Where eResource Professionals Learn, Connect, and Grow.

Speaking Opportunities for the 22nd Annual ER&L Library Conference

Our annual library conference program is built by eresources management library professionals for eresources management library professionals.

Presenters are you and your peers who get what you do in libraries and understand that our collective experiences – small wins, big wins, challenges, and lessons learned – are our hard-earned library superpowers.

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Call for Proposals Open: Aug 26 – Oct 29, 2026
  • Peer Review: Oct 21 – Nov 10, 2026
  • Community Vote: Oct 30 – Nov 4, 2026
  • Acceptance Letters Sent: Late Nov
  • Program Announced: Dec 16, 2026

▶️ Access to the submission site will be posted here on August 26th.

Close-up of a retro handheld microphone being held toward the camera by a gloved hand.

The following session types will be available for the 2027 conference:

🎙️ In-Person Session

This session format has been part of ER&L since the beginning. The 50-minute session allows presenters to discuss a topic, dig into a case study, or moderate a panel. Co-authorship and co-presenting are easily accommodated in this format.

Delivery Type: On stage in Austin, Texas

Presentation: A 30-minute Live Presentation from the ER&L Conference Center in Austin is required

Q&A: 20-minute Live Q&A with a Moderator facilitating questions from In-Person and Online Audience

Important FAQs:

  • Session presenters receive discounted registration.
  • Live presentation from the ER&L Conference Center in Austin is required.

💻 Virtual Session

Presenters who wish to participate virtually have a 50-minute time slot to discuss a topic, dig into a case study, or moderate a panel. Presenters will be brought into the live online conference stream via our studio vendor and will participate in a live Q&A session via Zoom. 

Delivery Type: Virtual via our studio on Zoom

Presentation:  A 30-minute Live presentation on Zoom, managed by our Studio Team

Q&A: 20-minute Live Virtual Q&A on Zoom with a Moderator facilitating questions from the Online Audience.

Important FAQs:

  • Session presenters receive discounted registration.

📼 Pre-Recorded Session

The 15-minute pre-recorded session allows presenters to introduce a topic and discuss the material at a higher level of detail or drill into specific material or concepts at a granular level. 

Delivery Type: Pre-recorded MP4

Presentation:  A 15-minute pre-recorded presentation

Q&A: Asynchronous Q&A takes place on the PheedLoop platform and is text-based only. All pre-recorded session presenters are required to visit and address open questions by Monday, March 29.

Important FAQs:

  • Session presenters receive discounted registration.

💻 Virtual Tutorial (New for 2027)

A virtual tutorial is an asynchronous skill-development session with pre-recorded videos delivered on demand. Instruction time must be at least 45-60 minutes, broken into segments. Course videos will be available to online attendees two weeks prior to the conference, allowing them time to view them. 

Delivery Type: Pre-recorded MP4s

Presentation: Asynchronous pre-recorded segments

Q&A: Asynchronous Q&A takes place on the PheedLoop platform and is text-based only. 

Important FAQs:

  • Tutorial presenters receive discounted registration.
  • All pre-recorded session presenters are required to visit and address open questions by Monday, March 29.

🖼️ Poster

The poster format is a physical poster shown during the in-person conference. Poster topics should be related to one of the ER&L tracks and may include graphs, data, pictures, and descriptive text. Examples of poster topics include case studies, problem analyses, or unique library programs. Poster presenters should expect to make small presentations or answer questions from attendees during the dedicated poster sessions in Austin.

Delivery Type: In-person poster display and Q&A session in Austin, Texas

Presentation: Physical Printed Poster

Q&A: Live Attended Q&A Session in Austin, Texas

Important FAQs:

  • Poster presenters receive discounted registration.
  • Poster display and presentation from the ER&L Conference Center in Austin are required.

🎙️ In-Person Workshop

A workshop is a 3-4-hour intensive course designed to take the attendee deep into the subject matter with knowledgeable, experienced instructors. Workshops are held on Sunday afternoon (pre-conference) or Wednesday afternoon (post-conference).

Delivery Type: In-person course delivery in Austin, Texas

Presentation: 3-4 hours of delivery that may include a combination of lectures, group work, breakouts, etc. 

Q&A: Live Q&A in the Workshop Session

Important FAQs:

  • Workshop instructors receive an honorarium and waived registration.
  • Presentation from the ER&L Conference Center in Austin is required.
  • Course attendance requires purchasing an additional ticket and is capped at 25 seats unless ER&L and the instructor decide to add more seats. 

💻 Virtual Workshop

A virtual workshop is an intensive, asynchronous course with pre-recorded videos delivered on demand, self-paced assignments, and office hours. Instruction time must be at least 2 hours and broken into segments. Course videos will be available to online attendees two weeks prior to the conference, allowing them time to view them. Live office hours will take place on the Tuesday of the conference and the Tuesday following the conference.

Delivery Type: A mix of pre-recorded videos and live office hours

Presentation: Asynchronous pre-recorded sessions + self-paced assignments

Q&A: 2 live office hours (Tuesday, March 23 & Tuesday, March 30)

Important FAQs:

  • Workshop instructors receive an honorarium and waived registration.
  • Courses require the purchase of an additional ticket and are capped at 25 seats unless ER&L and the instructor decide to add additional seats. 

