Arising from an interest to provide a library user education conference in the West, the first LOEX-of-the-West conference was held at Willamette University in June 1994, with the theme "Cultivating the Electronic Landscape: Teaching and Learning in a Climate of Constant Change." The success of this conference led to another in June 1996 at University of Washington, Seattle, with the theme "Collaboration and Instructional Design in a Virtual Environment." In 1998, the conference was held at Southern Utah University with the theme "Library Instruction for the 21st Century." LOEX of the West 2000 took place on the campus of Montana State University, Bozeman with the theme "Creativity and the Art of Library Instruction." 2002 was hosted by the University of Oregon, Eugene with the theme Expanded Conversations: Collaborating for Student Learning. Most recently, Loex of the West 2004 took place at Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, with the theme, "Teaching the Treasures: Connecting Students, Information Skills and Resources".
LOEX-of-the-West is not officially associated with the LOEX Clearinghouse for Library Instruction at the Eastern Michigan University Library. However, the LOEX-of-the-West conferences have followed the LOEX conference model of a limited number of attendees, promoting an atmosphere for library professionals to learn and share experiences and ideas with others.