Tag: conferences

CFP: Edinburgh Bibliographical Seminar and Workshop: Catalogues and Registers as Evidence in the History of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

The inaugural Edinburgh Bibliographical Seminar and Workshop (EBSW) seeks proposals on the theme of ‘Catalogues and Registers as Evidence in the History of Mathematics, Science, and Technology’. The event will occur at the University of Edinburgh from 20 July to 24 July, 2026, the week after the joint meeting of the History of Science Society and the European Society for the History of Science.

This interdisciplinary seminar aims to investigate the significant potential of historical registers of commodities, books, and borrowing as sources for the study of the history of mathematics, science, and technology, as well as intellectual history. Beyond their practical applications, catalogues and registers of books can reveal the intellectual landscape of a particular time and place. They can show which books were available, what was considered important, and how knowledge was organised and categorised. By examining these registers, catalogues, and records, we can track the circulation of ideas across disciplines and regions. This examination can provide context for understanding the development of scientific and mathematical thought. As the Books and Borrowings, 1750-1830, project has demonstrated, careful attention to the social context of registers of borrowing can thicken our descriptions and enrich our understanding of how knowledge has been used. Linked to the vision of the great or universal library, the concept of secular universalism has long been thought to spread its legitimisation through the globalisation of modern mathematics. Building on Kant, universalist logicians and philosophers lay claim to a secular universal mode of reasoning that is common to all minds, displacing previous evangelical universalist modes such as those associated with Leibniz, and non-universal epistemes. Becoming widespread from the globalisation of curricular reforms like William Whewell’s or the Madras system, this secular universal conception demanded a way to address the accumulated knowledge and traditions of the past to clear space for its own epistemic break. That is, modern, global mathematics is a site where ideas must somehow contend with the past before secular universalism can become universal.

In a collaborative and hands-on set of workshops, EBSW participants will be invited to examine the books and registers at the University of Edinburgh that shaped the intellectual landscapes of the Enlightenment to modern eras, with a particular emphasis on the changing relationships between mathematics, natural history, and theology. Participants will pre-circulate drafts of a work in progress of around 2,000-3,000 words, which the group will discuss and refine in seminar meetings during the week. Based on these meetings, we will develop a communal sense of the methodologies for using catalogues as evidence for the histories of mathematics, science, and technology. Selected contributions will be invited for an edited conference volume addressing larger methodological questions in these areas.

Proposals should demonstrate, investigate, complicate, or challenge the use of catalogues or registers as a kind of historical evidence around a specific corpus or text. Papers will ideally benefit from the materials in the University of Edinburgh libraries, which have strong books and with catalogue evidence from the 16th century to the present day. Potential topics may include:

  • natural theology, religious history, or early modern thought and their relationship to mathematics, science, and technology or the history of ideas
  • near and far east, ancient and contemporary history or orientalizing images or practices as related to the image of modernity
  • mathematical models, specimens, and exhibits as pedagogical and research tools in and outside of libraries
  • technical, professional and literary texts: reading modes and evidence of political and social change as they relate to the formation of disciplines
  • global library history, collectors and collections, and contemporary library use
  • re-considerations of texts, truth, objectivity, and meaning during the interwar period particularly regarding mathematics, science, and technology

Adrian Johns will deliver an opening talk ‘Registers and the Dream of Universal Information: A Selective History’ which is co-sponsored by the Edinburgh Bibliographical Society.

Applications are due by 21 April, 2026, and should include a proposed title and abstract, a brief two to three sentence bio, and an indication of the applicant’s financial needs for travel. With funding from a UKRI-ERC Horizon grant, the EBSW expects to be able to support travel expenses for many of the participants.

The application form is forthcoming and will be linked at https://sigma.mathsworlds.org/activities/ebsw/ 

Contact Dr J.P. Ascher with questions at jascher@ed.ac.uk

Contact Information

Dr J. P. Ascher, UKRI-ERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh

Contact Email

jascher@ed.ac.uk

URL

https://sigma.mathsworlds.org/activities/ebsw/

CFP: Artefacts XXXI: “Trust and Objects”

With pleasure, the Science History Institute, along with the American Philosophical Society and  the Mütter Museum at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, announces that the next and 31st meeting of ARTEFACTS will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19-21 October 2026.