The following questions will be asked at the time of submission:

  • Submit the full title of your proposal as well as a 50-character shortened version that may be used in printed materials or in smaller views of the program.
  • Code of Conduct: I confirm that I have read the conference Code of Conduct Statement.
  • Online Posting: I agree to allow ER&L, LLC to post my presentation files on their website and online conference platform for distribution to registrants to my session and to the library community.
  • Recording & Use: I hereby consent to the audio/videotaping of my presentation during ER&L 2027 and agree to allow ER&L, LLC to post my presentation files on their website for distribution within the library community and other interested parties.
  • Presenter Registration: If my presentation is accepted, I (and my co-presenters) agree to register for the conference at the discounted presenter rate and attend ER&L 2027.
  • Organizer/ Presenter Affiliation: ER&L is seeking a variety of perspectives. Vendor-organized and presented sessions are welcome, but do require some balance across the program. Is a representative from a vendor involved in this session? All “yes” responses will require identification of the vendor involved.
  • If your presentation is selected, would you be interested in hosting a Community Connection about your topic?

Community Connections are small group discussions on a specific topic. Find colleagues with share professional interest areas. Presenters may lead a live roundtable or provide conversation prompts in an asynchronous Slack discussion board. 

This is not a firm commitment, ER&L will reach out to presenters who have opted to host a Community Connection in November to assist with the organization and scheduling.

Options available at the time of submission are:

  • In-Person Session
  • Virtual Session
  • Pre-Recorded Session
  • Virtual Tutorial
  • Poster
  • In-Person Workshop
  • Virtual Workshop
  • Some sessions require the audience to have advanced knowledge on a topic in order for presenters to meet their intended goals. Please indicate your preferred level of knowledge from the audience.
    • Foundation – This session does not require background knowledge of the topic. This is appropriate for a practitioner new to eresources topics or as an introduction to a new topic.
    • Intermediate – An understanding of basic eresources topics is fundamental in order to fully engage in this session.
    • Advanced – This is recommended for seasoned practitioners who want a deep dive into an advanced topic area.
  • If applicable, please indicate if your proposal should be considered for the ER&L 101 featured program.

ER&L 101 sessions span all of the tracks, introducing an attendee to a foundational area of librarianship (such as licensing, ebook management, or troubleshooting). These sessions would not require background knowledge of the topic and would be appropriate for a practitioner new to electronic resources.

  • If applicable, please indicate if your proposal should be considered as an Emerging Topic.

Emerging sessions span all of the tracks, introducing an attendee to an emerging and important topic. These sessions would not require background knowledge of the topic and would be appropriate for any attendee.

  • Please add a short descriptive keyword or phrase in this section. Keep in mind that this keyword will be used to organize presentations for attendees. How do you think your presentation might be found?
  • Please complete the following sentence with at least 2 learning objectives, separated by commas: Following this session, participants will be able to _____________.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
Following this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Evaluate three library management systems (Alma, Sierra, and WMS) using data provided by a survey of ERM librarians
  2. Compare what ERM tasks are often performed within the three systems
  3. Compare what ERM tasks are not performed within the three systems
  4. Understand what ERM functions need more development within these systems

Following this session, participants will be able to:

  1. understand the nature of problems reported
  2. understand the methods for improving troubleshooting that emerged from the study,
  3. discuss how the library community can advance the goal of using a shared vocabulary to describe e-resource access problems.
  • Provide a 50-word description of your proposal.

This abstract will be printed in the conference program and will appear on the ER&L conference website associated with your proposal, if accepted. This abstract is also reviewed by the ER&L Program Planning Committee.

  • Format Selection: Please explain why a poster format is ideal for your presentation.
  • Course Details: Please provide your course details and include topics to be covered. Accepted instructors will have an opportunity to revise this section before publishing.
  • Audience Participation: How will instructors engage the audience? (example: lecture with small group breakouts, polling while presenting, etc).
  • Course Outline: Please provide an outline of how the course will be conducted. Accepted instructors will have an opportunity to revise this section before publishing. 

We are seeking original content. A new angle on an existing topic, an innovative approach. If you are trying something that you do not believe has ever been done or examined, please let the committee know in this section. Reviewers often find connections among submissions that you may not even know existed and we work with presenters to connect talks based on the peer-review process.

We are seeking diverse voices. Does your panel include a deliberate attempt to gather opinions from people of color? under-represented groups? a variety in geography? varying library staff sizes? an international perspective?

  • If this has been a part of your panel creation thought process, please include a note letting us know you worked to gather diverse opinions.
  • If you feel this is not applicable, indicate below. Please know that this is a private communication point for submitters to the final review by the program chairs and conference coordinator ONLY. This will not appear in the community voting process.
  • All presenters must be decided upon and included in the proposal at the time of submission. “TBD” speakers will not be allowed.
  • Proposal Space collects optional demographic information in the submission application. ER&L will not be using this data.
  • All accepted presenters are required to register for the conference at a discounted rate.
  • All accepted presenters are expected to attend their designated Q&A format for their accepted presentations. Note the column labeled Q&A format above. 
    • Poster presenters will have an in-person discussion at their physical poster during attended Poster Q&A times.
    • Pre-recorded Session presenters will have an off-camera, text-based, asynchronous Q&A discussion only. 

How does ER&L decide on the program?

All ER&L sessions undergo a blind peer review by the ER&L Program Planning Committee. Learn more about the peer review and community voting process here.

Can I submit more than one proposal?

Yes, you may submit as many proposals as you’d like. Presenters may be limited to 1 accepted proposal, depending on the number of submissions and session slots. 

What is the discounted presenter registration?

All presenters are required to register for the conference and will have access to the following rates:

  • In-Person Presenter Rate = $650
  • Virtual Presenter Rate = $395