<div dir="ltr">Dear colleagues,<br><br>Please consider submitting a chapter proposal to the forthcoming book<i> Libraries Promoting Reflective Dialogue in a Time of Political Polarization</i>
(to be published with ACRL Publications in late 2018). Below is a more
detailed description of this timely topic. Proposals are due <b>March 1st</b>. The call is also available at <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yagamr99" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/yagamr99</a>. <br><br>Thank you for considering a contribution!<br>Andrea, Ellysa, and Bob<br><br>As
political polarization has continued to grow within and beyond the
United States in past decades, the challenges of engaging in open,
constructive dialogue have become increasingly<br>apparent. Relatedly,
this sociopolitical moment has drawn attention to the powerful role that
affect plays in interpersonal relationships, human cognition, and
information behaviors. It is in such times that constructive dialogue is
both most needed and most difficult. Recognizing this reality, many
librarians are reexamining our professional roles within the library and
in relation to social justice, community engagement, and civil
discourse.<br><br>Political polarization’s significance to academic
library work has been most apparent in conversations about information
literacy education as a response to post-truth rhetoric and motivated
reasoning. The impacts of this polarization are nonetheless also evident
in numerous other aspects of library work, including in interactions
and relationships in our local contexts and in our larger professional
community. These effects can be seen in all areas of the Library -
classrooms, collections, technology, management, programming, and
spaces.<br><br>This edited volume will explore various ways in which
librarians experience and respond to political polarization and its
effects - in our everyday work, in our professional communities, and in
our engagement beyond the workplace. These responses play out in
librarians’ cognitive, affective, and physical worlds. Particular
attention will be given to how librarians and libraries can promote
constructive dialogue in such environments and to the barriers to or
limitations of dialogue.<br><br>Potential questions for exploration include:<br><ul><li>Have recent political events or issues influenced your campus or your library work in particular ways?<br><br></li><li>Where
have you experienced political polarization or tension in your
professional work and life? What shapes does this polarization take, and
what dynamics are at play? What effects does it have, and how do or
might librarians respond in these contexts?<br><br></li><li>What
barriers stand in the way of open dialogue, particularly in the context
of library work? Where are the potential openings for critically
reflective dialogue in our professional work and in our interactions
with other librarians, faculty, students, and community members?<br><br></li><li>What
role does empathy play in your professional engagement? What
possibilities or challenges does empathy or “an ethics of care” present
for library work?<br><br></li><li>How might politically polarized
environments influence how people engage in information seeking,
evaluation, or use? How might such contexts influence how people learn
or teach about information literacy?<br><br></li><li>How do students
view the library in these highly charged times? Are there certain
characteristics of library spaces or library ethos that students value
highly or view negatively? How can librarians help create a more safe,
dialogic space in libraries?<br><br></li><li>How do we think about the
concept of neutrality at a politically contentious time? What value and
what problems might the concept of neutrality present, if we seek to
promote dialogue and inquiry while also remaining true to our
professional or personal values? How can we draw from the lessons of
past politically volatile eras to inform current practice?<br><br></li><li>What influence has “post-truth” rhetoric or discussions about fake news had on your library work?<br><br></li><li>How might political polarization or tension influence librarians’ professional relationships and interactions?</li></ul>The
editors invite potential chapter authors to use any research method or
theoretical approach that they deem appropriate. New or seldom used
methods in LIS are welcome and could include, but are not limited to,
interpretivist or humanistic methods; feminist scholarship; narrative;
(auto)ethnography; poetry; fiction; bricolage; or comics. Contributions
that apply standard qualitative or quantitative research methods are
also welcome.<br><br>Please email your proposal as a Microsoft Word document to <a href="mailto:lib.dialogue.book@gmail.com" target="_blank">lib.dialogue.book@gmail.com</a> by <b>March 1st</b>. Please include the following information:<br><ul><li>Your name and contact information</li><li>The title of your chapter</li><li>A 500-100-word abstract of your chapter (Please include the approach, method, or form of your chapter.)</li><li>If available, a list of other writings or presentations that you have given on this or similar topics</li></ul>Publication timeline: <br><ul><li>3/1/2018 Proposals due to editors</li><li>3/31/18 Editors respond to chapter authors re: inclusion or not</li><li>6/15/18 Draft chapters due to editors</li><li>9/07/18 Final chapters due to editors</li><li>12/15/18 Publication date</li></ul>Andrea Baer<br>Instructional Services Librarian, University of West Georgia<br><br>Ellysa Stern Cahoy<br>Education Librarian & Assistant Director, The Pennsylvania Center for the Book; Pennsylvania State University<br><br>Bob Schroeder<br>Education Librarian, Portland State University<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><i>"First they came for the Immigrants, and I did not speak out—<br>Because I was not a Immigrant..."</i><pre cols="72"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="2">- An update of Martin </font>Niemöller's quotation for our times.</span> </pre><pre cols="72"><font size="2"> _________________________________________________________
Robert Schroeder
Education Librarian,
Associate Professor
Portland State University</font>
<br> 503 725 4519<br> <a href="mailto:schroedr@pdx.edu" target="_blank">schroedr@pdx.edu</a><br> Room 280F Millar Library</pre><pre cols="72"><br><br> </pre></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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