2026 CALA SE & SW Chapters Joint Online Conference: Conference Invitation
Dear CALA Members,
Greetings from the 2026 CALA Southeast and Southwest Joint Online Conference Programming Committee. CALA Southeast (SE) and Southwest (SW) Chapters will hold a Joint Online Conference on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (Central Time).
Conference Theme: Collective Wisdom: Best Practices Across LIS Communities
Panel Title: Voices from the Field: International Library Transformation “Across the Ocean”
Although local contexts, infrastructures, and cultural frameworks vary, Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals across the globe are encountering common challenges and devising innovative, resilient strategies to address them.
This conference foregrounds the value of collective wisdom, acknowledging that best practices in Library and Information Science are shaped not only by individual institutions or regions, but also through international dialogue, interdisciplinary exchange, and collaborative professional reflection. By convening participants from North America and the global LIS community—including representatives from academic, public, school, and special libraries, as well as archives and information organizations—this conference aims to showcase the adaptive, innovative, and collaborative strategies practitioners employ in response to evolving global and local environments.
Free registration is 2026 CALA SE and SW Chapter Joint Online Conference Registration Link (Zoom). Please refer to the flyer for the detailed program schedule.
We look forward to seeing you! Please email us if you have any questions.
Warm regards,
Xiao Zeng
On behalf of the 2026 Conference Programming Committee members
Yi Wan, President, CALA Southeast Chapter
Wanheng Li, Vice President, CALA Southeast Chapter
Yumin Jiang, President, CALA Southwest Chapter
Ziyang Xu, Vice President, CALA Southwest Chapter
Xiao Zeng, Past President, CALA Southwest Chapter
Daniel Xiao, Membership Chair, CALA Southwest Chapter
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2026 CALA SE & SW Chapters Joint Online Conference: Call for Proposal
Dear CALA Members,
CALA Southeast (SE) and Southwest (SW) Chapters will hold a Joint Online Conference on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (Central Time). Proposal submissions are welcome from CALA members and nonmembers, including library employees, scholars, students, and other information professionals. We welcome proposals from first-time presenters including students and representatives of small and emerging programs.
Conference Theme
Collective Wisdom: Best Practices Across LIS Communities.
Proposal Tracks
Presentation (15 minutes+5 minutes Q&A)
A focused and in-depth presentation on a topic aligned with the conference theme. Ideal for best practices in libraries, research findings, case studies, library programs, and emerging trends.
Lightning Talk (5 minutes+10 minutes Q&A after all talks)
A concise and engaging talk highlights key ideas, projects, or innovations. Good for sharing projects in process, quick insights, and new ideas for research or practices.
Suggested Topics
We would like to focus on but not limited to the topics below:
Theme aligned topics
AI best practice in library service (real-life applications)
AI literacy and/or AI policy establishment
Changes to library instruction and/or references service
Research support services and tools
Tools or applications for collection management and preservation
Tools or applications for assessment and evaluation
Current librarian field job market (student, full time employee, or admin perspective)
Accessibility WCAG2.1 Level AA practice share
Program and outreach
Other topics
Acquisition and budgeting
Archives and digital preservation
Career advancement and leadership in libraries
Collection development and management
Community engagement and outreach
Data visualization/management
Digital services
Discovery and access services
Electronic resources management
Library service platform migration
Metadata standards and specifications
Project or staff management
Scholarly communications
Submission Deadline
Please submit your proposals by the end of business day Thursday, March 26th, 2026 [Extended]. Please fill out the online submission form. Information needed:
Names and positions of the presenter(s)
Email address(es) of presenter(s)
Presentation title
Abstract: up to 300 words
Learning objective(s) for attendees
Keywords or tags that describe your topic
Note: While the original deadline was Friday, March 13, 2026, we are EXTENDING the submission deadline to the end of the day on March 26, 2026. Please note that responses submitted by March 13 will receive priority consideration.
Awards
To recognize outstanding contributions, the Best Presentation Award and Best Lightning Talk Award, with an incentive (TBA), will be given to presenters who demonstrate excellence in content, engagement, and impact.
We look forward to hearing from you. Please send any questions you may have to any of the 2026 Conference Programming Committee members:
Yi Wan, President, CALA Southeast Chapter, yw19@email.sc.edu
Wanheng Li, Vice President, CALA Southeast Chapter, wanheng.li@vanderbilt.edu
Yumin Jiang, President, CALA Southwest Chapter, yumin.jiang@cuanschutz.edu
Ziyang Xu, Vice President, CALA Southwest Chapter, ziyang.xu-1@ou.edu
Xiao Zeng, Past President, CALA Southwest Chapter, xzeng4@central.uh.edu
Daniel Xiao, Membership Chair, CALA Southwest Chapter, danxiao@tamu.edu
Thank you for your attention.
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2026 Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration Event
Dear CALA members,
I hope this email finds you well!
You’re warmly invited to join us for the CALA Midwest & Southwest Joint Online Chinese New Year Celebration!
📅 Date: February 13, 2025 (Friday)
⏰ Time: 1 PM CT | 12 PM MT | 2 PM ET | 11 AM PT
🕒 Duration: 60 minutes
We’re planning a fun and festive virtual gathering with games, paper-cutting, and show & tell activity to celebrate the Year of the Horse (2026)!
Paper-cutting activity
The paper-cutting patterns are included in this email. Please print them in advance and prepare a pair of scissors. During the activity, we will use the plum flower (梅花) as a reference and guide everyone through the paper-cutting together.
Show & Tell: Chinese New Year Stories
If you’re interested in sharing your Chinese New Year decorations, preparations, or any photos and stories you’d like to share, you’re very welcome to upload them via the Google Form. We’ll share these contributions with everyone during the event.
Games & surprises
There will be interactive games during the event, and game winners will receive small gifts prepared by the organizers. Stay tuned!
Please mark your calendar and register using the registration link provided in the flyer if you’d like to attend.
Feel free to share the event with others. Looking forward to celebrating together!
Best,
Xiao Zeng, on behalf of the CALA MW&SW Joint Event Planning Team
CALA MW&SW Joint Event Planning Team
Angel Tang, 2025-2026 MW Chapter President
Yumin Jiang, 2025-2026 SW Chapter President
Xiao Zeng, 2025-2026 SW Chapter Immediate Past President
Ziyang Xu, 2025-2026 SW Chapter Vice President