CHLA: Call for Contributed Papers and Posters

Abstract

The Canadian Health Libraries Association invites you to submit contributed papers or posters for its 2008 annual conference, to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 23-30. Papers may describe innovative programs/practices or new research findings and should relate to the overall conference theme - “Navigating the Seas of Change”.

Notice: The deadline for the submission of abstracts for papers and posters has been extended to January 15, 2008.

Call for Contributed Papers

In the library world, change is practically the only constant. The 2008 CHLA conference will focus on managing change and changing practice. As information professionals we seek out new practices and technologies. We evaluate them and adopt the useful ones. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) uses evidence derived from research, user feedback and observation to improve practice. It provides excellent guidance to improve library and information service.

You are invited to share your research evidence, combined with practical observations about the primary ways information professionals improve information delivery. How has the framework moved from librarians storing physical information, to information professionals facilitating knowledge use? How do we plan to survive and thrive in tomorrow’s information age?

Papers will be accepted from a broad range of topics, including in particular:

Changing Access
• Implication for information professionals of new technologies and portals like Nurse One;
• Health Literacy – access for patients where it counts;
• Use of health technology assessment from CADTH & other agencies.

Changing Practice and Collaboration
• Research, teaching, reaching beyond the walls and outside the profession, for example collaborations between professional organizations; libraries in different countries, and partnerships between hospitals and universities;
• Implementing research, knowledge transfer, evidence-based practice & systematic reviews.

Publishing/ Open Access
• OA research and projects like EBLIP Journal and Open Medicine.

Accepted contributed papers will each be allotted approximately 20 minutes for presentation, plus 5-10 minutes for questions.

To be considered, please submit the following information by January 15, 2008.

• Title of the paper;
• A short structured abstract of 250 words or less;
• Primary author's name, address and business phone number.

Structured abstracts should follow JCHLA Instruction to Authors at:
http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/jchla/jchla26/c04-900.pdf

Submissions should be e-mailed to the program committee member, Paul Clark, at Paul.Clark@rvh.nb.ca. The Program Committee will contact all those submitting abstracts for contributed papers by January 19, 2008. Conference registration fees will not be waived for presenters of contributed papers.

Call for Posters

Poster sessions comprise visual presentations of information about research or other projects. They offer conference delegates a less formal alternative to contributed papers and plenary sessions, as well as an opportunity to interact directly with those responsible for the presentations.

Posters are invited along the same themes as those of the contributed papers, although submissions along other themes also are welcome.

Poster presenters will be allotted a display board (4' x 8') and table space. A limited number of electrical connections will be available for electronic poster presentations. If you are planning an electronic poster presentation, you must bring your own laptop computer as well as a standalone version of your presentation.

You will be required to staff your print or electronic poster during a portion of the conference; posters will be open to viewing by conference delegates for two days of the conference.

To submit a poster for consideration, please send an email by January 15, 2008 with the following information:

• outline of the topic;
• a brief structured abstract (no more than 250 words).
Structured abstracts should follow JCHLA/JABSC Instruction to Authors. (http://www.chla-absc.ca/journal/index.html)

Submissions should be e-mailed to the poster chair, Ann Barrett, at: Ann.Barrett@dal.ca.

Conference registration fees will not be waived for presenters of posters. The Poster Committee will contact all those submitting abstracts for posters by January 19, 2008.

Tips on designing posters: Include the title, the author(s), affiliation(s), and a description of the research, highlighting the major elements that are covered in the structured abstract. Posters are visual – add pictures, graphs, charts etc. to make the poster interesting. Keep text to a minimum and use a large font size so that the poster can be read from a distance. Keep some white space - don’t overwhelm the reader with too much text or graphics. Use color creatively. If you laminate the poster, consider using a low-glare or matte finish. Consider bringing copies of your poster for handout. Ensure that your poster is set up and taken down at the specified times.

For more information, please check these websites:
http://www.soe.uoguelph.ca/webfiles/agalvez/poster/
http://educ.queensu.ca/~ar/poster.htm
http://www.esf.edu/its/html/posterref.htm

For more information about themes and sample poster topics, contact the Poster Chair. Posters from previous conferences may be found at:
http://www.chla-absc.ca/assoc/conference.html