Today, many museums aligned with the history of science (very broadly defined) are being called upon to help build, restore, or grow “trust in science” among their audiences. As historians of science and museum professionals, the organizers share the concerns motivating such calls, yet also recognize that “trust in science” is itself an object of historical inquiry. 

Such tensions within the history of science are, of course, not new. Since museums and historians often must reconcile such tensions in public-facing projects (and recognizing that we serve many different “publics,” across and within institutions), we have the opportunity to explore how scientific objects can be mobilized to bring audiences into a more critical history of science. Objects are on one hand epistemologically and ontologically flexible; their meanings and identities come from those who study and interpret them. At the same time, for the public, objects are material, “real,” and carry an aura of authority. In the American Alliance of Museums’ Spring 2021 report on Museums and Trust, respondents identified the fact that “Museums present real/original/authentic objects” as the second-most cited measure of their trustworthiness. (For further analysis, see the essay “History Museums and Trust” from the American Association for State and Local History.)

The theme of the 2026 meeting is TRUST AND OBJECTS. We encourage proposals that explore how museums and academic institutions use material culture to build “trust in the history of science” in multiple ways. How do we use objects to negotiate the different meanings of “science” for audiences? In what ways can objects be deployed programmatically and interpretively to raise critical and generative questions about science, and its relationships to politics, culture, and economy? How can the seemingly inert nature of material culture be used to cultivate values of care, empathy, and understanding? 

In keeping with the theme, we especially encourage proposals from individuals working on or with public-facing projects using material culture. This could include museum professionals, as well as historians who study museums, public displays, or interpretation within the history of science. 

Examples might include, but are not limited to:

  • Case studies of museum exhibitions or interpretive projects that illustrate the role of museums and/or material culture in exploring trust in science
  • Discussions about how to negotiate among internal and external stakeholders in defining “science,” the goals of the history of science, or how to connect with different audiences
  • Challenges posed by interpreting material culture unfamiliar to visitors, or “unappealing” due to  its visual character or technical complexity
  • Historical perspectives on the interpretation of material culture in the history of science 
  • Discussions of objects that challenge definitions of science and define the edges of an institution’s collecting scope

Please remember that the focus of presentations should be on artefacts.

ARTEFACTS will once again offer two tracks for submissions: (1) works to be considered for publication (a pre-circulated paper and a longer presentation based on the paper) and (2) works-in-progress (shorter presentations without a paper). Abstracts for track 1 should be 500-1000 words; abstracts for track 2 should be 200-300 words. They should be accompanied by a 75-word author biography and sent to artefacts@sciencehistory.org by April 30. We aim to notify accepted participants by May 31.

Registration will open formally when the program is announced in June, but in the meantime informal queries should be directed to artefacts@sciencehistory.org.

Contact Email

artefacts@sciencehistory.org

URL https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/sites/default/files/2026-03/ArtefactsCallforPapers.pdf

CFP: “Capturing Violence Against Women and Children in Oral History Interviews” (due April 8)

We are looking for participants for a panel for the ESSHC (European Social Science History Conference) titled “Capturing Violence Against Women and Children in Oral History Interviews”.

The conference will be held in Lyon, France, from 21–24 April 2027.

The panel addresses the methodological and ethical challenges of identifying and interpreting experiences of violence against women and children in oral history interviews, particularly in the context of the Second World War and the immediate postwar period.

The panel will feature the following speakers:

  • Marta Pawlińska (University of Warsaw, Poland), examines narratives of violence experienced by Polish forced labourers, especially young women who worked as domestic servants in German households. 
  • Jakub Gałęziowski (University of Warsaw, Poland), works with individuals who were born as a consequence of forced labour during the war or shortly after its end and who often grew up without parental care as so-called unaccompanied children. 
  • Maria Buko (University of Konstanz, Germany), collects narratives of war orphans who, for various reasons, were left without family as a result of the war. 

