Lightning Talks

***The deadline for lightning talk proposal submissions was January 17, 2014; proposals are no longer being accepted.***
***Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal!***

A small, but fun part of the LOEX conference are the Lightning Talks, which are a fun way to share ideas and best practices that don't warrant a full-blown breakout session: think of it as quick hit single as opposed to a whole album.

Successful proposals will show evidence of being lively, fast-paced and thought provoking, while appealing to a wide audience. Topics can be practical or conceptual ideas, and should showcase effective practices or highlight new projects in various stages of development.

Lightning Talk Format, Timing and Quantity

Each presenter will have seven minutes total.  There will not be additional time for questions, but presenters may reserve part of the seven minute allotment for Q&A if desired.

Lightning Talks will very likely take place on Saturday, May 10, and be presented in a general session open to all attendees.

We expect, at maximum, five Lightning Talks proposals will be accepted for the conference.

Submission Information

Lightning Talk proposals can be submitted only through the online submission form and must be received by Friday, January 17, 2014. The contact on the submission will be notified if the proposal has been accepted for presentation by Friday, January 31, 2014. There is only one presenter permitted for each Lightning Talk presentation due to time constraints.

If your proposal is accepted, the presenter will be automatically registered for the conference, and required to pay registration in full by March 31, 2014. A Lightning Talk presenter is not required to, but can choose to submit a full paper version of their talk for inclusion in the LOEX Conference Proceedings.

Note: Failure to pay the registration fee will result in the cancellation of your presentation and conference registration. Presenters are responsible for paying their own travel and lodging expenses.

Contact for presenters: Kristy Motz at lightning2014@loexconference.org

Lightning Talk Proposal Timeline

  • January 17, 2014: Deadline to submit lightning talk proposals
  • January 31, 2014: Notification of acceptance of lightning talk proposal
  • May 2, 2014: Deadline for all Lightning Talk presenters to submit full papers (up to 1000 words) for inclusion in the LOEX Conference Proceedings
  • May 8-10, 2014: 42nd Annual LOEX Conference in Grand Rapids, MI


Lightning Talk Proposal Selection Criteria

The committee will be using a rubric to score the proposals during a double-blind review process. The rubric grades each proposal on:

  • Content and objectives of presentation
  • Clarity of topic, particularly how presenter will achieve presentation objectives in seven minutes or less
  • Relevance to the field of library instruction
  • Originality and creativity
  • Demonstrated expertise of the presenter(s) on the topic 
  • Methods used to inform and also engage the audience 

For more guidelines on preparing and giving lightning talks at LOEX 2014, please click here.