What we’re looking for

The Program Committee is looking for proposals that fulfill the following criteria:

• Audience: Proposals should target one or more of the conference’s “core participant group” (listed at the top of this page).
• Alignment with conference goals: Proposals should address at least one of the three “Conference goals” described below.
• Session design: Strong proposals will support the “Session design priorities” listed below.
• Format: Proposals should respect the limits and requirements of their chosen formats, as described below.
• Speakers/facilitators
• The colleague submitting the proposal must be a staff or faculty member from an AMICAL member institution.
• All speakers/facilitators should be in a role at their institution that aligns with the session topic. Otherwise, the reason for the discrepancy should be explained in the proposal.
• All listed speakers/facilitators should be contributors in the development and delivery of the session.
• Abstract clarity: Have abstracts that clearly and succinctly communicate to attendees what will be covered during the session and what their main takeaways will be.

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Conference goals

All proposals should address at least one of the three conference goals:

1. Professional development

Sessions supporting this goal will address one or more of the following topics in ways relevant to AMICAL members:

• Leadership in libraries, academic technology and centers for learning & teaching (including organizational models for these units)
• Campus-level AI initiatives
• Information literacy and related literacies (AI, digital, data, media etc.)
• Digital pedagogy and scholarship (incl. digital liberal arts, oral history, virtual exchange)
• Cost reduction for library and information resources
• Open education & scholarship (resources and practices)
• Professional development strategies and initiatives for library staff

We will consider proposals on other topics relevant to libraries, pedagogy and academic technology at international liberal arts institutions, but the above topics will be given priority.

Strong proposals will:

• Focus on challenges and opportunities specific to American international liberal arts institutions
• Address emerging trends or current needs
• Share concrete initiatives and practices that can inspire implementation
• Showcase, discuss or leverage the impact of previous AMICAL professional development
• Connect participants’ daily work to broader institutional or global issues

2. Collaborative capacity

Sessions supporting this goal will strengthen and expand professional connections by launching or advancing collaborative projects, cross-institutional initiatives, and peer-support activities (such as peer consulting, mentorships or communities of practice).

3. Organizational sustainability

Sessions supporting this goal will help AMICAL develop sustainable operations, particularly around funding.

Proposals might:

• Explore funding strategies relevant to small consortia (sponsorships, grants, membership models, etc.)
• Share experiences from similar organizations
• Generate concrete proposals or frameworks AMICAL could consider for adoption

The Program Committee is designing some sessions on this topic, but we welcome additional proposals. If you’re considering a session in this area, contact us early to coordinate.

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Session design priorities

Regardless of topic, we will prioritize proposals that do the following (where appropriate):

• Enable active participation
• Include participatory and network-building elements
• Enable participants to co-create and problem-solve together
• Invite discussion of work-in-progress that needs support or input
• Have lasting impact
• Produce or provide tangible and useful takeaways (resources, action plans, frameworks, etc.)
• Include plans and commitments for working together after the conference on projects that advance AMICAL’s mission
• Have speakers/facilitators from different roles and/or institutions (only applicable if there are multiple speakers/facilitators).

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Session formats

Proposals can be submitted for any of the formats listed below. Duration and other details may be adjusted later by the organizers due to planning constraints.

• Working Session
• Training Workshop
• Presentation
• Other

Working Session

Connect with other attendees to begin projects, get feedback on in-progress projects, consult peers on individual challenges or collaborate on addressing common ones, or co-design resources and frameworks.

