USAIN 2026 Call for Proposals

The United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) Contributed Papers and Posters Committee is soliciting proposals for the 20th Biennial USAIN Conference.  This year’s conference, “Honoring Our Past, Celebrating the Present, & Planning Our Future: Extending Our Reach 2.0” will be held May 31 - June 3, 2026 in Blacksburg, Virginia and online, hosted by Virginia Tech.

Contributed Papers should be on a topic of interest to a large proportion of conference attendees, are presented orally, and should be no more than 12 minutes plus 3 minutes for Questions & Answers. At least one author must be a presenter and attend the conference in-person; other co-presenters can participate virtually with a pre-recorded presentation. An individual may be a presenter for a maximum of two submissions in the Contributed Papers & Posters main sessions. Presentation and Poster content will be deposited in the USAIN Conference Proceedings repository.

Posters are suitable for sharing preliminary research or short project reports. At least one author of each Poster must be a presenter and attend the conference in-person.

The Contributed Papers and Posters Committee will review anonymized submissions to these main sessions.

In addition to the Contributed Papers & Posters main sessions, three USAIN Interest Groups are soliciting contributions for their programs. See the USAIN Interest Groups Calls for Proposals further below.

 

Instructions for Authors

Contributed Paper and Poster proposals should be submitted online via Easy Chair here. Be sure to indicate whether you are submitting a Paper or Poster proposal. During submission, you will have the option to agree for your paper proposal to be considered as a poster if it is not accepted as a paper.

Deadline for proposal submission: December 15, 2025

Deadline for slides, posters, any pre-recorded content and the USAIN Conference Proceedings Repository release form: April 30, 2026

Submission Guidelines

●     Abstracts, presentations, and posters must be in English

●      Abstracts maximum length: 300 words

●      At least one presenter must register to attend the conference

●      An individual may present a maximum of two submissions in the Contributed Papers & Posters main sessions – one Paper and one Poster

●     Submissions must be properly anonymized for review. Any information in the title or body of the abstract identifying individuals or institutions must be redacted by the author(s) before submission

●     Upon acceptance, authors will be asked to finalize their abstracts

 Selection Criteria

The proposal should:

●     Report on original research or project; or demonstrate a new application of an existing technology, method, or thought

●      Contribute to the knowledge of the fields of agricultural, animal science, food science, horticultural, or natural resources information and education

●     Be of broad interest to the USAIN audience who are mainly academic librarians and information professionals

●      Be of suitable scope and content for a Paper or Poster

●      Add to the quality and diversity of the conference program

●     Address the conference theme - Honoring Our Past, Celebrating the Present, & Planning Our Future: Extending Our Reach 2.0

Guidelines and FAQs – more information about submissions

Please contact the Contributed Papers & Posters Chair, Suzanne Stapleton (suzanne@ufl.edu), if you have any questions about submissions.

 

USAIN Interest Group Calls for Proposals

The Animal Health Information Interest Group (AHIIG) invites proposals for those interested in presenting during an AHIIG discussion session at the conference.  Topics may include a wide variety of services or research in the subject areas of animal health or veterinary medicine. The presentation options for this session are:

●     5 minute Anything Goes (a challenging reference question, feedback on a LibGuide, any other topic you would like to bring forward for discussion)

●     5 minute Lightning Talk (looking to spark discussion/ideas/collaborators)

●     15 minute Paper Presentation (12 min for presentation, 3 min for Q&A)

●     30 minute Panel Discussion (20-25 min for panelists, 5-10 min for Q&A)

Please submit your proposal for AHIIG session here. You may submit multiple proposals.

Proposals will be evaluated by the AHIIG Co-conveners for applicability to animal health-related topics (bonus points if it adheres to the conference theme).  Priority will be given to current AHIIG members and to students.

 

The Instruction Interest Group will host a session covering a wide variety of instructional approaches that support teaching information literacy in animal science, agriculture, and related subject areas. Teaching is an iterative process and proposals should address one or both of the following questions: “What instructional approaches or examples have been successful in teaching information literacy in animal, agriculture, and related subjects? OR, What have you learned or adjusted in your teaching to create a successful instructional approach based on unsuccessful teaching experiences?”

The presentation options for this session are:

• 5 minute Lightning Talk (with additional 2 minutes for Q&A)

• 12 minute Paper Presentation (with additional 3 minutes for Q&A)

Please submit your proposal for the Instruction IG session online via Easy Chair. You may submit multiple proposals. The Instruction IG conveners will review the proposals and contact those who have been accepted. Submissions should be made here - be sure to select the Instruction Interest Group track.

Proposals for this session will follow the conference hybrid modality options: at least one presenter must attend the conference in-person; other co-presenters can participate virtually with a pre-recorded presentation.

This call is open to anyone who can speak to the topic. USAIN membership is not a requirement to submit a proposal or present at the session. We are actively seeking proposals from individuals at all career stages, and encourage submissions from early-career professionals to bring fresh perspectives to our conference.

 

The Technology Trends Interest Group (TTIG) will host a lightning talk session at the conference themed on How Tech Shaped-and Will Shape-Our Libraries. Each talk will be 8 minutes, followed by 2 minutes for questions. Contributors are not required to be USAIN members.

