[InetBib] Call for Papers - IFLA 2012 Satellite Meeting: "The Homeless and the Libraries - the Right to Information and Knowledge For All"

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****Please Forgive Cross Postings****
**World Library and Information Congress: 78th IFLA General Conference 
and Assembly*
*
In Helsinki, Finland from 11-17 August 2012
IFLA's Library Services to People with Special Needs Satellite Program
*
*Tallinn Central Library*
*Tallinn, Estonia, 10 August 2012*
Call for papers:"The Homeless and the Libraries - the Right to 
Information and Knowledge For All"
Tallinn Central Library
Tallinn, Estonia, 10 August 2012
Colleagues from around the world are invited to submit an abstract for 
consideration for the Satellite Program sponsored by IFLA's Library 
Services to People with Special Needs (LSN) Section and Tallinn Central 
Library; Tallinn, Estonia.
In 1990 the American Library Association approved Policy #61, Library 
Services to the Poor. This policy was created based on the belief that 
it is crucial that libraries recognize their role in enabling poor 
people to articipate fully in a democratic society, by utilizing a wide 
variety of available resources and strategies.” The policy, overseen by 
ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, includes sixteen 
objectives to accomplish this goal, from promoting food drives to 
eliminating fees for those who can’t afford to pay them, as well as 
creating low-income programs and services.
The “Poor People’s Policy,” as Policy #61 is called, is a statement of 
belief and a list of general tenets that all libraries are encouraged to 
adopt, similar to the Library Bill of Rights. However, as Sanford Berman 
described in a 2006 article in "Street Spirit," the Poor People’s Policy 
has not been accepted as widely as that older document. Berman’s 
observations on the tension between library ideals and reality are an 
insightful and passionate reflection of our profession’s unintentional 
hypocrisy. Library services, in general, serve the haves and exclude the 
have-nots, a circumstance he labels “classism.” Examples of classism 
include the small number of libraries carrying major serials on homeless 
issues; the fact that libraries in the lowest income areas are often 
open the fewest hours; and policies and laws banning “offensive body 
odor,” bathing, or sleeping.
How do librarians measure the impact of what they do?  What have we 
learned about evaluation and assessing impact the homeless may gain 
through active participation at their local public library. Libraries, 
especially public libraries, can play a major role in initiating, 
partnering and/or seeking out new ways to support the homeless in their 
community. Libraries can
actively experiment with a variety of approaches and adjusting services 
and programs based on the feedback they receive. Libraries can take the 
lead within communities in building an environment of sensitivity and 
accommodation, to embraced the Poor People’s Policy and serve as model 
examples of a library-community agency partnership created for the benefit
of the homeless in their areas.
Topics for suggested papers include, but not limited to, the following:
·   Measuring the impact of homelessness on libraries:  what models 
should we be using?
·   What should we be assessing?  We all gather data on usage but what 
does it actually demonstrate?
.   Developing partnerships between the library and community agencies.
.   Papers on successful partnerships are most welcome.
·   How can libraries develop qualitative methods to measure impact and 
demonstrate value?
·   Why should libraries/city governments/management the poorest of 
their city's residents?  How aware are we of the needs of poor and the 
underserved and the issues that currently
    concern them?
·   We know what we do is valuable but how do we get it across? How do 
we communicate the findings of research and evaluation needs to be 
tailored to the audience needing the
    message.
It is anticipated that presentations will range between 20 and 25 
minutes with time for questions at the end of the session.
*Important dates: *
**
Friday March  17th 2012: Deadline for submission of abstract
Friday March  30th 2012: Notification of acceptance/rejection
Friday June      1st 2012: Deadline for submission of text
*Submission Guidelines: *
The proposals must be submitted in an electronic format and must contain:

  * Title of paper
  * Summary of paper (250 - 350 words maximum)
  * Speaker's name, address, telephone and fax numbers, professional
    affiliation, email address and biographical note (40 word maximum)
  * The final paper should preferably be presented as a paper (that may
    be published on the IFLA website and as an option in the IFLA Journal).
  * If the final presentation will be in the format of a power point, a
    substantial abstract will be required, including references such as
    URLs and bibliographies

Submissions should be sent by email to: vlcsmoudamane@xxxxxxxxx 
<mailto:vlcsmoudamane@xxxxxxxxx> by 05:00 PM (Pacific Coast Time) 
  Friday 17th March 2012
Veronica L. C. Stevenson-Moudamane; MSLS, MA
Chair, IFLA Library Services to People with Special Needs Section,
2011-2013
Proposals will be reviewed by a sub-committee of members of LSN
Standing Committee.
*/Please note:/*
*//*All expenses, including registration for the Satellite Meeting,
travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the 
authors/presenters.
No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation can
be issued to authors/presenters if that is required.
__________________________________________________
Veronica L. C. Stevenson-Moudamane; MSLS, MA
Children's Services Librarian
Sunnyvale Public Library
665 W. Olive Ave.
Sunnyvale, California 94086
EMAIL: vlcsmoudamane@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:vlcsmoudamane@xxxxxxxxx>
VOICE: 408-730-7817 <tel:408-730-7817>
ALA NMRT Treasurer, 2011-2013
ALA IRRT International Librarians' Reception Committee, 2011-2013
IFLA OFFICER, Chair, Library Services to People with Special Needs,
2011-2013
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