The 2026 CHLA/ABSC Conference Program Committee invites submissions for the annual conference to be held in Québec City, Québec, June 2 to 5, 2026 at the Hotel Le Concorde.

The theme of the conference is Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future: 50 Years of Health Expertise

Instructions for Submitting a proposal:

Important:
Individuals submitting a proposal must provide the following information:
• A biography (maximum 100 words) for themselves, as well as for any co-presenters. These biographies will be included in the Conference Program.
• The names and affiliation for all authors (including the submitter) who contributed to the work. This information will be published along with the submission abstract in the Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association (JCHLA).

Pretalx biography and picture:
• Additional space is available on page 3 of the submission form to update the submitter’s Pretalx account biography and picture. We strongly encourage the submitter to complete their Pretalx bio and picture on that page as this information will be used in the Online Interactive Conference Schedule.
• All presenters are encouraged to create a Pretalx account and complete their bio and add a picture for inclusion in the Online Interactive Conference Schedule.

All accepted abstracts will be included in the Online Interactive Conference Schedule, the Conference Program, and published in JCHLA.

Please refer to the Presenter Information page on the conference website for additional information.

Option 1 ) Paper, Poster, & Lightning Talk Submissions

Submitters selecting this type of proposal must also indicate their preferred format for presenting their work: Paper (20 minutes), Poster, or Lightning Talk (one presenter, 5 minutes).

The abstract must not exceed 250 words (excluding section headings, which should appear in bold). The abstract should follow the guidelines of the Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association. References should not be included unless necessary, in which case full bibliographic citations must be provided.

You may submit either:
i) Research abstracts: report on designing, conducting, and analyzing a research project.
or
ii) Program description abstracts: describe the creation or improvement of products, programs, technologies, administrative practices, or services conducted by librarians, library technicians, and/or other information professionals.

Note: If research results and conclusions are not yet available, they may be added to the abstract at the end of the peer review process, provided the abstract does not exceed 250 words.

Option 2) Interactive Workshops Submissions

Interactive workshops are in-depth, participatory sessions designed to promote learning through action. Workshops must focus on a specific topic and be 90 minutes in length, including time for a break if needed.

The abstract for a workshop must not exceed 250 words (excluding section headings, which should appear in bold). The abstract should include the topic, target audience, objectives, and a description of the interactive activities.

Additional space is available on page 2 of the submission form to include three (3) learning objectives, a detailed description of the planned interactive activities, and logistical requirements (room setup, technology).

Option 3) Panels Submissions

A panel discussion is 60 minutes long and may include up to four (4) panellists, in addition to a moderator. Panellists are invited to share differing perspectives through brief oral presentations, in order to explore a specific theme or topic. Presentations are followed by a Q&A period, allowing participants to interact directly with the panellists.

The abstract for a panel must not exceed 250 words (excluding section headings, which should appear in bold). The abstract should include a description of the topic/theme to be covered, as well as a brief overview of each panellist’s presentation.

Additional space is available on page 2 of the submission form to include the biography of each panellist and the moderator.

If you have any other questions, please contact Jackie Phinney J.phinney[at]dal[dot]ca or Alla Iansavitchene Alla.iansavitchene[at]lhsc.on[dot]ca
If you have questions about accessibility accommodations, please contact info[at]chla-absc[point]ca

Visit our website for more conference information and keep up with the latest conference news on Bluesky or Instagram with our hashtag #CHLAABSC26

You can enter proposals until 2025-11-07 23:59 (America/Montreal), 1 month, 1 week from now.