WHAT IS THE ALA?

The African Literature Association is an independent non-profit professional open to scholars, teachers and writers from every country.  It exists primarily to la the attempts of a world-wide audience to appreciate the efforts of African write artists.  The organization welcomes the participation of all who produce the object study and hopes for a constructive interaction between scholars and artists.  The an organization affirms the primacy of the African peoples in shaping the fu African literature and actively supports the African peoples in their struggle for libe

The ALA BULLETIN (formerly the ALA Newslefter, volumes I-VII, 1974-1 published quarterly by the ALA for its members, and members receive sub discounts when purchasing volumes of selected papers from the annual conference ALA which take place in late March or April.  Membership is for the calendar ye the inside back cover of this ALA Bulletin for membership details.

As space allows, and if content is appropriate, a limited amount of adverti permitted.  The ALA also welcomes exchanges with other periodicals and new Occasional books of central importance to the discipline are reviewed, and all received are noted.  Apply to the editor for further information.

The President for 2000 is Carol Boyce Davies of Northwestern University.  The Past-President is Richard Priebe of Virginia Commonwealth University

THE EDITORIAL OFFICE for the ALA BULLETIN is c/o Abioseh Michael Porter, the ALA BULLETIN, Department of Humanities-Communication, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Tel. (215) 895 2448. Fax (215) 895-1071. Email: alabulletin@drexel.edu
 
 
 
 
 
 

APPENDIX B: (Suggested) GUIDELINES FOR ALA CONFERENCE PANEL CHAIRPERSONS AND PANELISTS

[For distribution by ALA Conference Conveners to all Panel Chairpersons,
then to all Panelists.]

As a panel Chairperson for an African Literature Association Conference, yo several specific responsibilities delegated to you in the ALA Conference Con Guidelines ("Appendix A, " in the ALA Executive Handbook and Calendar, iss the Executive Council of the ALA, available from the ALA Headquarters), an additional responsibilities the ALA asks you to fulfil.  From the following info you, a panel Chairperson, may wish to compose a form letter to the panelis will appear on your panel, or, alternatively, you may send them copies o Guidelines to inforin them of their responsibilities.

Please Inform the Panelists:

1. Panelists must be ALA members in good standing.  Conference fees an membership dues are two separate matters.

2. Payment of Conference pre-registration fees must be received by the org by February 1 (unless otherwise stipulated in communications to all memb the organizers) in order for panelists' names to appear in the Program and to participate in the Conference.  The organizer(s) will also check with the T of the ALA to ascertain whether annual ALA membership dues have been the same deadline. [Africans travelling from or within Africa to atte Conferences are normally permitted to pay registration fees at the Conferen

no late-payment penalties.]

3. If at all possible, papers are to be summarized, not read, and are to b limited to 20 minutes. (Papers may be any length, but those between 10double spaced, have the best chances for publication.)

4. In order to accommodate Editors of the Annual Selected ALA Conferenc panelists should use the stylesheet of the MLA (MLA Handbook) or of the Society of America (LSA).  Paper larger than 8 1/2" x II" (A4) should b if possible.  The Editors are also assisted in their work when a computer provided along with hard copy; standard, international word processing such as Word Perfect are preferred; Ascii form is also acceptable. (A

diskette is not a requirement, however.)

5. Paper Deposition/Collection Procedures.  Many publication d unnecessary work are caused by panelists who do not observe the procedures.  Panelists must provide ten (10) clear, black and white copies
of papers to the ALA Headquarters by June 1, following the conference. (Preferably they should mail the ten copies "plus a diskette if possible" to the Headquarters before the Conference.  If panellists deliver their papers from notes, they must inform the Headquarters in writing by the end of the Conference whether they intend to fumish completed papers, with the required number of copies, no later than June 1, when announcements for sale of papers through the Bulletin and standing orders for shipment to libraries are prepared. (Papers received later stand a greatly diminished chance of being selected for publication.) Ten copies are necessary for: ALA Archives (2); ALA Bulletin Editorial office (1); Annual Selected Papers Editors (34); Annuals Series Editor (1); Library Standing Orders (2-4).

If panelists do not have copying facilities, they may provide one (1) clear, black and white copy, plus $1 per page for the Headquarters to make the requisite copies (making check or money order out to the "ALA Headquarters").