• Duration: 30-60 minutes
• 1-2 facilitators
• Can be open to anyone with interest or limited to specific colleagues, roles, etc.
• Proposals for this format should:
• Clearly identify the purpose for the session and intended outcomes, including any deliverables or follow-up activities.
• Include an outline of the session’s structure, noting any specific methods they plan to use (such as Liberating Structures) and their approximate timing.
• Proposals are encouraged to include preparatory work before the conference, such as: surveying members to understand their needs or challenges, clarifying potential support that AMICAL could provide for initiatives, drafting concrete proposals to share with attendees, and so on.
• Ideas for Working Sessions can include:
• Advocacy initiatives
• Action plans for cross-institutional initiatives
• Peer consultations on a specific organizational challenge using a format like Wise Crowds
• Co-designing a resource or template that multiple institutions could adapt

Note: Sessions consisting of a practical workshop or which include substantial presentations (more than 25% of the session time) could more effectively be proposed in other formats, such as “Training Workshop” or “Presentation,” respectively.

Training Workshop

Instruct participants on specific tools, techniques, workflows, or concepts through hands-on training.

• Duration: 60–90 mins
• 1–2 facilitators
• Proposals for this format should include:
• An outline with approximate, but realistic, timing, that lists what will be covered, and identifies the specific hands-on exercises or activities participants will engage in.
• Specific learning outcomes that can be achieved within the available time
• Details on any required technologies
• Desired participant proficiency level
• Can include preparatory work before the conference:
• Asking questions from attendees during their enrollment to their workshop.
• Assigning pre-workshop tasks to attendees, such as readings, account creation or software installation, etc.

Presentation

Share your initiatives, projects, resources, or research – whether finished or in-progress – with peers across the consortium through topical presentations.

The Program Committee will group 2-4 presentations on related topics into 45-90 minute panels (depending on the number of presentations) with moderated discussion.

If you’re part of a group planning a complete panel together, send an email to connect@amicalnet.org identifying the panel’s overarching topic and moderator(s), as well as the presentations that will be included.

• A separate proposal should be submitted for each individual presentation.
• Each presentation can be delivered by 1 or 2 presenters and run for a maximum of 15 minutes.
• Each panel will be moderated by 1 or 2 facilitators who will keep the session on track and moderate the discussion.

Other

If your session idea does not easily align with any of the formats above, you may use an alternative format. Please get in touch with the Program Committee as early as possible (before submitting it) to ensure that your idea is workable within the conference parameters.

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Additional notes

• We will consider multiple proposals involving the same speakers/facilitators as long as they are substantially different.
• We will not consider multiple proposals for the same initiative/project, whether proposed by the same or by different speakers/facilitators.
• Only speakers/facilitators who deliver the session can be listed on the schedule. You’re welcome to recognize co-authors and other collaborators in your abstract and materials, but they cannot appear on the formal schedule.

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Submit your proposal

Review the guidelines above carefully, since all proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the elements described above. If you find it helpful, see the specific review criteria that the Program Committee will be referring to.

To submit a proposal:

1. Duplicate the following document: AMICAL 2026 Proposal form (Google Doc)
2. Complete all applicable sections
3. Share the link with contact@amicalnet.org

Deadline: 19 January 2026

We’ll respond within three weeks of the deadline with one of the following:

• Accepted – Your proposal is confirmed for the program
• Revisions requested – we’d like to include your session with specific changes (we’ll list them)
• Declined – We can’t include your session due to the proposal not being well-aligned with the review criteria, insufficient space in the program, or both. (We will not offer detailed feedback to proposals we decline, but we can share the committee’s review notes with you if requested.)

Accepted proposals may be scheduled for any day or time during the planned conference dates (31 March – 2 April 2026). We’ll share tentative scheduling by the end of February. Let us know early about scheduling constraints; we cannot guarantee that they will be accommodated, but we will do our best if given sufficient notice.

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Getting help with your proposal

We encourage you to reach out to the Program Committee while developing your proposal. It’s generally easier to adjust ideas early than when a proposal has been submitted.

• Before you start drafting: if you want to talk through an idea or aren’t sure which format fits
• While drafting: if you have questions about scope, structure, or requirements
• Before submitting: if you’d like feedback on a complete draft

Email contact@amicalnet.org with your questions or to request a call.