Tag: conferences

CFP: British Records Association 2026 conference ‘All Mapped Out: Maps, Plans and Charts in the Archives’

BRA Conference 2026: Call for Papers

British Records Association conference 2026: ‘All Mapped Out: Maps, Plans and Charts in the Archives’

Date:       Tuesday 24th November 2026

Location: The Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ

Call for papers: abstracts submission deadline 5pm on Wednesday 1st July 2026

This year the British Records Association (BRA) annual conference will be held on the topic of records and archives which take the form of maps or geographical plans and charts. 

Submissions are invited which link this theme to the aims of the BRA, namely the preservation, understanding, accessibility and study of our recorded heritage for public benefit. Areas to be explored could include:

  • challenges of preserving maps owing to their scale or format
  • survival or absence of significant maps, or collections thereof
  • little known material, whether significant for design or purpose, for example
  • misleading maps
  • different reasons why maps have been produced
  • interesting discoveries or interpretations based on the study of maps
  • maps as a tool for public engagement
  • broadening access through digitisation, grant funded projects, or other means
  • relevant collaborations, such as between historians and collections managers
  • changes in how maps have been created, and insights these provide, such as the rise of digital cartography
  • whether existing map collections are under threat from technological advances

Abstracts of papers (twenty minutes) or lightning talks as part of a panel (five minutes) should be a maximum of 200 words and should be accompanied by a biography of all participants of up to 150 words. These should be submitted to the BRA Chair:  chair@britishrecordsassociation.org.uk

The British Records Association is a charity which aims to promote the preservation, understanding, accessibility and study of our recorded heritage for public benefit. It is open to anyone interested in records and archives whether local historians, academics, professional archivists, or custodians and owners of collections, or simply those who are curious about the record of our past. http://www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/

Matti Watton, BRA Chair, on behalf of the conference organising committee.

Contact Information

BRA Chair

Contact Email

chair@britishrecordsassociation.org.uk

URL https://www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/news/call-for-papers-for-our-2026-conference/

CFP: The Black Press at 200

“The Black Press at 200,” which will be held March 17–18, 2027 at Howard University in conjunction with the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, home of the Black Press Archives. This free two-day symposium commemorates 200 years of Black journalism and examines the enduring significance of the Black Press as “one of the most vital and enduring institutions in American public life.” The symposium will convene scholars, journalists, archivists, artists, students, and community researchers to explore the historical legacies, contemporary practices, and futures of Black journalism.

Symposium schedule and deadline:

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: September 18, 2026
  • Notification of Acceptance: October 30, 2026
  • Symposium Dates: March 17–18, 2027 at Howard University

This conference particularly encourage submissions from graduate students, early-career scholars, community scholars, independent researchers, and practitioners whose work engages Black journalism, Black intellectual history, media studies, African American history, diaspora studies, archives, digital humanities, and related fields.

Contact Information

Questions and submissions for the conference may be directed to:

Michael Guy
mguy@blackpressresearchcollective.org

Contact Email

mguy@blackpressresearchcollective.org

URL

https://msrc.howard.edu

CFP: Ephemera Society of America 2027 Conference

Ephemera Marks the Day: Holidays & Celebrations

Request for Presentations:

Holidays and celebrations give us a chance to take a break from our regular schedules and focus on something special. They can mark or commemorate historically significant events, such as Independence Day, Juneteenth, or Memorial Day. They may mark a holiday, religious or otherwise, like Christmas, Mardi Gras, Halloween or Mother’s Day. Celebrations may also be held for personal events, such as a birthday, wedding anniversary, religious confirmation or graduation.  And increasingly, a plethora of national days have been promoted by industry or interest groups, some of which have been instituted through government resolution. Earth Day (an international observance) is more serious in nature. National Peanut Butter Day, Sibling Day, or Hug an Australian Day are more light-hearted. Almost every holiday has its “trappings,” many of which take the form of ephemera. And the look of these trappings evolves over time and can vary significantly according to culture or region.

Ephemera 47, the Ephemera Society of America (ESA) annual conference, will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut, on Friday, March 19, 2027. Each speaker will address a topic related to a celebration or holiday, relying heavily on tangible ephemera—invitations, decorations, posters, advertisements, greeting cards, tickets, brochures, menus, trade cards, broadsides, receipts, souvenirs, correspondence, itineraries, photographs, postcards, maps, diaries—to illustrate their subject. Keep in mind that our focus is not just the images of your chosen subject but the story of your subject, its significance, how it is celebrated and how it evolved over time. 

