IASL 2009 Annual Conference

Abano Terme (Padua), Italy, 2 - 4 September 2009

38th Annual Conference incorporating the 13th International Forum on Research in School Librarianship

Paper preparation guidelines

[Note: This section is relevant to presenters whose abstracts have been received and accepted by the IASL 2008 Conference Program Committee.]

Refer to the paper guidelines and use the template available for download for proper formatting.

Research Forum papers should address research process as well as research product. Please prepare your methods (including sample, data collection, data analysis, etc.) and/or methodology (philosophy, framework, etc.) sections with care and discuss them in your presentation. You may wish to visit How To Write a Research Report if you are not familiar with the format of a research paper.

See also SLW Editorial Style
See also SLW Referencing

Poster presentation guidelines

General
A poster is a visual presentation on a topic of interest, created on a large piece of paper or board. When preparing your poster for presentation please bear in mind that there will be a large number of delegates, so for the poster to have maximum value it should possible to read it from a distance of at least several feet. Information should be typed in large typeface. Charts, figures and illustrations should be simple and bold. Readability is the key.
To attract the attendees to stop at your poster, ensure that the content is vital. So, focus on the essential message. Use pictures, tables and charts to tell the story. It is recommended to use 20% text, 40% graphics and 40% white space on your poster. Please also consider the needs, interest and level of understanding of your audience.

Presentation at the conference
Posters are scheduled in the lobby at the first floor at the Conference Venue, Hotel Alexander Palace, in Abano Terme. A standard bulletin board will be provided. Each presenter will be allocated a poster board.
Presenters should be available for an hour between Sept. 2nd to 4th, 2009. Leave a message on your board detailing the hours you plan to be at your presentation. After the session, please leave a note on your poster as to where you can be reached in case someone wishes to discuss the content of your poster further.
Background of the poster board is a neutral colour. It is your responsibility to provide push pins, tape or other means of attaching your poster on the board.
Ensure that at the top of your poster your presentation title and the name(s) of the author(s) are clearly stated.
Each author is responsible for the assembly and removal of their poster.
The poster sessions have a designated time in which presenters are requested to be available at their poster to discuss its contents with conference delegates. Times are given in the programme.
Please be aware that there is limited time for the presentation. All posters will be displayed during the entire conference so attendees can browse the poster aisles and will read or study your poster while you are away; make certain the message is clear and simple.
There will be lots of other posters and the presenter will stand near the poster to answer questions.
The conference organizers aim to schedule the poster sessions during a no conflict time-slot questions about subject content.

Poster design
Each presenter will be assigned a 100 cm (height) x 70 cm (width) VERTICAL poster board space. The net area available for your poster will be 150 cm (height) x 120 cm (width). Attachment to the poster board is by Velcro tape only and there will be supplies of these available at the conference reception desk. Please note you may not write on, use pins or mark the poster boards in any way.
Posters must be prepared as a single poster and not as a collage. Please use readable fonts. Font sizes in main text must be no smaller than 28 pt (Arial) or 32 pt (Times New Roman). Font size in figure and table titles should be no smaller than 24 pt (Arial) or 28 pt (Times New Roman).
Posters that do not conform to the above guidelines may not be displayed.
All lettering must be easily read from a distance of 1.50 m. (6 ft).
Keep your text in short, concise, legible statements; minimize complete sentences and paragraphs. A few summary statements are encouraged. Use a typewriter or word processor to prepare your text copy. Make sure that the type is very black--some word processors/printers generate gray copy that reproduces poorly.

Miscellaneous
It is always a good idea to bring along a few tools for last-minute problems that pop up. Scissors, liquid paper, and a marking pen should be considered. You’ll find that a measuring tape comes in handy when trying to make sure the artwork is properly mounted on the poster board.
Bring a supply of business cards or other form of identification to hand out at your poster session. This is a quick way of distributing your name and address to interested attendees. Have a sign-up pad available to record the names and addresses of individuals wanting more information. You can also use the pad to write down interesting comments from attendees. You may also want to have a supply of handouts available. Make sure these handouts include title, author(s) and limit it to one page in length.

Last updated 24 April 2009 (KSB)