University of Sheffield, 30 March-1 April 2026
University of Sheffield, 30 March-1 April 2026
The LILAC conference has two types of bursary for 2026; LILAC bursaries for under-represented groups and Local to LILAC bursaries for delegates living or working near to the LILAC conference venue.
The Academic and Research Libraries Group is funding two further bursaries targeted at Further Education and Higher Education librarians.
To apply for a bursary, you must be a librarian, volunteer, or information professional working in the UK.
To apply for a bursary you will need to register for an account; if you already have an account then you just need to login (go to the link top right of this webpage) and go to ‘my account’ where you’ll see details of how to apply.
Complete the application form for the bursary you are applying for, confirming you have your line manager’s approval to attend, if successful. Winners will be randomly selected using a lottery system and will be notified early December if they have been successful.
To have a truly engaging conference, we need delegates who bring a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The LILAC conference is therefore offering five free places for people in the following under-represented groups based in the UK:
Each of the five bursaries will include three days at the conference and social events. They also include up to £250 in expenses for reasonable travel and accommodation.
Winners will be notified early December if they have been successful.
These bursaries are day delegate places, and we are offering two places for each day of the three-day conference. LILAC is committed to encouraging information professionals across the UK to attend LILAC, especially for those whom the cost or other commitments make attending all three days not always possible. We have created these six day delegate places, intended for people who live or work near to the LILAC venue, to have the chance to attend a day at LILAC and experience what the conference offers.
Each of the six bursaries will involve a free day place to one day of the conference and £50 for reasonable travel expenses. Please note that these bursary places do not include evening social events, in order to be as flexible as possible, but do include lunch and refreshments on the day.
Winners will be notified early December if they have been successful.
In addition to the LILAC Bursaries and Local to LILAC Bursaries, the Academic and Research Libraries Group (ARLG) is very pleased this year to fund two further bursaries targeted at Further Education and Higher Education librarians.
The two ARLG bursaries will include three days at the conference and social events. They also include up to £250 in expenses for reasonable travel and accommodation.
To apply for the ARLG bursaries you must be a current CILIP member - if selected, you will be asked to provide your membership details to confirm this.
For any questions about the ARLG bursaries, please contact: Chair.Arlg@cilip.org.uk
Winners will be notified early December if they have been successful.
LILAC is great opportunity for our fellow professionals to present their ideas, share best practice and show case new thinking in our sector. If you have an idea then we'd love to hear about it. We have many options for the types of sessions you might run from a symposium to a workshop. Visit our Call for Presentations page to find out how to apply.
Places at this year's conference are likely to be in demand more than ever before. Each year our conference grows increasingly popular and this year promises to be no different. Don't miss out and book your place now for this year's conference.
We look forward to seeing you there!
