Virtual Symposium


IVLA 2026 Virtual Symposium

Wednesday March 11, 2026

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The International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA) is pleased to announce a virtual conference on March 11, 2026. The conference will occur in the Central Time zone. 

The Conference Program Committee invites researchers, educators, designers, media specialists, librarians, museum professionals, scholars, students, and artists to propose papers exploring the practices, theories, and principles of visual literacy. 

Paper presentations will have a total time of 25 minutes, including 5 minutes for Q&A. Presentations should provide attendees with new tools, strategies, knowledge, or inspiration that they can apply in their own practice.

Conference Registration Rates:

  • Speakers: $40
  • Members: $50
  • Member in Low Income Country: $15
  • Non-Members: $75
  • Non-Member in Low Income Country: $25
  • Student Members: $25
  • Student Non-Member: $35
  • Retired/Part Time Members: $35

Conference registration and attendance are mandatory for all presenters.

The program committee encourages submissions that include, but are not limited to the following topics:
(click each title below to expand)

  • History of visual communication (from cave paintings to digital media)
  • The role of perception in understanding visuals
  • Visual grammar and design principles (color, shape, composition, contrast)
  • Cultural and contextual influences on visual interpretation
  • Visual narratives and storytelling
  • Metaphor and symbolism in visual media
  • Identifying bias, stereotypes, and framing in visuals
  • Evaluating credibility and authenticity of visual content
  • Ethical considerations in image use and creation
  • Social media and visual culture
  • Memes as cultural texts
  • AI image generation and ethical challenges
  • Visual literacy in science communication
  • Visual literacy in history and archival work
  • Visual literacy in news and journalism
  • How to “read” photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams
  • Accessibility and inclusive design in visuals
  • Copyright, fair use, and image licensing

Proposal Submission Information:

Blind Peer Review:

The review of proposals is a blind peer review process. You must anonymize your proposal description. All personal or institutional names must be removed from the description and any learning objectives, and may be replaced by terms such as “presenter,” “author,” or “speaker”, or in the case of institutions, terms such as “large academic library,” “small museum library,” etc. 

Timeline:

  • September 1, 2025: Proposal application opens
  • September 30, 2025: Proposals due
  • November 10, 2025: Proposal acceptance notifications
  • January 9, 2026: Registration opens
  • January 30, 2026: Presenter registration due
  • March 11, 2026: Online Conference Day
Register Here

Please direct any questions to the Program Co-Chairs:

Dana Thompson, Murray State University, president@ivla.org 
Katie Greer, Oakland University, vice-president@ivla.org