In each of the presented cases, different forms of violence are present, yet they are not always articulated explicitly. Rather, they often emerge indirectly and must be carefully identified within lengthy personal narratives.
This panel therefore reflects on the methodological and ethical questions involved in recognizing and interpreting such experiences of violence, as well as on responsible approaches to addressing violence both during the interview process and in subsequent analysis.

We invite scholars with corresponding interests to join this panel.
 

Submission Details

Please send:

  • a proposal for your presentation, and
  • a short academic CV

by 08 April 2026 to: ma.pawlinska@uw.edu.pl

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Marta Pawlińska, Jakub Gałęziowski, Maria Buko

Contact Email

ma.pawlinska@uw.edu.pl

CFP: Material Matters: It’s in the Details 2027 Virtual Conference

Call for Papers

Material Matters: It’s in the Details

January 23, 2027

The vast majority of participants in the military events of the long 18th century left no written traces of themselves. Fortunately for scholars, and the public, evidence of their presence survives in material form. From the arms they carried, to the archaeological evidence of their presence, the material experience of soldiering extensively survives if we look carefully. Often seen as mementos or souvenirs of war, or as distinct areas of avocational collecting, military material culture is pervasive, yet understudied, as a rich body of material culture.

However, “military material culture” is not limited to the weapons men wielded or the uniforms they wore. The dense networks of manufacturing supporting early modern militaries connected civilians across the world and expands our definition of this area of study. Furthermore, militaries left their impact on societies through the appropriation and re-use of materials, as well as physically on landscapes shaped by the presence, or absence, of soldiers. Thus, material culture provides a unique and compelling way to engage with topics and individuals for which no written sources survive.

The Fort Ticonderoga Museum seeks papers relating broadly to material culture made, used, or altered in a military context. From soldier’s encounters with domestic furnishings on campaign, to the weapons designed and built for battle. We are seeking new research from established scholars in addition to graduate students, professionals, and artisans that relate to material culture made, used, or altered in a military context between roughly 1609-1815. Papers may engage but are not limited to: 

  • Objects made for military purposes 
  • Civilian objects used in military contexts 
  • Archeological research into sites of military occupation 
  • Ephemeral material cultures such as food or fuel
  • Military material culture crossing cultural, national, and geographic lines 
  • Construction and fabrication of material culture 
  • Craft, trade, experimental archeology, or living history perspectives on material culture 
  • Art and representations of material culture in military contexts 

This conference takes place online, using Zoom Webinars, on Saturday, January 23, 2027. Sessions are 30 minutes in length, followed by 10 minutes for audience questions. Traditional illustrated papers, combined with live or recorded videos of trade practice or object analysis, will all be accepted for consideration. Fort Ticonderoga may provide speakers with an honorarium. Please submit a 300-word abstract and CV by email by July 1, 2026, to Richard M. Strum, Director of Academic Programs: rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org

Contact Information

Rich Strum, Director of Academic Programs

Fort Ticonderoga 

rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org

Contact Email

rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org

Website https://fortticonderoga.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Material-Matters-2027-CFP.pdf

Call for Lightning Talks at STHC Annual Section Meeting

The Science, Technology, and Health Care Section is seeking members to present brief lightning talks during their Annual Section Meeting, May 26th from 2-3.30p EST. Lightening talks are brief, 5-10 minute presentations designed to share ideas, projects, initiatives, successes, and opportunities with the larger section membership.

Talks may also include calls for participation in research, surveys, partnerships, or introductions to tools or concepts you have found compelling in your work and feel inspired to share.

All Section Meetings are conducted virtually. Presenters are welcome – but not required – to create a brief deck of slides (less than 5) to accompany their talk. Presenters and attendees are not required to register for SAA to attend.

If you are interested, contact STHC Section Co-chair Allison Fischbach (afischbach@jhu.edu) by April 6.

CFP: Reimagining the Archive in the Post-Truth Era

“Reimagining the Archive in the Post-Truth Era: An International Interdisciplinary Conference” on 29 June–3 July 2026 at Eden Grove Complex, Rhodes University

Proposal Deadline (Second Call): 15 April 2026 

In an age of distortion and falsification, can the archive claim any mandate to speak the truth? 

