Call for Abstract Submissions
The 18th Annual Bridging the Spectrum Symposium on Scholarship and Practice
The 18th Annual Bridging the Spectrum Symposium on Scholarship and Practice
The Catholic University of America
Pryzbyla Center
March 6, 2026 (Friday)
The Department of Information Sciences at The Catholic University of America invites researchers, practitioners, and students to submit proposals for the 2026 Bridging the Spectrum Symposium, a forum for sharing research findings, innovative professional practices, and works in progress. Now in its 18th year, the Symposium will be an in-person event, with the option for non-presenters to attend sessions remotely on Zoom. More symposium information can be found at: https://lis.catholic.edu/news-events/symposium/index.html
Proceedings (including abstracts and select full-text or full-image presentations and posters) from Bridging the Spectrum symposia are published in the open-access institutional repository powered by JSTOR. This reflects the symposium's ongoing commitment to advancing scholarship, practice, and conversation in the information professions.
We are now accepting abstract submissions for 2026 symposium presentations (250-300 words).
The Symposium will include three types of presentations: individual papers, posters, and panels.
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Individual papers are 15-minute presentations of an innovative practice, project, or research activity.
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Posters are visual representations of a practice, a project, or research findings.
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Panels are one-hour group discussions by several speakers centered on a specific topic, followed by Q&A or interactive engagements.
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Participants may propose their own format, including workshops, un-conference sessions, and so on.
Proposals can be submitted on any topic relevant to library and information science and archival practice or research. Below are some examples (but not an exhaustive list!):
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Community engagement and outreach, including marketing and advocacy for library and information services.
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Services for children and/or young adults in libraries.
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LIS and international migration.
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Reading practices across the lifespan.
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Information services against misinformation and propaganda.
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New developments in information organization (linked data, semantic web, etc.).
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Preservation and management of born-digital and digitized resources.
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Management and analysis of data and information.
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Library networks and international collaboration.
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Technology trends and their impact on information services.
Proposal Submission
Please submit your proposals at the Symposium submission portal.
Before you access the submission portal, please be prepared to enter the following information:
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Your name and affiliation
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Your email
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Your abstract of the required length (250-300 words)
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Technical requirements that will facilitate your presentation
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Accessibility requests if you have any
Important Dates
Abstract submissions due: December 15, 2025
Notification of acceptance: January 15, 2026
Submission of presentation slides and posters for archiving on JSTOR (optional): February 27, 2026.
Please feel free to contact the Symposium Committee at cua-lis-symposium@cua.edu if you have questions.
The Symposium Committee
Maria Mazzenga
Keren Dali
Shane MacDonald
Heather Wiggins
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Shane MacDonald
Special Collections Archivist, University Libraries, Special Collections
The Catholic University of America University Archives
Washington DC
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