Calls for Papers & Proposals
In accordance with our identity as an international, interdisciplinary scholarly organization that fosters the study of books and other textual artifacts in traditional and emerging formats, the Bibliographical Society of America pursues its mission by hosting public programs and collaborating with related organizations to do so.
The Event Committee issues tri-annual calls in January, April, and October that are similar to open calls for conference proposals; from time to time, the Committee may call for proposals around a specific theme. We request a general overview of the content of sessions and presenters as well as information about the budget, promotion, and general organization of the event. This allows us to compensate presenters and organizers with honoraria for their intellectual and organizational labor and to cover other necessary costs.
In all BSA events, the material text – that is, handwritten, printed, or other textual artifacts, broadly conceived – as historical evidence, and/or the theory and practice of descriptive, historical, and/or critical bibliography, should be a central concern to participants and organizers.
Our events strive to center diverse perspectives covering wide-ranging topics as outlined in our Equity Action Plan.
Through our distributed conference model, BSA reduces its carbon footprint and meets you where you are by lowering barriers to participation. We have hosted bibliographical events both online and in-person at various locations throughout North America and, when possible, elsewhere in the world. Such events can include but are not limited to:
- lectures,
- panel presentations,
- hands-on workshops,
- conference sessions,
- and receptions following events that are bibliographical in nature.
We strive to make our events free for attendees and open to all.
For more information about the types of events that BSA hosts and sponsors, please see the Past and Upcoming Events pages on our website. The Events Committee is especially eager to sponsor events that help the Society to achieve the objectives set out in its Equity Action Plan, which states:
The Society will continue to expand BSA events in terms of representation, coverage, and access. In-person and virtual events should cover a wide range of subjects, feature presenters from under-represented groups, and take place in geographically dispersed, physically accessible locations or with virtual equivalents (closed-captioning, etc.). Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate a commitment to these values.
External Calls for Papers and Proposals
Through the BSA Liaison Sub-Committee, the Society has established relationships with various other learned societies and sponsors programs at their conferences. These conference calls for papers are posted here.
2024 Contemporary Artists Book Conference (CABC): Artists’ Book as Expanded Literacy
The Contemporary Artists’ Book Conference (CABC) planning committee invites panel proposals and individual submissions for our virtual 2024 conference entitled “Artists’ Books as Expanded Literacy.” How can the artists’ book expand upon ideas of information and visual literacy, conceptions of language, data visualization, methods of presenting research, and beyond?
Our plan is for the conference to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of artists’ books; thus, we welcome submissions from art historians, artists, designers, critics, curators, librarians, collectors, educators, and practitioners in other fields. Graduate students and early-career artists and scholars are encouraged to apply. The conference’s six panels will take place virtually on May 9th and 10th. The 2024 CABC is supported by Center for Book Arts, with additional support from Deirdre Lawrence and the Grolier Club.
We’re looking for solo or panel submissions in the following categories:
- Asemic writing and illegibility
- Literary works re-imagined/re-editioned as artists’ books
- Neurodivergent literacy
- Artistic research for the creation of artists’ books: methods and processes
- Translation and migration: artists’ books as a path to expanded cultural literacy
- Material/Tactile Literacy
- Other facets of artists’ books and expanded literacy.
Please submit a proposal for a panel or an individual paper which the Committee will add to an appropriate panel session.
HONORARIUM
Speakers will be awarded a $150 honorarium for their participation.
LANGUAGE
Please submit panels and papers in English.
PLATFORM
Please note that all panels will be held virtually using Zoom. We welcome submissions from researchers internationally. An additional invited keynote talk will be held in person at an earlier date.
DATES
The conference will be held May 9-10, 2024.