Publication of an ALA Conference paper elsewhere after the Conference does not disqualify it for possible publication in the ALA Annual Selected Conference Papers, but the Series Editor must be informed of any other publication, and a note that the paper was originally presented to the ALA should appear in papers published elsewhere.  If a panelist does not want his or her paper to be considered for publication in the Annual, only seven (7) copies should be supplied.

Although delivery of papers to the Headquarters is the responsibility of each individual panelis@ panel Chairpersons are requested to assist in making sure deliveries have been made.  Under no circumstances are papers to be left at the Conference Registration Table with the assumption that the Headquarters Director will find them, because such papers always disappear into the wrong hands.  It is also requested that the Conference Conveners not be bothered with paper collection; Conveners have too much else to do. (The address of the Headquarters to which you should send papers and diskettes is on the back cover of all ALA Bulletins.)

Please Take Special Care to Observe the Following:

1. Deadline for receipt of paper proposals, which should be accompanied by a 100500 word abstract, is normally October 15.  As soon as you, the Panel Chairperson, accept or reject a proposal, please forward a copy of the proposal and your reply to the Conveners, and please send these (Suggested) Guidelinesfor ALA Conference Panel Chairpersons and Panelists to the person whose paper you have accepted for your panel.  Papers rejected because of panels being already full, or because of subject matter being unrelated to the panel topic you have proposed, are occasionally inserted by Conveners into "open panels."

In order to assist ALA members to obtain funding for conferences, a letter of acceptance from the Panel Chairperson on institutional letterhead should suffice.  In the case of paper proposals of some merit being rejected by the Panel Chairperson,
 

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the Conference Convener(s) may be asked to give consideration to the propos that a place on another themed panel or on an open panel can be found.  Thus a of all rejection letters by Panel Chairs should be sen@ accompanied by a copy o proposal, to the Conference Conveners for ftwffier consideration.  In such c Conference Conveners may then write a letter of acceptance.

2. Granting Agencies approached for Conference support frequently require elab descriptions of panel contents months before the Conference.  Though not mand ABSTRACTS describing the Panels (maximum, 500 words), and ABSTRACT papers (mandatory) are very useful to the Convener(s) and the ALA Exec Council.  Please provide these as early as possible to the Convener(s).

3. The maximum number of papers for any panel is four (4), including the P Chairperson's paper if s/he chooses to give one.  When a Discussant is invited, number of papers should normally not exceed three (3).

4. Discussants should be chosen for their proven expertise.  Since the Discuss role is to criticize and synthesize and not to summarize papers, Panel Chairper may wish to ask the Executive Council (via the Past-President) to assist yo finding someone who would be especially conversant with the area to be expi by your panel.  The earlier the Discussant is chosen, and the earlier s/he rec abstracts and papers, the better her/his potential contribution will be.

5. Do not hesitate to ask the ALA President or Secretary to write special lette invitation to assist anyone having problems obtaining funds to come to Conference. (Supply a draft letter which the ALA Officer might wish to use.) PI do not ask a Conference Convener for such a letter.

6. Encourage your panelists to provide completed papers at least a month befo Conference.  If circulated to other panelists and to the Discussant prior to Conference, it is likely that these materials will make a much more coherent better quality intellectual experience than would be the case if they were circulated.

7. Please use a format like the following to report to the Convener as so possible, and no later than October I for the Panel Proposal and October 15 for details. (The absolute deadline for details about panelists and their papers i final day of the Fall Conference of the African Studies Association.) You also send a copy of this form or its equivalent to the ALA Treasurer for verific of dues payments prior to the printing of the final Program of the Conferenc
 
 
 
 
 
 

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PANEL SUMMARY FORM
 
 

PANELTITLE
Panel Chairperso
Institutional Affiliation
Mailing Address
 

Phone/FAX/E-mai I

PANELISTS:
1. Name
Institutional Affiliation Paper Title
Mailing Address
 

Phone/FAX/E-mail

2. (as above)

3. 4. (as above)
DISCUSSANT
Name
Etc. (as above)

SPECIAL NEEDS (e.g. audio-visual equipment)
 

ABSTRACTS ENCLOSED.....

[Send to Convener(s) and ALA Treasurer (copy), addresses on back cover
of ALA Bulletin and on ALA letterhead.]

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