Change is constant. Whether socio-cultural, economic, scientific, political, ecological, environmental, or technological, drivers of change — and change itself — are critical to how we function in our roles as librarians, archivists, and museum professionals.
In the realm of professional practice, sometimes these changes are so considerable they fundamentally challenge existing concepts of who we are as professionals, what the impact of our work is, and how we engage our constituencies. They represent a paradigm shift in our underlying assumptions and affect the why of what we do.
This year, Librarians, Archivists, and Museum Professions in the History of the Health Sciences (LAMPHHS) invites you to share how you are challenging or changing practice to meet institutional and patron needs.
We welcome all proposals, but are especially interested in those that address fundamental changes in the way library, archival, and museum professionals are engaging with:
· Deprecated notions of neutrality as they apply to acquiring, describing, accessing, and exhibiting special collections, archives, and museum collections
· Collections access and expectations of privacy
· Legacies of racism, sexism, and other forms of anti-inclusivity in our home organizations
· Collaborative or non-custodial collecting
· Contested collections, problematic histories, and creating a cultural environment relevant to a diverse public.
Session Formats: The Program Committee encourages submission of proposals that may include, but are not limited to, the following formats:
· Individual Presentations: Speakers should expect to give a presentation of no more than 15 minutes followed by 10 minutes of discussion. Individual papers will be combined into panels.
· Panel Discussion: Open session with a panel of three (3) to four (4) individuals informally discussing a variety of theories or perspectives on the given topic(s). Please confirm participation with all panelists before submitting the panel proposal.
· Traditional: Open session with two to three fully prepared papers of fifteen (15) minutes each and a comment and discussion period after the presentations.
· Special Focus Session: 50-minute session designed to highlight innovative archives or museum programs, new techniques, and research projects. Audience participation is encouraged.
Please submit your proposal via this submission form: https://forms.gle/DK44fneSbX6VB7sj7
The deadline for submitting session proposals is Friday, February 25, 2021.
This will be a virtual conference.
You must be a LAMPHHS member to submit a proposal. Not a member? Join for only $15.00 via http://iis-exhibits.library.ucla.edu/alhhs/membership.html.
If you have any questions please email emily_gustainis@hms.harvard.edu.
2021 Program Committee:
Emily Novak Gustainis, Harvard Medical School
Brandon Pieczko, Indiana University School of Medicine
Ashlynn Rickord, Public Health Museum
Paula Summerly, University of Texas Medical Branch