Each presentation will be 30 minutes in length, followed by a brief Q&A. Please submit the following:

·         Presentation title and a written abstract, focusing on the way ephemera tells the story of your chosen topic. Please describe the specific types of ephemera you will use to illustrate your topic. Each presentation needs to feature at least three different types of ephemera. Proposals should not exceed 150 words.

·         5 to 6 representative ephemera images

·         Single-paragraph biography, including any affiliations

·         A .jpg photograph of yourself for publicity purposes

·         Mailing address, phone number and e-mail address

Following a review of all proposals, finalists may be asked to submit 10 to 15 images of the types of ephemera that will be used to illustrate their talk. Proposals must be submitted via e-mail or post by September 15, 2026 to Barbara Loe, Ephemera 47 Conference Chair.

e-mail: bjloe@earthlink.net 

post:      Ephemera Society of America, Inc., P.O. Box 95, Cazenovia, NY 13035-0095.

Decisions and notification about proposals will be made by November 30, 2026. Presenters will be requested to sign a release at the time of acceptance allowing their presentation to be filmed for use by the ESA.

If selected, a draft PowerPoint presentation must be submitted by February 28, 2027. The final presentation must be submitted by March 12, 2027. Presentations must include 25 or more ephemera images. At this time, funding is not available from ESA to support travel or presentation costs. 

ESA is eager to expand the use of ephemera in the classroom, and we encourage presentations on all subjects addressing the use of ephemera in teaching and academic research. We encourage undergraduate and graduate students to submit proposals for the Emerging Scholars Program to be held on Thursday afternoon, March 18th.  For more information, please see “Emerging Scholars” under the “Discover” tab on our website:  www.ephemerasociety.org

CFP: Borders and Sustainability: Human and Natural Resources across Time and Space (Seminar Series 2026–2027)

Call for Papers: Entangled Histories Seminar Series 2026–2027

Following the success of the current edition, the Entangled Histories Seminar Series invites abstracts for its 2026–2027 cycle: 

“Borders and Sustainability: Human and Natural Resources across Time and Space.”

This edition explores sustainability not as an exclusively environmental concern but as a multifaceted concept that intersects with borders across diverse cultural, material, and ecological contexts. 

The series adopts a diachronic and interdisciplinary perspective, spanning from prehistory to the contemporary world.

Sustainability and Borders: A Broad Perspective. We seek to investigate sustainability in its multiple dimensions:

  • Material sustainability: recycling of resources (manuscripts, architectural structures, waste, and landscapes).
  • Ecological sustainability: relationships between humans, animals, and environments; balance between preservation and exploitation.
  • Social, linguistic, and cultural sustainability: transmission of knowledge, endangered languages, healing practices, migration, and community resilience.
  • Symbolic sustainability: representations of ecological limits, hybrid beings, and cultural imaginaries of nature and borders.

Conceptual Framework At the heart of the series lies the concept of borders, understood as dynamic thresholds that shape access to resources and regulate interactions. Borders are not only physical or political: they can be ecological, cultural, social, linguistic, political and material. While we encourage long-term temporalities and global spatial entanglements, we also offer the elements (earth, water, air, fire, ether, wood, etc.) as a possible heuristic framework to explore these dimensions across different historical strata.

Topics of Interest: We encourage contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to:

  • Archaeology and Prehistory: Resource use, landscapes, indigenous practices, and environmental interactions over time.
  • Medieval Studies, Philology, and Manuscript Cultures: Material sustainability of manuscripts, palimpsests, intellectual ecologies, literatures and languages, and the transmission of knowledge.
  • Art History and Visual Culture: Representations of nature, landscapes, borders, and material practices across different periods.
  • Anthropology and Folklore: Vernacular ecological knowledge, oral traditions, liminal beings, and environmental imaginaries.
  • History of Science and Medicine: Healing practices, scientific knowledge, and environmental understanding across cultures.
  • Environmental Humanities and Ecology: Human–non-human relations, ecosystems, climate, and resilience.
  • History of Economy, Trade, and Food Systems: Circulation of resources, subsistence, scarcity, and sustainability practices.
  • Architecture and Infrastructure Studies: Built environments, water and soil management, roads, and material borders.
  • Geography, Cartography, and Media Studies: Spatial representation, mapping, and communication of environmental knowledge across borders.

