The Access Conference Committee invites proposals for Access 2026, Canada’s annual library technology conference, hosted by McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, from October 14-16, 2026.
Access brings together people working with library systems, digital projects, and emerging technologies to share ideas, learn from each other, and build community.
We’re looking for proposals (max 300 words) for the following formats:
- Presentations (20 minutes including Q&A)
- Share your work, a project, a case study, or something you’ve learned. This can be technical or conceptual, but should be relevant to a broad audience.
- Keynote presentations (60 minutes including Q&A)
- Long form presentation to provide more details and get into bigger topics than a regular presentation slot will allow.
- Panels (60 minutes, including Q&A)
- Self-organized sessions with multiple speakers offering different perspectives on a topic.
- Lightning Talks (5 minutes)
- Short, focused talks about new ideas, works in progress, or things you want to share quickly.
- Posters
- Present your work in a visual format during a dedicated poster session. Posters are a great way to share projects, ideas, or early-stage work and engage in informal conversations with attendees.
- Workshops/Hackfest
- We are also seeking proposals for workshops and Hackfest activities, which will take place on October 14, 2026 for hands-on sessions or collaborative activities. These will be hosted in a lab with computer stations.
We welcome proposals on any aspect of library technology and digital practice, including but not limited to:
· Systems, hosted software, and infrastructure
· Discovery and access
· Metadata, linked data, spreadsheets, and data ethics
· Open access and publishing
· Artificial intelligence and automation
· User experience and accessibility
· Digital preservation
· Ethics, barriers, and privacy
· Open source and collaboration
· Relevant digital humanities and digital scholarship projects
If you’re not sure your topic fits—send it anyway!
Submission deadline: Saturday June 6th, 2026
Submit your proposal here: [Submission link]
Find more information at https://accessconference.ca/call-for-proposals/
Publishing in the Archives Profession 