This document provides tips and guidance for creating effective poster presentations. It discusses selecting collaborators and developing a catchy title and abstract. Key aspects of poster design are covered, including using visual elements like images and varying text size appropriately. The document also offers advice on printing posters, transporting them, and engaging with attendees at the conference through handouts and follow-ups. The overall goal is to concisely share research and ideas with conference audiences.

1. Showin’ Your Stuff:
Poster Session Success
Eric Johnson & Beth Stahr
Southeastern Louisiana University
LOUIS Users’ Conference –
October 8, 2015

2. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Submitting a Proposal
• Read and understand the Call for Proposals
• Select your collaborators carefully
• Have a good idea
• Create catchy title
– Consider conference theme
– Add a subtitle to explain poster theme
• Prepare an informative abstract that specifically
addresses the substance of your poster
– Include what your audience should take away
(learning objective)
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3. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Sample Call
for Proposals
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4. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015 4
500 Word Abstract
Poster
Stahr, Beth & Ladonna Guillot. “Deer in the Headlights: Customization of an Online Information Literacy Class
for Returning Students.” Poster Session at the Thirteenth Off-Campus Library Services Conference,
Salt Lake City, UT. April 2008.

5. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Understanding How Poster
Sessions Are Presented at A
Specific Conference
• How long is the poster session?
• How much time is allowed for set up and take down?
• Are electrical/network/Wi-Fi available?
• What are the maximum dimensions and the
orientation of poster?
• Are the posters stand-alone or do they include a
table?
• Is the table skirted or bare?
• Do I bring tape, push pins, scissors, paper, pencil ?
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6. Poster Size: 4’ x 8’ ?
E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015 6
Fill the space: one large poster or several smaller posters
Stahr, Beth & Ladonna Guillot. "The Proxy Server as
Intermediary: Solving Consortial Woes." Poster Session
at the Association of College and Research Libraries
Conference (ACRL), Minneapolis, April 2005.
Actually six separate
panels.

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Stahr, Beth & Ladonna Guillot. "The Big One: Reaction and Recovery
Following Katrina." Poster Session at the American Library
Association Conference (ALA), New Orleans, June 2006.

8. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Poster Design: Technical Details
Our custom:
Create in MS PowerPoint; re-size for
the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 44-inch roll
paper color inkjet printer.
Others have suggested:
• Canva
• Adobe Illustrator
• PosterGenius
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9. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Poster Design: Artistic Design
• Use an artistic eye/create visual appeal
• Make poster eye-catching from a distance
• Design to be read up to down, left to right
• Use background designs carefully—don’t
overwhelm your content
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10. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Poster Design: Artistic Design
(continued)
• Place information to maintain balance in the poster
• Use appropriate combination of text and image
– graphs, charts, photos
• Select text size & font so it is readable from 4-5
feet
• Do not overcrowd poster with information
– Use handout for explanations or additional details
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11. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015 11
Johnson, Eric, Hunt, Judith Lin, & Beth Stahr. “From Perilous Waters to Smooth Sailing: Preparing for and Collaborating on Successful
Accreditation Visits." Poster Session at the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), Seattle, March 2009.

12. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Evolution of Design
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Beth Stahr & Eric Johnson. “A Meeting of the Minds: Multi-Office Collaboration for Grant Funding & Services.” Poster Session at the
Association of College and Research Libraries Conference (ACRL), Portland. March, 2015.

13. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Poster Design:
Understanding Your Audience
• Tone of poster may depend on
intended audience
– serious? humorous? research-based? best
practices?
• Content of poster will depend on
intended audience
– librarians? faculty? academic vs. public?
peers?
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14. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Serious Topic; Humorous Graphic
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Beth Stahr. “The Bully in the Library.” Poster Session at the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference (ACRL), Indianapolis, April 2013.

15. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Poster Design: Use of Color
• Gradation of color can be effective
• Too much color can be distracting
and/or expensive
• Some color is necessary; all white can
be too boring and/or too bright
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16. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Use of Color in Posters
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Stahr, Beth & Ladonna Guillot. “Adapting to Institutional Initiatives: Specialized
Information Literacy.” Poster Session at the Association of College and Research Libraries
Conference (ACRL), Seattle, March 2009.
Hughes-Oldenburg, Donna K. & Eric Johnson. “Falling in Love with Books All
Over Again.” Poster Session at the American Library Association Annual
Conference, San Francisco, June 2001.

17. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Too Much White Space?
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Stahr, Beth & Ladonna Guillot. “Embedded Librarians: Unprecedented Access to Online Learners.” Poster Session
at the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference (ACRL), Baltimore, March 2007.

18. Proofreading
As Presented at
Conference
Corrected bar chart
E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015 18
Stahr, Beth. “Texting, Chatting and E-mailing: What College
Students Ask.” Poster Session at the American Library
Association Annual Conference (ALA), New Orleans, June 2011.

19. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Poster Printing
• Campus Resources
• Retail Vendors:
– Kinko’s/FedEx Office Print & Ship
= $134.99 for 4’ x 8’ color banner
– Office Depot/Office Max
pre-formatted designs only
– Document Source on our campus $3/sq ft.
= $96 for 4’ by 8’color
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20. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Traveling With Your
Precious Cargo
• Roll poster & place in sturdy travel
tube; tape ends
• Label tube carefully
• In overhead bins on airplanes, tubes
slide back and can easily be forgotten
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Marx, Mary Frances & Beth Stahr. "Sowing the Seeds of Internet Honesty."
Poster Session at the American Library Association Conference (ALA), Chicago, June 2000.

22. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Lagniappe
• Providing onsite handouts vs. sending
handouts afterwards
– How many do you bring?
– Provide a signup sheet to receive handouts
• Adding a reference list to handout
• Providing contact information/business
cards
• Treats/toys/buttons/mini DVDs with
reference list
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23. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015 23
Handouts included:
2-sided bibliography list
A folded sheet with 2 sides:
• Steps and Hints
• Our contact information
• Types of Information for Accreditation
Reports
• Sample Accrediting Agency Standards
• Questions to Anticipate from the Visiting
Team
Johnson, Eric, Lin Hunt, Judith, & Beth Stahr. “From Perilous Waters to
Smooth Sailing: Preparing for and Collaborating on Successful
Accreditation Visits." Poster Session at the Association of College &
Research Libraries (ACRL), Seattle, March 2009.

24. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Beth Stahr & Eric Johnson. “A Meeting of the Minds: Multi-Office Collaboration for Grant
Funding & Services.” Poster Session at the Association of College and Research Libraries
Conference (ACRL), Portland. March, 2015.
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25. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
GOOD OR BAD?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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26. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
Follow-ups
• Get e-mail addresses
• Send .pdf file of your handouts, not
word processing document
• Send in timely fashion
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27. E. Johnson & B. Stahr LUC 2015
For More Information:
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