Deadline for Proposals: March 24, 2026
January 14, 2026 – The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) invites proposals for its “Pocket Burgundy” series. Prospective authors and writing teams can propose ideas for reports based on their interests and the needs of the information and cultural heritage communities. Selected authors and teams will be offered a stipend of $3,000 for each publication. The deadline for submissions is March 24, 2026. Decisions will be announced in late May 2026.
Background
For decades, CLIR’s published reports—known informally as “burgundy books” because of the cover color—have been important sources of research, ideas, and guidance in the information and cultural heritage sectors. These publications have typically been in the form of in-depth reports, manuals, and assessments commissioned by CLIR or external funders and designed for online or print publication.
The Pocket Burgundy series creates opportunities for writers connected to the information, cultural heritage, or related sectors to propose publications that address needs not being met elsewhere. Through its work on the series, CLIR benefits from learning about pressing questions facing its constituencies while elevating new voices and promoting new ideas. Since 2021, seven publications have been released in the series.
What types of publications are we looking for?
Traditionally, CLIR’s reports have been in the areas of preservation, digital libraries, emerging technologies, the economics of information, trends in information sharing, curation and use, and the changing roles of library and cultural heritage organizations. CLIR will continue publishing in these areas, while also encouraging submissions on other topics affecting information work anywhere in the world, including but not limited to: addressing climate threats, social and racial justice, changing labor practices, intersectionality, accessibility, sustainability, cultural awareness, and decolonizing and indigenizing approaches to stewardship and research. Prospective authors are encouraged to propose projects relevant to their own work which they believe would benefit libraries, archives, museums, and the communities they serve. Proposals addressing smaller sub-specialties within the information or cultural heritage fields are welcome, as are proposals exploring more obscure intersections between preservation, access, and other fields of inquiry.
Publications proposed for this series should, in their final form, be 30 to 70 pages (9,000 to 21,000 words). These reports should be tightly scoped to either go deeply into a narrow subject or survey a broader topic in a way that raises questions for future exploration. Reports should include succinct executive summaries and visual elements and be accessible and easily navigated. Publications will be released in electronic form under a Creative Commons license and will be openly shared around the world, free of charge.
How can I apply?
To submit a proposal, prepare and upload the following components to the form linked from the program web page:
- Project overview (1 page), including: (1) project title, (2) project summary (250 words max), and (3) preliminary outline or table of contents.
- A project rationale (1 page), including: (1) a description of why the publication is needed and who the audience is, (2) a description of why you are the right person or group to do this work, and (3) a description of why CLIR, and specifically the Pocket Burgundy series, is the right publisher for this work.
- A project plan (1 page), including: (1) a 12-month schedule, and (2) a description of the proposed methodology and data sources. If working with culturally sensitive materials or human subjects/participants, be sure to include any ethical considerations and how they will be addressed in your approach.
- Optional supporting documents: authors and teams have the option to share writing samples and CVs or equivalents (e.g., links to professional websites) for each author.
Applicants are encouraged to read through the program FAQs and to review previous Pocket Burgundy publications prior to submitting their proposals. Questions about this opportunity or the application process should be directed to Christa Williford (cwilliford@clir.org).