications is midnight 3 November. Information about how to apply, including the scope of the program and the criteria used in reviewing applications, can be found in the Small Grant guidelines. If you’ve read the guidelines but still have questions, we’ll be holding an informal half-hour Q&A session. AMICAL administration will be on hand to answer questions, listen to your feedback and provide advice for preparing your applications. The Q&A session will be take place 29 October 10:00-10:30 (Paris time, local time). If we end up with lots of questions, we’re happy to extend the session a bit longer

The election is underway for the officers of the next Coordinating Committee. Their term will start on 1 October 2019 and conclude on 30 September 2021. The current Vice-Chair – Evi Tramantza (American College of Thessaloniki) – will be taking over as Chair. The three remaining officers (Vice-Chair, Secretary, Member-at-Large) will be elected by members of the consortium. More details about these roles and the overall work of the committee were provided in the call for nominations. The voting members for this election are the AMICAL Representatives of Full Member institutions. They have already received detailed instructions by email, including a link that allows them to cast one ballot on behalf of their institution. As the consortium’s Operational Guidelines state: “The Local AMICAL Representative plays a pivotal role in advancing AMICAL’s mission, and promoting the consortium and its spirit of collaboration as a group, by representing the member institution’s stakeholders, be they librarians, technologists, faculty, or administrators.” Before casting their votes for up to three candidates, the representatives will discuss the merits of all candidates with local colleagues, especially those that have a stake in AMICAL’s activities. If you’re involved in AMICAL’s activities and belong to a Full Member institution, we encourage you to review the list of candidates and discuss them with your Representative. Ideally, Coordinating Committee members should have experience relevant to AMICAL’s mission and current grant goals, as well as a consortial mindset that will allow them to support AMICAL in the planning, steering and evaluation of its programs. To help you in this evaluation, the list above includes a link to each candidate’s AMICAL profile, as well as a statement by each candidate addressing their qualifications for joining the committee and potential contributions to its work. At the same time, we are looking for three candidates who, along with Evi Tramantza, will offer broad representation across the following areas, to the extent possible: professional roles (faculty, technologist, librarian, administrator) institution size geographic region Thanks to the Election Committee (Nikolina Ivanova-Bell, Evi Tramantza, and Fatmeh Charafeddine) for overseeing this process and to all of the candidates for agreeing to stand. Representatives of Full Member institutions: start reaching out to your colleagues and make sure to submit your votes before the deadline of 8 September!

The deadline for Round 1 of the call for proposals is just around the corner: 11 August. We’ve already sent out a more detailed message about the call, but I wanted to briefly remind you of this deadline, as it’s easy to miss such things during the summer. Submit in Round 1 to receive feedback from the Program Committee on how to strengthen your proposal. This will increase your proposal’s chances of being accepted in the Round 2, when final proposals are submitted. There won’t be another chance to revise your proposal, so while submitting to Round 1 is optional, it’s highly encouraged, especially for the longer session formats (Workshops, Discussions, Presentations). Proposals are welcomed on topics pertinent to libraries, technology and learning at consortium member institutions, and we encourage you to be inspired by this year’s Conference theme: “Digital transformation at international liberal arts institutions: Innovation, collaboration & sustainability.” More details for submitting a proposal are available on the site: View the “Call for proposals” –The AMICAL 2020 Program Committee

AMICAL members: The call of proposals for AMICAL 2020 is now open! Our annual conference will take place 15–18 January at the American University of Kuwait (AUK). Over a hundred librarians, faculty members, technologists, administrators and other colleagues across the consortium will attend. As usual, the majority of the conference program is contributed by AMICAL members such as yourself. This is your chance to connect with colleagues across the consortium: to share your knowledge and insights, to celebrate successes and reflect on challenges, to build bridges and plan projects, to inspire and be inspired in return. (If you can think of colleagues that might be interested in proposing sessions, do forward them this message.) 🎯 Topics The Program Committee invites proposals relating to the theme of “Digital transformation at international liberal arts institutions: Innovation, collaboration & sustainability.” You may propose a session inspired by aspects of this theme or to other topics pertinent to libraries, technology and learning at consortium member institutions, including the following: Digital pedagogy & digital humanities Information literacy & digital literacies Innovative & effective library and technology leadership Interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations Innovative & effective teaching Open learning & scholarship Civic engagement & social justice Digital collections Assessment & data These topics, as well as suggestions for proposing sessions that will resonate with the expected attendee profiles, are further developed in the call for proposals. ✌️ A two-round proposal process The Program Committee is calling for proposals in two rounds, which will allow you to revise your proposal before submitting it for the final review. In Round 1 you may submit a draft proposal for a session and receive feedback from the committee to help you strengthen it. Our goal is to help members connect with each other through their proposals on issues related to the consortium’s mission in the most interesting and useful ways possible. This first round is optional, but strongly encouraged, especially for the longer session formats (Workshops, Discussions, Presentations). In Round 2 all proposals must be submitted in their final form for the committee to consider them for inclusion in the program. Round 1 (feedback) – optional, but encouragedOpens: 8 July 2019 Deadline: 11 August 2019 Round 2 (final proposals) – requiredOpens: 2 September 2019 Deadline: 15 September 2019 More details about everything you need to submit a proposal are available on the event’s site. We’re looking forward to working together with you to build a great AMICAL Conference for 2020! –The AMICAL 2020 Program Committee

