Call for Proposals

Critical Pedagogy Symposium: A Focus on Critical Race Theory

APPLY HERE.

Are you a library, archive, or information worker exploring a question, project, initiative, or idea that is aligned with or inspired by Critical Race Theory (CRT)? Are you seeking feedback or conversation? 

This is a Working Symposium that continues the mission of the Critical Pedagogy Symposium 2021 that is focused on building a space to learn, collaborate, and engage with critical race theory in dialogue and community. We invite you to engage with the tenets of Critical Race Theory as they relate to the practice and the theory of Librarianship.

Our working definition of critical pedagogy includes: teaching and learning in the library that interrogates power structures, distributions of labor, histories, queer, racial inequities, environmental and social justices, and other forms of anti-oppression frameworks. 

Tenets of Critical Race Theory include: Race as a social construct; Racism is normal; Experiences and knowledge of BIPOC; Intersectionality; Interdisciplinary; Whiteness as property; Critique of dominant ideologies; Focus on historical contexts; Counter Storytelling and voice; and Interest convergence

Proposals from students, new librarians, seasoned librarians, and anyone who works in libraries with questions and interest in Critical Race Theory are welcome. Inquiries might be from the perspective of reference, instruction, technical services, library administration, leadership, collection development, design, digital scholarship, open education, and archives. Additional areas of interest include work that extends to other parts of the information community, related to outreach, liaison work, research dissemination, scholarly communications, and programming. Some questions your proposal may consider are:

  • How does race play out as a social construct in your library practice: instruction, collections, pedagogy, community engagement, outreach, access, archiving, exhibitions, etc?
  • How could CRT inform your engagement with library patrons?
  • How has the pandemic and its emerging racial and social disparities affected your experience of librarianship?
  • How have you applied critical feminist pedagogy, critical librarianship and critical race theory to a remote teaching environment? 
  • What is your experience in library school regarding critical librarianship and race?
  • What are case studies for library work in or against prisons? 
  • How do we respond as a profession to the climate of book banning, censorship, and other racially motivated ideological challenges?

Proposals may be panels, individual presentations, workshops, peer-review sessions, or facilitated discussions that:

  • Consider CRT in practice
      • Works-in-progress- of something you are trying out in practice, seeking feedback
      • Co-creations – building something together
      • Initiative ideas or research findings for live peer review
  • Consider ideas you are working through (and want to discuss) 
  • Encourage community building
      • Topics for facilitated conversations
      • Readings that could spark small-group conversations
      • Questions leading to discussion

And things that we haven’t even thought of… We welcome anything that you think will foster dialogue…

To submit your proposal, complete this form by this date or if there are any questions, email criticallibrarysymposium@gmail.com.

Timeline:
Early deadline for feedback on your proposal – Feb 21st
Final deadline for proposals – March 21st
Notification of acceptance – April 3rd
Symposium Date – May 17 – May 19th