Monthly Archives: November 2009

2010 Library Research Round Table Forums at
ALA Annual Conference,
Washington, DC

The Library Research Round Table (LRRT) will sponsor two Research
Forums at the 2010 American Library Association Annual Conference in
Washington, DC (June 24-29).  The LRRT Forums are a set of programs at
the ALA Annual Conference featuring presentations of LIS research, in
progress or completed, followed by discussion.  Two LRRT Research
Forums are scheduled for 2010, one on general LIS research and one on a
more specific topic that will emerge as we evaluate the submissions.
The two forums are:

Research to Understand Users: Issues and Approaches
This session will feature three library-related research papers
investigating users and their use of libraries and information.  An
LRRT committee will select the winning papers based on quality of study
design, significance of the research topic, and potential for
significant contribution to librarianship. 

Four-Star Research
This session will feature three library-related research papers
describing studies of libraries and librarianship.  An LRRT committee
will select the winning papers based on quality and creativity of study
design, significance of the research topic, and potential for
significant contribution to librarianship. 

This is an opportunity to present and discuss your research project
conducted in the broad area of library and information science or in a
more specialized area of the field. LRRT welcomes papers emphasizing
the problems, theories, methodologies, or significance of research
findings for LIS.  Topics can include, but are not limited to, user
studies and user behavior, electronic services, service effectiveness,
organizational structure and personnel, library value determination,
and evaluation of library and information services.  Both completed
research and research in progress will be considered.  All researchers,
including practitioners from all types of libraries, library school
faculty and students, and other interested individuals are encouraged
to submit proposals.  LRRT Members and nonmembers of LRRT are invited
and welcomed to submit proposals.

The Committee will use a blind review process to select a maximum of
six projects, three for each of the two forums.  The selected
researchers will be required to present their papers in person at the
forums and to register for the conference.  Criteria for selection are:

1.      Significance of the study to library and information science
research;
2.      Quality and creativity of the methodology;
3.      Potential to fill a research gap or to build on previous LIS studies;
4.      Adherence to submission requirements (see below).

Please submit a two-page proposal by Tuesday, December 15, 2009.  Late
submissions will not be considered, and submissions must be limited to
two pages in length.  On the first page, please list your name(s),
title(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information
(telephone number, mailing address, and email address).  The second
page should NOT show your name or any other identifying information. 
Instead, it must include: 1) The title of your project, and 2) A
500-word or less abstract.  The abstract must include a problem
statement, problem significance, project objectives, methodology, and
conclusions (or tentative conclusions for work in progress), and an
indication of whether the research is in-progress or completed.
Previously published research or research accepted for publication by
December 15, 2009, will not be considered.

Notification of acceptance will be made by Monday, February 22, 2010.
Please send submissions (via email or snail mail) to: