The Association of College and Research Libraries, New England Chapter (ACRL/NEC – http://www.acrlnec.org/ ) invites you to submit a proposal to present at our 2012 Annual Conference. This event entitled "Leading the Change: Integrating the Library into the Future of Higher Education" will be held Friday, May 18, 2012 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Higher education is rapidly evolving in many ways: pedagogically, technologically, financially, and socially. The roles of libraries in higher education are concomitantly changing. Where is higher education going, and how will libraries fit in? What can librarians do not just to navigate but also to guide the changes in higher education?

We are seeking innovative thinkers and doers to offer presentations, panel discussions, interactive sessions, posters, and "show-and-tell" booths to share creative ideas and initiatives on how to integrate our libraries into the future of higher education.

Presenters, panelists, and session facilitators should plan for a one hour session, including time for questions. Poster and show-and-tell presenters will have a half-hour open session for brief informal discussions and/or demonstrations of technologies, innovative workflows, new programs, or other ideas for maintaining and enhancing libraries' integral roles on campus. 

Here is a list of possible topics of interest from previous ACRL/NEC Conference attendees:

· assessment in higher education

· changes in scholarly communication

· the e-book explosion

· the changing student body: first generation, English as a second language, three degrees of distance education

· user-driven collections and services

· physical spaces in an online world (what are libraries without books?)

· budget (or lack thereof) realities – procuring, defending, and wisely using the library’s share

· new and future librarians

· embedded, blended, or otherwise altered librarians

Please submit your proposal at http://tinyurl.com/3b2jxbp. The deadline for proposal submission is midnight on Friday, November 18, 2011.

Questions should be directed to Sarah Cornell sarah_cornell@yahoo.com, Karin Heffernan KHeffernan@nec.edu, Kendall Hobbs khobbs@wesleyan.edu, Lisa Palmer Lisa.Palmer@umassmed.edu, or Alan Witt awitt@wesleyan.edu

ACRL/NEC is an independent chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries.  Visit http://www.acrlnec.org for further information.