July 13, 2021

Finding Connectedness, Inspiration, and Comfort at the 2021 Library Publishing Forum

About this series: The 2021 Virtual Library Publishing Forum was a huge success, combining excellent content with smooth facilitation and a liberal dose of whimsy and care. We decided to pull back the curtain on how it was run to support other organizations that are interested in hosting thought-provoking, humane events on a shoestring. Because we have a lot to say, we are publishing a series of daily posts, each with a different theme. The series was created by the group of Educopia staff and LPC Program Committee members listed above, but the guide is written in first person and each section is written from a different perspective. Authors listed above who aren’t credited on a particular section helped with planning and editing the series.

Virtual conferencing means attendees miss out on travel to new places and after-hour meals with distant colleagues, plus being virtual means another reason to be stuck on Zoom all day. But, we also recognize the upsides: pants with elastic waistbands, more inclusivity for folks unable to travel, and a mute button for when people make more of a comment than a question.

After a year of Zoom fatigue, isolation, and dealing with all the difficult issues thrown at us by a global pandemic, how could we plan an online event that didn’t compound these effects, but instead led us to connectedness, inspiration, and comfort? What kind of an event could we plan that led from a place of empathy and yet still provided swag?

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