Call for Papers — Open Sessions

Law Libraries

• 24 March 2023, 13:27

Theme: "Law Libraries Powering Sustainable Development Goals"

The IFLA Law Libraries Section is seeking proposals for papers to be presented at a session to be held at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 21-25 August 2023.

This year marks the halfway point between the introduction of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 end date.  Law Libraries around the world have continued to help citizens, governments, and civil society work toward the SDGs. In particular, the program will focus on how law libraries contribute towards SDGs by making legal information more accessible for people and civil society at large, specifically how law libraries contribute towards SDG 16 by assisting governments with implementing the IFLA Statement on Government Provision of Public Legal Information in the Digital Age to make legal information more accessible for people all over the world.

We invite papers represent diverse viewpoints from law libraries all over the world and that:

• Discuss specific instances in which a library/librarian has engaged in work on Target 16.10: Ensuring public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements;
• Discuss specific instances in which a library/librarian has engaged in work that furthers Indicator 16.10.2: adopting and implementing constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information;
• Discuss specific instances in which a library/librarian has utilized the Statement on Government Provision of Public Legal Information in the Digital Age; or
• Discuss specific instances in which a law library/law librarian has engaged in an activity that furthered any of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Papers should reflect the conference theme, “Let’s get together, let’s library”.

Language of the session

The Presentation for this session must be done in English, as no interpretation services will be available for this session.  Proposals/abstracts should be submitted in English, but completed Papers may be written in any of the seven official IFLA languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, or Spanish.

Important dates and submission guidelines

Deadline to submit proposals/abstracts: 21April 2023

Proposals should include:

• Title of proposed presentation
• Abstract of proposed paper (no more than 300 words)
• Name of presenter plus position and/or title
• Employer / affiliated institution
• Contact information including e-mail address, telephone number
• Short biographical statement of presenter

Send proposals via email to:

Leslie Street
Email: [email protected]

Please note:

Ideally, at least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the program in Rotterdam. (Recorded presentations may be possible, but for only one of the papers selected, therefore, indicating your intent to attend the WLIC in person will increase the odds of your paper being selected for presentation.) Abstracts should only be submitted with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

All papers that are presented at the WLIC 2020 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.

All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.