Mercian 2026: I can’t do any more with less! – Collaborative and Innovative Ways to Enhance Library Spaces, Collections, and Engagement without over-stretching ourselves (#Mercian26)
Wednesday, September 9th 2026, at TheVenue, DeMontfort University, Leicester
Call for Posters
We are inviting member institutions and special interest groups to submit posters for the exhibition at the Mercian 2026 Conference, showcasing recent research, projects, and special interests.
Conference Themes
Posters can focus on, but are not limited to, the conference themes: Collaboration, Innovation, Enhancement and Resourcefulness. You can submit a proposal about your work or that of your institution. If you’re unsure if your idea is on theme, feel free to contact the Enhancement team (Han-Na Cha, Emma Hibbert and Brittany Moster) at mercianconference@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!
Submitting a Proposal
Before creating your poster, please submit a proposal using the online Call for Posters form. If your proposal is successful, we will notify you and provide further submission details. Proposals are due by Friday, July 10th 2026.
Poster Format
- Size: A1
- Orientation: Portrait
- Word count guidance: 350-500 words
- Image DPI: 600
Successful poster creators will be invited to attend the conference or send a copy to the exhibition. Please bring your poster if you are attending in person. Posters will be displayed for conference attendees.
Presenting your Poster
This year there will be designated poster presentation time on the programme. We’d encourage you to be beside your poster during that time to chat to and discuss it with any other delegates.
Important Notes
- If submitting a poster on behalf of your institution, ensure you have approval before submitting.
- We may photograph posters during the event, giving full credit to the creators.
Call for Papers
There are opportunities to present a session detailed in the Call for Papers.
Further Information and Support
Mercian 26 is organised by the Mercian Collaboration, a professional network formed from SCONUL higher education libraries in the East and West Midlands of England. For more information, please contact the Conference Group Chair, Stephen Bull or the Mercian Collaboration conference group at mercianconference@gmail.com. For help or support in drafting your proposal, please contact the Enhancement team as above at mercianconference@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why a poster?
A poster offers the opportunity to talk about your work / institution in a succinct visual format, to summarise a piece of work or prompt discussion. The poster session is for anyone who would like to have a go – but might lend itself to smaller projects, participants who don’t feel their work is suitable for a speaker slot, or anyone who likes a visual format!
- What if I do not have strong design skills?
We welcome posters that are not to a professional standard – though there are many online templates and tools which can be used to put your poster together, the purpose is to communicate your ideas and work so please do not be too concerned about the design. However, if this is your forte please don’t hold back!
- Can I submit a poster if I cannot attend the conference?
We welcome poster contributors to come to the conference and talk about the poster during the poster session – which is an opportunity to discuss your project and network with other people from other Mercian institutions. However please note that delegate places at the conference are limited. If you cannot attend the conference, we would welcome your poster, just make sure you leave contact details on it so people can get in touch to talk about your project.
- Can group submit a poster?
Yes, please feel free to collaborate on your poster and make group submissions!
- I’ve never submitted a poster before, do you have a guide or any previous posters I can look at?
Yes, we have examples of posters on our Previous Posters page. This also includes a link additional support with designing your poster. If you’re still struggling however, please do get in touch with the team at mercianconference@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to help you!
- Can you recommend any tutorials on how to create a poster?
The University of Hull’s guide to academic posters (https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/present/posters) and the University of Staffordshire’s guide to academic posters (https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/assignments/poster) have some helpful suggestions on accessibility, layout and presentation. The University of Staffordshire’s guide also has a handy link to Canva example templates. These are useful to look at and especially so if you’d like to use Canva to create a poster. However, we’re not asking you to create an academic poster so do take a look at examples of previous posters for inspiration.