 High-Impact Publication Opportunity: A selection of the most significant contributions will be published in a dedicated edited volume or a special issue with a leading international publisher (past collaborations and ongoing projects include prestigious venues such as Brill, De Gruyter, and Routledge). This ensures that the research presented reaches a global audience of specialists.

Submission Guidelines

  • Format: Online seminar (approximately 30-minute talk + discussion).
  • Schedule: October 2026 – Summer 2027.
  • Required: Title, Abstract (250–300 words), Short Bio (100–150 words), Affiliation, email address, and preferred months of availability.
  • Deadline: 31 August 2026.
  • Send to: entangledhistories.seminars@outlook.com.

Contact Information

Organized by:

  • Dr. Maria Pia Ester Cristaldi (Üsküdar University)
  • Dr. Elisa Ramazzina (University of Insubria)

Under the patronage of: The Faculty of Communication and the Master’s Programme in Media and Cultural Studies at Üsküdar University.

Contact Email

entangledhistories.seminars@outlook.com

URL

https://sites.google.com/view/entangledhistories/home

CFP: 2026 Dress and Body Association Conference

2026 Dress and Body Association Conference

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Dress and Body Association invites submissions for the organization’s seventh annual conference, which will be held on November 7-8, 2026. Consistent with our long-term goals for inclusivity and sustainability, all activities will be 100% online.

Join our Google Group to learn about opportunities and converse with members of the DBA year-round! Email to request membership: dress.body.assoc@gmail.com.

Opening the Archives of Dress and the Body

This year’s theme focuses on the many types of archives that inspire learning and making such as libraries, museums, corporate archives, personal wardrobes, costume shops, photo albums, and diaries. It also invites reflection on histories of scholarship and activism. How do we know what we know about dress and the body?

Proposals on any topic related to dress and the body will be considered, but abstracts related to this year’s theme are most likely to be accepted. Topics might include:

  • Well-known and little-known collections
  • Historical costumes as inspiration for new designs
  • Interacting with physical artifacts in the era of AI
  • Stories that are told (and not told) by archives
  • Addressing biases and privilege in archives
  • Decolonizing archives (theories, methods, practices, activism)
  • The science of historical colors and materials
  • Old and new technologies for imaging the body
  • The ethics of displaying bodies and personal artifacts
  • What is ‘archival fashion’ and who buys and wears it?
  • Scholarship and activism informed by archival discoveries
  • Recreating historical moments/eras in media (films, TV, games, and literature)
  • Practices of the archive/archiving

Both beginning and advanced scholars are welcome. Abstracts should be 200-300 words. Presenters do not need to submit a paper before the conference. Depending on the number of submissions and the time zones of presenters, each person should have approximately 20 minutes to speak with additional time for discussion.

Although we welcome scholars, educators, artists, designers, and activists from any country, the language of the conference will be English. We will consider a group of presentations in another language if there is sufficient interest.

Abstracts must be written in English and should be drawn from your own, original work. We ask that presenters not simply recycle presentations from classes or other conferences. Pre-recorded presentations are allowed, but presenters must join the Zoom meeting to hear other speakers and participate in the discussion in real time.

Please submit your abstract by July 15, 2026. All submissions will be read by at least two reviewers in a single-blind review process. If there is no extension on the deadline, authors can expect letters of acceptance by mid- to late-August. (Given the challenging times we are living in, please be patient with any delays… we are doing our best.)

To submit an abstract, go to this link: https://forms.gle/uoz3ohs9bG21pQDFA

Curious about past conferences? Check out our programs for 2020-2024 on Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/@dress_and_body_association.

Whether you choose to submit an abstract or not, you’re welcome to attend the conference!

There is no charge. Just email us (dress.body.assoc@gmail.com) to join our Google Group and stay informed.

The Dress and Body Association is registered as a non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) in the state of Indiana (United States).

Dress & Body Association | dress.body.assoc@gmail.com

Contact Email

dress.body.assoc@gmail.com

URL

https://forms.gle/uoz3ohs9bG21pQDFA

CFP: Advancing Foundation Archives 2026

The Advancing Foundation Archives (AFA) 2026 organizing committee invites proposals for lightning talks at the group’s third conference. AFA 2026 will take place at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York City on October 21 & 22, 2026. Registration will open in the coming months with no cost to attendees.  

