Mercian 26 Conference: We Need You!

Conference Admin May 19, 2026

Mercian26 Conference: We Need You!

Planning continues apace for the Mercian Collaboration Conference, Mercian 26 - "I can't do any more with less", taking place on Wednesday 9^th September at The Venue@DMU, De Montfort University.

The Conference Planning Committee would like to invite you to participate in the conference and there are a number of ways in which you can do this:

We have opportunities for table discussions (15 minutes), presentations (20 minutes) and workshops (60 minutes) – you can read more about all of these formats;
Proposals can relate directly to the conference theme or to some other area of library activity that you think might be of interest more widely (e.g. a project, a problem, a new service or innovation);
We welcome submissions from colleagues in any role and at any level, from those new to presenting to those who are regular presenters;
Presenting at a conference is a great CPD opportunity and the Mercian Conference provides extra support for those wishing to develop their presentation skills;
Briefing sessions are available for anyone who might be interested in presenting, with the final session scheduled for Thursday 28^th May;
Further information is available and feel free to contact Clare and Lynn, our Speaker Liaison team, with any questions;
Closing date for submissions is Monday 8^th June.

If presenting a paper isn’t your thing, but you, your team, project or special interest group have something that you would like to share, we are keen to hear from you;
This year’s conference programme includes a dedicated poster session;
We have lots of online support available to help with designing posters, including examples from the 2025 conference; and feel free to contact Brittany, Emma and Han-Na, our Conference Enhancement team, with any questions;
Closing date for submissions is Friday 10^th July.

A fantastic opportunity to learn what is going on at HE libraries and network with colleagues across the region;
Conference attendance is free and travel bursaries will be available for colleagues working at institutions unable to fund travel;
Bookings are likely to open late June/ early July.

We have Mercian 26 webpages, packed with information including more details of the conference theme, keynote speaker, our sponsors and supporters (who enable us to make the conference free to attend) and the venue;
Please feel free to contact us: mercianconference@gmail.com

We look forward to receiving your paper and poster submissions, as well as welcoming you to the conference in September!