Advisory Committee on Open Science and Scholarship (OSSAC), Bibliography Section (BIB), Cataloguing Section (CAT), and Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section (SCORE)

Theme: “Metadata for Open Knowledge: Pushing Boundaries, Transforming Access“

 

Introduction

The IFLA Advisory Committee on Open Science and Scholarship (OSSAC), Bibliography Section (BIB), Cataloguing Section (CAT), and Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section (SCORE) are seeking proposals for presentations for a session to be held at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Busan, South Korea, 10-13 August 2026.

Metadata sits at the heart of open knowledge ecosystems; it is what makes information findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable across borders, disciplines, and institutions. As the global library and information community deepens its commitment to open science and open access, the quality, openness, and standardization of metadata become increasingly critical. By converging the expertise of metadata experts and open scholarship stakeholders, the session will highlight practical solutions showcasing how metadata can serve as a foundational layer for open knowledge infrastructure.

Proposals should reflect the conference theme, “Libraries Powering Transformation”

 

Format and suggested topics:

The session will feature presentations of up to 10 minutes each followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

We invite contributions that explore topics including, but not limited to: 

  • Tools, technologies, and infrastructures supporting the creation, sharing, exchange and reuse of Open Metadata
    • Application of AI and machine learning
    • Linked Open Data (LOD) tools and pipelines
    • Knowledge graphs and graph databases
    • Persistent identifiers (DOI, ORCID, ISNI) integration
    • Other emerging technologies
  • Metadata standards, vocabularies, ontologies and interoperability frameworks connecting information systems
    • Domain-specific metadata schemas (e.g. cultural heritage, research data)
    • Controlled vocabularies and authority files
  • Policies and governance models that enable metadata to remain open, sustainable, and globally inclusive. 
    • Open research information movements that promote openness and transparency
    • Open metadata as essential infrastructure to achieve open knowledge
  • Practical implementations, use cases and case studies highlighting concrete institutional experiences
    • Institutional case studies
    • Collaborative approaches among libraries, publishers, researchers, and infrastructure providers

Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of expertise, regional and sector diversity, and alignment with the theme.

 

Important dates & deadlines:

  • 4/05/2026: Deadline for submission of proposals
  • 11/05/2026: Notification to authors about the status of a submission
  • 01/08/2026: Submission of accompanying PowerPoint slides for presentation 

 

Submission guidelines

Proposals should include:

  • Title of proposed presentation
  • Abstract of proposed paper (no more than 300 words)
  • Name of presenter plus position and/or title
  • Employer / affiliated institution
  • Contact information including email address, telephone number
  • Short biographical statement of presenter

 

Send proposals via email to:

Tiziana Possemato tiziana.possemato@casalini.it and Mahmoud Khalifa mahmoud.cybrarian@gmail.com

Use subject line: Call for proposals: Metadata for Open Knowledge – WLIC 2026

 

Please note:

  • At least one of the authors/presenters must be present during the program in Busan. Abstracts are to be submitted only with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.
  • Authors must disclose whether they submit this proposal to another WLIC 2026 session.
  • Authors and presenters must adhere to the Presenter guidelines, provided when your proposal is accepted.
  • All presentations must be unpublished and not previously presented.
  • The language of the session is expected to be English.
  • Papers are optional, any paper submitted must use the WLIC Paper template, which will be provided when your paper is accepted. 
  • All presentations and papers presented at the WLIC 2025 will be available online under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
  • All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. IFLA does not provide any financial support.

 

Congress Participation Grants

A list of opportunities for support is available on the Grants and Awards page of the WLIC website.