We welcome proposals that explore how technology has shaped, is shaping, and may shape library work, especially in agricultural and science contexts. Topics include (but are not limited to):

●     Assessment of mobile apps related to food, agriculture and nutrition, or library services

●     Faculty and student use of mobile apps or social media in their academic pursuits

●     Ethical considerations around AI, sustainability, or digital equity 

●     Use, assessment, and effectiveness of data management tools

●     Technologies for library instruction or outreach

●     Evaluating the impact of collections and user preferences

●     Tools that help faculty increase research visibility, impact, or engagement

●     New or emerging online tools, including open-source solutions

●     Tools for inclusive or accessible library services and resources

If you need help deciding if your topic is appropriate for this lightning session, please contact the TTIG co-conveners Nicole Juve (nicole.km.juve@ndsu.edu) or Alex Wieker (wiek0008@umn.edu).

Submissions should include:

●     Title of your talk

●     Presenter name(s)

●     Abstract (max 250 words)

Priority will be given to first time USAIN attendees/presenters or early career library personnel and students.

Please submit TTIG entries viaform by December 15th.

Proposals will be reviewed by the TTIG co-conveners.

Applicants will be notified of their status after the review period.

 

General Guidelines and FAQs

Important Dates

Submission deadline: December 15, 2025

Notification of acceptance: By January 30, 2026

Submit slides, posters, any pre-recorded content and the USAIN Conference Proceedings repository release form: April 30, 2026

Attend conference: May 31-June 3, 2026

FAQs

1. Should I submit my proposal as a paper or poster? Papers should be on a topic of interest to a large proportion of conference attendees. Papers are presented as oral presentations (not read) and should be no more than 15 minutes in length, including 3 minutes to respond to questions. Posters are suitable for sharing preliminary research, works in progress, short project reports, or projects that are narrower in scope. The submission form will give you the option to “Consider my proposal as a poster if it is not accepted as a paper.”

2. How should I format my abstract? Abstracts should be written in English and be no more than 300 words in length. The title and abstract must be anonymous, with no identifying personal, institutional or address information. Proposal must also include a minimum of three author-supplied keywords. Abstracts should not include figures, tables, or bibliographic references. Abstracts should convey the objective of your project and its significance to the USAIN audience, who are mainly academic librarians and information professionals. Depending on the scope and status of your project, it is also appropriate to include your methods, results, and conclusions if within the word limit.

3. How do I submit my proposal? Abstracts are submitted online using EasyChair here. New EasyChair users will need to register for a free account.

4. How should I make my proposal anonymous?Do not include author names, institutional or company affiliations, or address information in the proposal title or abstract. Enter that information in the correct fields of the submission form only. The Contributed Papers and Posters Committee Chair reserves the right to edit abstracts for the purpose of eliminating any identifying information before sending them to reviewers. Authors are urged to anonymize their abstracts themselves, because the chair cannot guarantee the resulting quality of changes made after submission.

5. How will my proposal be evaluated? Your proposal will be evaluated based on whether it is an original project or research; or demonstrates a new application of an existing technology, method, or thought; contributes to the knowledge of the fields of agricultural, animal science, food science, horticultural, or natural resources information and education; is of broad interest to the USAIN audience who are mainly academic librarians and information professionals; is appropriate for the format; adds to the quality and diversity of the conference program; and addresses the conference theme. Abstracts submitted to Interest Group sessions will be evaluated by the Interest Group’s conveners and/or their delegates.

6. How will I know if my proposal is accepted?You will be notified by email of the Contributed Papers and Posters Committee’s decision by January 30, 2026 for proposals to the main Contributed Papers and Posters sessions. You will be notified by email from Interest Group conveners regarding decisions for Interest Group sessions by January 30, 2026.

7. USAIN 2026 will be a hybrid conference. At least one author of each contributed papers or posters must agree to present and attend the conference in person. Remote presenters may submit a pre-recorded presentation prior to the conference.

8. Are there scholarships or registration discounts available for presenters? Yes. USAIN offers conference scholarships to graduate students in library or information science, new professionals, librarians representing HBUCs, and first-time conference attendees. Learn more about scholarships here. USAIN also provides financial support to Research Fellow Award recipients each year who may choose to spend part of their award on conference expenses.

9. Can I submit my proposal if it has been previously presented? Yes, as long as the original research has been specifically adapted for the USAIN audience. Research or projects presented should include new data, perspective, or interpretation.

10. I am working on more than one project that is relevant to the USAIN audience. Can I submit proposals for all of them? Yes, though in the interest of hearing from as many presenters as possible, an individual can only present on a maximum of two submissions – one Paper presentation and one Poster in the Contributed Papers and Posters main sessions. Interest Group sessions do not include this restriction. You may be a co-author on multiple proposals of any type.

11. Are submissions limited to USAIN members? No. USAIN welcomes collaborative research and presentations. Authors and Presenters are not required to be USAIN members.

12. Do presenters retain copyright to their work?Yes. Authors retain copyright to their work.

13. Are presentation materials archived?Yes. Electronic versions of contributed paper and poster presentation materials are expected to be deposited in the USAIN Conference Proceedings repository hosted by Cornell University.