Call for Papers – MELA Annual Meeting 2024
Stanford University (and online), November 7-9 2024
Meeting will be in hybrid format (streamed live, and subsequently available on MELA’s YouTube channel following the meeting).
The Middle East Librarians Association invites papers for its 2024 Annual Meeting.
We invite papers (15-20 mis) and panels that speak to the role of information professionals in the current moment or make historical connections. The papers and panels should center the libraries, archives, or information in or from within the Middle East region (broadly conceived). Possible topics might include (but are not limited to):
- Reparative metadata related to the MENA region
- Collecting pro-Palestinian protest ephemera in North America and beyond
- The role of the Middle East Librarian/Archivist during social strife
- Destruction of libraries/archives in Palestine and beyond
- Information literacy related to the MENA region
- Media literacy related to the MENA region
- Effect of DEI backlash on ME libraries/collections (including the Palestine Exception to free speech)
- Responses to challenging formats and materials from and about the MENA region and the diasporas
- Ethical, responsible stewardship of collections with respect to collecting histories and provenance, acquisition decisions, processing / cataloging, outreach and engagement
- Cultivating public / community engagement and library collaborations with ME communities and local organizations
Collections Showcase
We invite members to propose lightning talks (3 min / one slide) on recently acquired, processed and / or digitized collections across formats and media.
Submission Guidelines:
To propose a panel, roundtable, paper, or lightning talk for MELA 2024, please fill out this form. Submission deadline is August 1, 2024.
Notification:
All who submit will be notified regarding acceptance by the Programming Committee by September 1, 2024.
All presenters will be asked to submit a brief biography (maximum 100 words).
All abstracts will be published in the program and posted on the MELA website.
MELA cannot provide any financial support for travel and lodging. However, the Annual
Meeting registration fee will be waived for presenters.
MELA welcomes on-site attendees from around the world: if you need a formal invitation letter to assist in obtaining a travel visa to the United States, please write to secretary@mela.us for further details.
If you have any questions, please contact Guy Burak (guy.burak@nyu.edu).