We are delighted to announce that we’re looking for dynamic and enthusiastic individuals from across AMICAL to join the Coordinating Committee. The first step is to nominate candidates who wish to advance the consortium’s mission through their work in the committee. We will then hold an election later this summer to identify the three new officers of the next Coordinating Committee. Their term will be from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2021. What is the role of the Coordinating Committee? The Coordinating Committee provides financial and operational oversight by approving policies and directions for the consortium’s activities. The committee itself is comprised of five officers, four of which are elected and the other being the Consortium Director, as well as the chair of each Standing Committee. The five officers are voting members, while the chairs serve in an ex-officio advisory capacity. More details about the work of the committee are available on our site. Three of the four elected officer positions are open – Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Member-at-Large. The current Vice-Chair will take over the Chair position in order to ensure continuity, as described in the Operational Guidelines that regulate the election process. The general duties of the elected officers are: Chair (not up for election): convenes and presides over meetings of both the Members Council and the Coordinating Committee; with committee members, creates an agenda for meetings; in coordination with the Consortium Director, may act as official representative of AMICAL to external groups (other consortia, etc.). Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: assists the Chair in the performance of her/his duties; serves as Chair when requested to do so by, or in the absence of, the Chair. Secretary: is responsible for maintaining the records of meetings of the Members Council and the Coordinating Committee; ensures the availability of AMICAL documents and communications to all members; assists with maintenance of official lists of member institutions, AMICAL Representatives, AMICAL committee memberships, and other types of contact information for persons and institutions involved with AMICAL. Member-at-Large: acts as a voice of membership, ensuring that interests of the general membership are represented in the Coordinating Committee. How can I nominate myself or someone else? Nominees must be faculty or staff from a Full Member institution. They do not need to be AMICAL Representatives themselves, but they must be nominated by any AMICAL Representative, who can be from an institution of any status –whether Full, Affiliate or Network. (The consortial status of all member institutions is listed on our site.) If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, you need to request from an AMICAL representative to submit the nomination on your behalf. (They have already received instructions for how to do so.) Note that you must confirm with candidates that they are willing to stand for election before nominating them. The deadline for representatives to submit nominees is midnight July 31. When will the elections take place? The Election Committee will prepare the online ballots and send out a voting link to all eligible representatives to begin the vote in August. This year’s Elections Committee – Nikolina Ivanova-Bell, Evi Tramantza and Fatmeh Charafeddine – will work closely with all AMICAL members to efficiently organize the election, and address any questions you may have. We are looking forward to welcome our new fellow colleagues in AMICAL’s Coordinating Committee!

AMICAL’s grant committee recently reviewed the 6 Small Grant applications submitted for the current cycle and accepted the following 5: Title Applicant Institution Category Activity dates "Digital Humanities at Oxford Summer School 2019" - Linked Data for Digital Humanities" (22-26 July 2019) Razan Zein El-Abidine American University of Beirut Professional development 22-26 July 2019 Librarian-faculty team participation in the Digital Humanities at Oxford Summer School 2019 Eleonora Moccia John Cabot University Professional development 22-26 July 2019 Diversity at FCC; Working Independently Together Maida Ali Forman Christian College Professional development 5-9 August 2019 Digital Humanities Initiative at FCCU; Employing DH practices for effective learning and teaching Ayesha Fareed Forman Christian College Professional development 22-26 July 2019 BbWorld19, Austin, US, 22-25 July 2019 Naglaa Seddiek American University in Cairo Professional development 22-25 July 2019 Responses have already been sent out to all the applicants. Next deadline: 8 September The deadline for the next round of applications is midnight 8 September. Full information about how to apply, including the scope of the program and the criteria used in reviewing applications, can be found in the Small Grant guidelines. Find out more at our Q&A sessions If you’ve read the guidelines but still have questions, we’ll be holding informal half-hour sessions where you can ask questions about your prospective application from AMICAL Administration: Tuesday 27 Aug, 14:00–14:30 (Paris time, local time) Thursday 29 Aug, 10:00–10:30 (Paris time, local time) We’ll be on hand to answer questions, listen to your feedback and provide advice for preparing your applications. (You need to register for a session to attend it, but you don’t need to do so in advance.)

We’re excited to announce that AMICAL 2020, the consortium’s 17th annual meeting and conference, will take place 15–18 January 2020 at the American University of Kuwait. The conference is open to all interested staff and faculty from AMICAL member institutions, as well as selected individuals invited by the organizers. The Call for Proposals will be announced in June and registration will open by mid-September. We’ll be posting details about the program, financial support opportunities, accommodation, and the venue over the coming months. Brief information is already posted on the event’s website. For now, mark the dates on your calendar. If you have any suggestions you’d like the Program Committee to take into account, reply to the “Suggestion box for the AMICAL 2020 program” topic on AMICAL Connect. –The AMICAL 2020 Joint Organizing Committee Asma Al-Kanan, Jeff Gima and Alex Armstrong