28 May 2019
The UKSG Committee is inviting suggestions for topics and speakers for the 2020 Annual Conference, to be held in Brighton from 30 March to 1 April 2020.
The conference attracts delegates from across the global knowledge community, including librarians, publishers and intermediaries. It provides a much-respected forum for discussing trends, showcasing initiatives, finding out about current practice across sectors, and connecting with other professionals.
Suggestions are invited for topics for plenary sessions, breakout sessions and lightning talks; in all cases, suggestions are welcomed for speakers alongside topic ideas. Suggestions should be submitted via the UKSG website.
The Committee encourages applicants to get as much relevant and engaging information as possible into the abstract in order to help with their selection. Feedback from the recent 2019 conference in Telford suggests delegates are interested in hearing about (in no particular order):
- inclusion and equity in practice
- teaching and learning support
- research data management
- REF support
- further education – best practice and experience
- text and data mining
- open science
- AI and machine learning
- voices of researchers and those responsible for research support
To have a truly engaging conference, UKSG needs to hear from people with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds – and those from under-represented communities are particularly encouraged. We are not there yet. As well as supporting all plenary speakers and lead breakout speakers with a free place and expenses, UKSG is looking at expanding the list of sponsored places to support early career and target those from under-represented communities to attend. Those who have something interesting to say but do not feel ready to present a plenary or break-out session can be provided with mentors to help them prepare, or they could consider presenting a shorter lightning talk.
The deadline for suggestions is Friday 7 June 2019. The aim is to contact applicants by the end of July to let them know if their ideas have been taken up. Anyone needing assistance with any aspect of their submission should contact Bev Acreman on bev@uksg.org.
Please note that this is a call specifically for the UKSG Annual Conference in Brighton, 30 March to 1 April 2020 and is not associated with the UKSG One-Day Conference (London, November 2019).