Save the Date - Conference 2022
Dates for the 2022 Collaboration Conference have been drafted – so keep 6-7th September free if you’d like to attend as a delegate or speaker.
The Conference Group is delighted to announce that this year’s signature Mercian Collaboration event – the annual conference - will be hosted online once again. Since 2017, each year the Collaboration has hosted a conference aiming to offer all academic library staff at member institutions the opportunity to come together to share updates and experiences along with networking with colleagues across the Midlands region.
This year the Collaboration is deeply grateful to Cranfield University for kindly offering to host the event, which will take place using their state-of-the art conference and television suite facilities. This will offer delegates and speakers alike new options to engage, network and discuss matters of interest to the regional academic library community.
As it was such a successful option for 2021’s event, this year’s conference will once again be stripped across two consecutive half-days: Tue 6th to Wed 7th September. Once more this allows for potentially more delegates to attend some or all of the conference event, where a single day may have precluded their availability. Additionally, the online format will help to minimise any health concerns, eliminate travel expenses and facilitate an ease of attendance for all delegates.
The exact theme for this year’s Collaboration is still under discussions - although the Conference Group are zeroing in on a theme. Inspired by feedback from their earlier member survey, informed through sector developments and debated within the Conference Group committee, we hope this year’s theme will once more appeal to staff working at all levels and sections of the library.
Furthermore, this year’s conference will also be looking to external partner organisations to support the Collaboration’s signature event through participating in various sponsorship opportunities. Information on this is already available on the site, or by contacting one of the individuals listed below.
A formal launch of sponsorship, a call for speakers alongside the announcement of the final conference theme will follow in the next few weeks. Delegate bookings as normal are planned to open in the early summer. We are delighted to announce, thanks to the support of the Mercian Collaboration Board, that once again the event will be free to attend for all library staff at Mercian Collaboration member institutions. And we hope, for those throughout the UK too who might wish to join us!
Further updates on the conference will follow on the Collaboration’s news pages, social media and via the Mercian-Collaboration general discussion list (join today!).
In the meantime, for more details on any conference developments visit the Conference Group pages. Alternatively, contact Conference Group Chair Deborah Munro (D.Munro@bham.ac.uk), Collaboration Executive Manager Gareth J Johnson (mercianlibrariescollaboration@gmail.com or follow MercianCollab on twitter (#Mercian22)