Funding for Bibliographical Events
BSA events present the study of material texts to our community, bringing people and ideas together. They celebrate, nurture, and incubate new ideas around research, practice, and pedagogy, and almost all are open to the public. Virtual and in-person events offered year-round include lectures, panel discussions, receptions, and workshops.
If you have an event in mind, you can submit a proposal for your event to be funded by BSA and request modest administrative support. These events can happen anywhere and at any time. Our events committee invites event proposals three times annually.
The community of BSA members, fellows, New Scholars, writers, speakers, presenters, and newsletter subscribers is the Society’s greatest strength. We nurture this community by facilitating connections between individuals and small groups. These connections create a dynamic community which breathes life into the field of bibliography.
What is bibliography? ↑
Bibliography is much more than your “works cited” page. As a field of inquiry, bibliography examines the artifactual value of texts – including books, manuscripts, and digital texts – and how they reflect the people and cultures that created, acquired, and exchanged them. Bibliographers study the technologies used to carry texts to readers, valuing the close physical analysis of material artifacts, and the social and economic systems that disperse texts in all their various forms around the globe.
When can I submit a proposal? ↑
The events committee accepts proposals three times each year. The following dates have been set for 2024-2025:
Proposals for events scheduled between February and May 2025 are due 1 November 2024.
Proposals for events scheduled between June and August 2025 are due 1 April 2025.
Proposals for events scheduled between September 2025 and January 2026 are due 1 August 2025.
Who can submit a proposal? ↑
This program is open to all active BSA members. Dues start at $25/year for individuals 35 and younger, $80/year for individuals 36 and older.
How do I submit my proposal? ↑
Active BSA members can submit a proposal by logging into our website and navigating to the “Access member benefits” page. A link to the submission form is available there.
The BSA events committee accepts proposals for events using Google Forms. We regret that we cannot accept proposals in any other way. Use the link below to submit your proposal. You can preview the form at the link below.
What kinds of events do you support? ↑
We request a general overview of the content of sessions and presenters as well as information about the budget, promotion, and general organization of the event. This allows us to compensate presenters and organizers with honoraria for their intellectual and organizational labor and to cover other necessary costs. In all BSA events, the material text – that is, handwritten, printed, or other textual artifacts, broadly conceived – as historical evidence, and/or the theory and practice of descriptive, historical, and/or critical bibliography, should be a central concern to participants and organizers.
Event formats
BSA welcomes proposals for events in traditional and innovative formats; hybrid, virtual, and in-person. Types of events might include but are not limited to:
lectures
panel presentations
hands-on workshops
conference sessions
receptions following events that are bibliographical in nature
We strive to make our events free for attendees and open to all.
International events
The BSA actively seeks to foster community building for bibliographers around the world, and in particular across the Americas. The Events Committee welcomes proposals for virtual events from non-US residents.
Organizing in-person events outside of the US can be complicated for various reasons, including but not limited to visa and tax considerations, vendor management and payment, and other logistical issues. If you have questions about organizing an international event, you can contact BSA Executive Director Erin McGuirl by email. In general, virtual events are the easiest way to assemble speakers and audiences from around the globe.
How much money can I ask for? ↑
Applications for support typically vary between $250 to $1000 per event. Funds can be used for a variety of purposes, including, but not limited to, venue rental, honoraria, and travel expenses for an invited speaker.
The BSA can also provide administrative support for your events. Such support can take the form of:
hosting your event on Zoom
taking registration for your event and communicating with attendees in collaboration with the organizer(s)
sharing a recording of your event on the BSA YouTube channel
securing permission to record and share video from your presenters
securing captioning and interpretation services
If you have a specific need that does not appear in the list above, please contact the BSA Executive Director before submitting your application to confirm that the BSA office can provide the administrative support you require.
What do I need to prepare my proposal submission? ↑
The submission form consists of 16 questions about the event organizers, the event itself (including information about speakers, teachers, or presenters), total budget and funding request, accessibility, and sponsorship.
In reviewing applications, the BSA Events Committee seeks to ascertain whether or not a proposed event supports the Society’s overall mission to foster the study of material texts, as well as consider various aspects of the event’s feasibility. The committee will also consider the accessibility of the event and will want to know about other sponsoring organizations. The BSA is delighted to co-sponsor events with libraries, museums, and institutions of higher learning!
Questions?
If you have questions about preparing a proposal, please contact the Events Committee Chair at events@bibsocamer.org.