About the Conference 

Philanthropy archives hold an essential record of how individuals and communities organize, fund, and sustain efforts to address society’s most pressing issues. These archives and knowledge systems are facing unique challenges from AI disruption to leadership transitions to sunsetting trends as philanthropies grapple with changing local and global conditions.   

The AFA conference will bring together archives and philanthropy professionals to navigate these challenges, discuss solutions, and shape the future of how foundations manage and preserve their records and share the knowledge in their archives.  

Theme for lightning talks 

The history of a philanthropy is found in its records – the documents, data, and institutional knowledge that tell the story of what they have accomplished and what they have learned. Across departments, and sometimes organizations, people work every day to create, manage, preserve, and draw knowledge and insight from this information.    

But the ground is always shifting. As surely as processes and systems are developed and instituted to support these tasks, change inevitably arrives. It could be a new tool that streamlines a workflow, a reorganization that reshapes responsibilities, a sunsetting deadline that accelerates grant making, or a new goal to share more records, learning, and impact with external groups.    

However change arrives, it asks something of those who steward organizational knowledge. Whether you manage knowledge, information, or archives, we want to hear how you responded. What changed at  your foundation or philanthropic organization, and how did you adapt?  What lessons did you learn? How has your organization emerged better positioned to inform grantmaking, deepen learning, or tell the story of a philanthropy?   

Proposal submission guidelines:   

This panel is a lightning round of 5 to 10 minute presentations.   Submit your proposal via this form. 

Proposals must be submitted by July 15. Those submitting proposals will be notified of selection by July 31. There is no fee to attend the conference.  Presenters will need to arrange their own travel and accommodation. 

 For additional information or questions, email Lori Eaton at  lori.eaton@rcwjrf.org.   

The conference is sponsored by the Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation and the Gates Archive, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, the Mellon Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Rockefeller Archive Center, and the Rockefeller Foundation.   

CFP: Access Conference 2026 (Canada)

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/ 

CFP: Mapping Post-Truth across Disciplines

Key Information
Proposals due June 30th, 2026 to posttruthconference@gmail.com
Decision of acceptance communicated by July 15th, end of day 

Dates: October 29th-30th, 2026
Location: University of Memphis, specific locations TBD 
Fee: TBD

Overview
“Post-truth,” broadly understood, denotes a general erosion of mutually shared reality, resulting in what some term an “epistemic crisis.” Such an ostensible epistemic crisis ranges in degree from the outright negation of commonly understood truth to a shift in how we categorically define, measure, or use truth. “Post-truth” as conceptual problematic has thus also been instantiated and reflected in various practical applications: mis-/dis-information; “fake news”; the rise of conspiracy theorization; artificial intelligence; censorship, suppression/repression, and manipulation; etc. 

The growing pervasiveness of such an epistemic crisis (i.e., “post-truth”) has implicated numerous academic disciplines: communication and rhetoric; psychology; journalism; political science; history; sociology; philosophy; writing studies; etc. While practical divergences emerge between disciplines in terms of how “post-truth” is pursued in specificity, there is now an exigence for inter- and trans-disciplinary collaboration on such an epistemic crisis. 

The University of Memphis Post-Truth Collective invites 250-word (max) abstract proposals for the Mapping Post-Truth across Disciplines Conference, to be held at the University of Memphis on October 29-30th, 2026. We invite submissions from graduate students and faculty from all disciplines on a range of related topics, including but not limited to:

  • Epistemology
  • Social Ontology
  • Fake news
  • Mis- and Dis-information
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Rhetorical Invention
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Censorship, Repression/Suppression, Manipulation
  • Journalism Ethics and Laws
  • Bots and Algorithms
  • The Mandela Effect
  • Affect
  • Aesthetics
  • Screen Culture
  • Education Policy
  • Media Literacy
  • Jurisprudence
  • Writing Studies
  • History
  • Group Psychology
  • Popular Culture
  • Media Studies/Theory
  • Religious Studies

We are particularly interested in proposals that produce generative solutions to the “post-truth” problematic, rather than critical, analytic diagnostics and descriptions of what it is. The goal of this conference is to seek trans- and inter-disciplinary collaboration on potential resolutions, (re)appropriations, and productive rethinking of (post-)truth, especially in the service of common good well-being. 

