Information for Presenters

The Education Institute is always on the lookout for great webinar or course ideas related to the library & information profession, across all sectors. If you’re a subject area expert, or have a new & innovative idea you want to share with the library community, we want to work with you! New presenters are always welcome. 

Typical topics for courses include, but are not limited to:

  • Innovative approaches to reference or collection practices
  • Successful library programming and services
  • Management & Leadership
  • Advocacy
  • Teaching & Learning
  • Tech Tools
  • Digital Literacy, Privacy & Security
  • Marketing & Community Outreach
  • Project Management & Productivity
  • Fundraising
  • Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility

Presenters should be comfortable presenting in an online format, including a Q&A period – we use the Adobe Connect platform to present and record webinars and courses.

Submit a Proposal

The Education Institute books three times a year: in March/April for summer, July/August for fall, and November/December for winter. However, interested presenters are welcome to submit a session proposal at any time.

All session proposals require a description, list of key outcomes, and presenter bios. If you are submitting an idea for a course (vs. a one-time session) please also include a resume and short cover letter outlining how your qualifications and experience suit your course proposal.

Once we receive your submission, a member of the Education team will review it and reach out with more information about next steps.

Times & Dates

Courses and webinars are generally scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 12 and 3 pm EST. 

Sessions are either 30 or 60 minutes in duration, and include a Q&A period. 30 minute sessions are best suited to quick tips & tricks, show & tell or expanded lightning talk content.

Compensation

Webinar and course presenters will receive an honourarium, which is distributed at the end of each semester.  For new, longer-term courses, course development fees may be offered in addition to negotiated payment. Provincial and territorial library associations (The Partnership ) receive monetary compensation for each webinar or course registrant from their particular organization on a quarterly basis.

Distribution & Recordings

Links to streamed webinar recordings will be made available to participants for personal reference for up to one year; and may be made available for sale on The Library Marketplace. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please get in touch.

Promotion

The Education Institute will promote your course or webinar far and wide to help spread the word, and we also encourage you to do the same! We share information about upcoming webinars and courses on our social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, as well as other channels that we feel will be impactful. A member of our Education team will send you event link(s) and any promotional materials as soon as they become available.

Cancellation

The EI reserves the right to cancel or postpone a session, as circumstances require (i.e. low enrollment). This is determined 3-4 days prior to the session. In the event of technical difficulties or speaker illness/emergency, we will postpone to a new date.

Rehearsals

A rehearsal will be scheduled with a member of our Education team a week or two (or more if you need it!) ahead of the presentation date to familiarize you with the platform and its possibilities, and iron out any technical and audio difficulties that may arise. 

Technical Requirements

Webinars are conducted using the Adobe Connect Platform. To ensure your computer is set up with the appropriate tools to participate in an Adobe Connect Meeting, try the Test Meeting Connection . Sometimes add-ons need to be installed or your browser updated. If you run into technical difficulties, you can check out the Adobe Connect Help Center. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A wired (rather than wireless) internet connection, if possible. 
  • A headset or good quality computer microphone. We occasionally offer audio through teleconferencing, but the sound quality is not as good and the webinar is more expensive to produce. If you do use a telephone, it must be a landline connection rather than a wireless one.
  • Presentation slides, with enough visuals to engage participants for a 20 or 50 minute presentation, depending on your session’s duration. Avoid text-heavy slides – studies show that it’s difficult for some learners to listen and read at the same time. Unfortunately, Adobe Connect does not support Prezi presentations at this time, though you do have the ability to share your desktop to show participants documents or websites.
  • A webcam. This is optional; if you wish to put a face to your voice, you must provide your own webcam.

Registration

To learn more about registering for a course or webinar, visit our Registration FAQ.

Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch!