Perished or published: The fate of presentations from the ninth ACRL conference

The scientific merit of the Ninth ACRL Conference is assessed by tracking the subsequent publication of its presentations. The results indicate that presentations in all formats-papers, panels, posters, and round-tables-achieved publication in refereed journals. Papers and panels were more likely to be published (18%) than posters and roundtables (8%). Overall, 13 percent of all presentations became refereed articles. In addition, eight percent of the presentations were based on prior publications. The rate of subsequent publication identified here is similar to that of a previous study of a library conference. However, it is much lower than rates reported for medical and scientific conferences. This may suggest that the ACRL conference resembles a technical, not a scientific, meeting with an emphasis on presenting best practices rather than disseminating research. This study should be replicated to determine if the publication of presentations is higher at other and future library conferences.