Conference Objectives
Because the primary objective of the conference is to facilitate inter- and trans-disciplinary collaboration on similar sub-topics pursued by scholars in different disciplines, panels will include 3-4 presenters from different disciplines. In the event a group of inter- and/or trans-disciplinary scholars would like to propose a complete panel, please submit an abstract with 250-word (max) abstracts and a 250-word (max) summative rationale for the panel. As an alternative to publication of conference proceedings, this conference will generate a white paper at the conclusion of the conference. Such a white paper could turn into an edited collection, contingent upon conference attendees’ interest. 

Conference Information
Please submit all conference proposals, as well as any questions or concerns, to Dr. Scott Sundvall: posttruthconference@gmail.com by June 30th, 2026. Decisions of acceptance will be communicated by July 15th, end of day. Keynote Speaker: Zahid R. Chaudhary, Princeton University. Thursday evening (October 29th). 

Contact Information

Dr. Scott Sundvall, Associate Professor, University of Memphis

Contact Email

posttruthconference@gmail.com

CFP: 2026 AMIA Conference

The AMIA Conference Committee invites proposal submissions for sessions, posters, and workshops for the AMIA Annual Conference to be held December 2-4 in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Conference Committee works to present a broad-based program that captures the work and perspectives across the field and speaks to a wide range of attendees. Sessions should balance theory and practice while introducing new ideas and approaches that stimulate engagement, participation, and learning. In keeping with our commitment to inclusion, we encourage proposers to use conference sessions as an opportunity to highlight new voices, perspectives, and experiences.

We encourage you to read the Call for Proposals Notes and FAQ which explain the review process and offers information and tips on what the reviewers and the Conference Committee consider in the proposal process. You can contact our Proposal Help Desk with any questions throughout the process.

The Committee has created a Google spreadsheet to connect individuals seeking ideas and/or collaborators for session and workshop proposals. The spreadsheet is provided as a means of communication only: the Committee does not monitor the document and it is not part of the official submission process.

As in the past, AMIA 2026 invites various types of presentations (read more about each format here) –

  • Paper/Report Presentation (25 minutes)
  • Project Reports (10 minutes)
  • Panels (60 minutes)
  • Forum/Conversation (60 minutes)
  • Lightning Talk (4-5 minutes)
  • Screening Session (60 minutes) held at conference hotel
  • Poster Presentation
  • Workshop Workshops are a half day (3-4 hours) or full day (6-8 hours) held pre or post-conference

AMIA 2026 will be an in person event, with a primary emphasis on in-person participation. We do ask for those submitting a conference proposal to be fully committed to being part of the event on acceptance of your conference proposal. We will do our best to honor and accommodate requests from those wishing to participate in the conference, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Submit proposal

CFP: Symposium – Papering Over the Audiovisual Archives

The FIAT/IFTA Media Studies Commission together with the Entangled Media Histories invite you to a two-day international symposium to be held at the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision on 19-20 November 2026.

The symposium focuses on paper archives and their uses in media historical research. The aim is to foreground these discussions as points of departure for showcasing the value of paper archives in media historiography and their indispensable contributions to appraising and valorising audiovisual archival records.

Call for Papers

The symposium is open to media historians, archivists, artists and media professionals doing archive-based work. We invite papers that shine a light on the use of paper archives in the writing of media histories. Papers that showcase the theoretical and methodological versatility of paper archives in media historical research are particularly welcome. We are interested in contributions that deal with archived paper (paper preserved as historical records) as well as archival paper (catalogues, index cards, maps, etc.). The following topics can serve as a point of inspiration, however proposals do not need to be limited to these:

  • paper archives as signifiers of archiving politics;
  • (re)orientations towards politics of digitisation, preservation and archival
    access;
  • practices of appraising historical records and their archival value;
  • intermediality in archive-based media histories;
  • archival precarity;
  • the gendering of paper archives;
  • paper archives and women’s media histories;
  • paper and (gendered) archival labour;
  • embodied approaches to archives;
  • archival paper (catalogues, inventories, memos, etc.) and its digital afterlives;
  • materiality of paper records;
  • silences in the archives as orientations towards re-sounding and re-visioning the archives;
  • polyvocality in the archives and imaginative processes of historical meaning-making;
  • paper archives as grounds for self-reflexivity in institutional media archives.

Abstracts of 250 words should be sent to msc@fiatifta.org by May 31st, 2026.

Queries can be sent to Alec Badenoch (Utrecht University) or Dana Mustata (University of Groningen).