This year's conference will be in-person at the Hilton and City Center in Saratoga Springs, New York on November 4-7.

2026 Program Proposal Form

Every library story begins with a reason.

The 2026 conference theme, Libraries Because ______, invites you to name yours. There is no single answer to why libraries matter, but rather a powerful range of possibilities. Books and information are probably high on the list, but also access, democracy, community, culture, literacy, belonging, and opportunity.

Libraries are defined by our commitment to these values and the resilience we demonstrate in fighting for them. By naming our specific reasons, we affirm that they guide our decisions, strengthen our advocacy, and connect us to the communities we serve. Individually, these reasons are personal. Together, they form a shared narrative of impact and purpose.
Join us at the 2026 Annual Conference to celebrate the many reasons libraries matter and discover new ones together. The conference is a great opportunity to turn your “because” into action and impact.

 

The program proposal submission deadline is March 20, 2026.

 
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL
  
 

Submission Form Information

The form is designed to collect proposals for:

  • Program/Workshop - 75-minute programs

Please note these presentations make up the majority of our conference schedule and typically do not provide honorarium in excess of $1,000. If you are the agent or admin for a professional speaker attempting to participate in our event, we kindly ask you reach out to our office staff at [email protected] before completing any forms for assistance in this process.

  • Preconference Program - 3-hour programs

Preconference forms are evaluated by the CE committee and the office staff outside of the program/workshop 75 proposal review process and these presentations are invited to present the extended time slots.

  • Unit/Partner Meetings

This form is for any group internal or external that wishes to get space at our event for a meeting. Please note we typically provide meeting space on the Wednesday day/evening of our event and all space is subject to office staff approval. If you are planning a meeting off site, you can complete the form so we know the details of the meeting to add to our schedule.

  • Special Events (Unit/Partner Luncheons, University Alumni Events, Receptions etc.)

Please note anyone wishing to participate in our event, must submit a proposal form in order to be added to the schedule. We kindly request that information is completed in its entirety. If for some reason select information is unavailable at the time of submission, please contact the office at [email protected] for the form to be updated. All submitted proposals are subject to review by the Continuing Education and Conference Committees for selection. 

Please note proposal submission forms provide a space for all event requests. All requests are subject to approval by the NYLA office staff. This includes but is not limited to space setup, honorariums, travel and room reimbursements, F&B, etc. More information about NYLA conference and event financial policies can be found here.

All speakers will receive a contract that outlines the terms of their presentation. Speakers are provided approximately 30 days to review terms and negotiate their contract with the office staff. Signed contracts are due to the office by the noted deadline.

Primary presenters serve as the responsible party for their presentation. They are responsible for making sure all presentation information such as logistics, presenter discount, etc. are communicated to all co-presenters within their presentation. Primary presenters who find they cannot present, but find an alternate presenter to fulfill their contract, must contact the office with their cancellation information as soon as possible. All terms negotiated within their contract will be transferred to the new speaker. The new speaker is not able to negotiate any changes to the existing contract. 

Proposal Submission Resources

NYLA Annual Conference Proposal Review Guidelines

Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the Continuing Education Committee. The committee will use the guidelines below to assist in evaluating each proposal. NYLA has adopted an anonymous review process in order to ensure an unbiased review by the committee. 

Below are a list of criteria considered during the review of proposals. 

PROPOSAL TITLE
  • Does the program title clearly describe the program as proposed?  
  • Is it engaging and inviting for attendees? 
  • Does it clearly market the program? 
PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION
  • Does the program description clearly, with sufficient detail, outline the proposed presentation? 
TARGET AUDIENCE/RELEVANCE
  • Who is the target audience and why would this session be relevant to them?  
INNOVATION/TIMELINESS
  • Does the content offer fresh, new, innovative ideas, methods, or resources?  
LEARNING OUTCOMES
  • Are learning outcomes clear, specific, observable, and actionable?
PRESENTATION/ENGAGEMENT

  • Is the proposed presentation likely to engage participants actively in discussion, thought, or active learning?

NYLA 2026 Proposal Submission Planning Documents (Fillable PDF)

The documents below can be used to assist in completion of your electronic proposal submission form. Please note these documents are solely to be used to help individuals plan their submission and will not be accepted as an official submission form. 
Program/Workshop Form
  
Unit/Partner Meetings

Pre-Conference Program
  
Special Events (Unit/Partner Luncheons, University Alumni Events, Receptions etc.

Program Proposal Submission Timeline 

  • Proposal Submission Form Opens - January 26th
  • Proposal Submission Form Closes - March 20th
  • NYLA Staff Notify Program Speakers of Program Status - Mid-late May

Proposal questions can be emailed to [email protected].