With present-day global socio-political and technological developments, we are living in a time where expertise is undermined and the always-tenuous boundaries between “truth” and “fiction” are increasingly blurred. More than ever before, the archive has emerged as both a site of authority and a field of dispute. 

The “post-truth” era – characterised by the rise of misinformation, historical denialism, and digital echo chambers reinforced by social media algorithms – demands a fundamental rethinking of how archives are imagined, constructed, accessed, and interpreted. This conference invites historians, archivists, anthropologists, musicologists, artists, environmental scientists, natural scientists, information systems professionals, scholars and practitioners from a wide range of other disciplines, activists, and publishers, media practitioners and content creators to explore the evolving role of the archive in shaping collective memory, public trust, and historical knowledge in the post-truth era. What does it mean to “reimagine the archive” when truth itself is increasingly contested and under siege? How can archives resist manipulation, amplify marginalized voices, and act as tools for critical engagement in an age of epistemic crisis? Do they have a responsibility to extend their reach, actively sharing information rather than serving as ivory-tower repositories of research? We welcome papers and panels that engage with topics including but not limited to: 

  • The politicization and weaponization of historical records 
  • Archives and other repositories in the age of misinformation and conspiracy theories 
  • Forgery, authenticity, and the ethics of archival evidence
  •  Archives and genealogical fictions
  • The rise of “counter-archives” 
  • Digitization, AI, and the reconfiguration of archival authority 
  • Disinformation, deepfakes, and the future of historical and scientific truth 
  • Post-Colonial, decolonial and anticolonial archival methodologies 
  • Silences, absences, and erasures in traditional archives 
  • Archival justice and truth-telling in transitional societies 
  • Creative, speculative, and performative archival practices
  • The role of curation in archive building
  • Content management strategies for building spaces of truth
  • Policy design and legislative frameworks 
  • The role of archives in repatriation and social justice
  • Epistemologies, ontologies and taxonomies
  • The role of print media in the post-truth era
  • Rights, responsibilities and the ethical use of information in the era of big data
  • Self-curation, social media and algorithm generated archives.

We are especially interested in submissions that critically engage with interdisciplinary approaches, including digital humanities, media studies, cultural memory, fine and performing arts, public history, environmental and natural sciences, ecological challenges, and archival management and practice (including scientific archives and repositories such as herbaria).

Alternative presentation formats such as performative works, film screenings and/or the display of artefacts may be considered depending on the technical requirements and our ability to accommodate them within the programme and venue. 

It is envisaged that a selection of papers will be peer reviewed and submitted to an accredited peer reviewed journal for publication. Other peer reviewed publication possibilities are currently under consideration. 

Submission Guidelines

Please submit a 300-word abstract and a brief biography (100 to 150 words) by 15 April 2026 to archiveconference@ru.ac.za. Panel proposals (3 to 5 presenters) are welcome and should include a panel title, a short overview (250 to 300 words), and individual paper abstracts. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 30 April 2026. For any queries, please contact the organiser, Prof Alan Kirkaldy, at  archiveconference@ru.ac.za. Updates and additional information will be available at the conference website once it is up and running. 

Costs

  • Professionals (for example, Full-time Academics in employment and Representatives of Organisations) R5000.00
  • Postgraduate/Postdoc Students and Unemployed R3500.00
  • Single Day Professionals R1000
  • Single Day Postgraduate/Postdoc Students and Unemployed R500.00
  • On-Campus Accommodation: 4 Nights Bed and Breakfast Accommodation @R700 per night R2100.00
  • Off-Campus Accommodation: Information will follow once the website is up and running. 
  • Transport – Shuttle from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Makhanda (Grahamstown) Single: R500.00 Return R1000.

Workshops

The first day of the conference will be devoted to a workshop dealing with the whole process of building a digital archive presented by Africa Media Online. Participation in this highly informative and useful workshop is included in the cost of registration for the conference.

National Festival of the Arts

The conference coincides with this annual Festival. Negotiations are currently in progress to secure cooperative agreements, including discounted or complementary tickets to selected productions. Further details will follow. 

Contact Information

Prof Emeritus Alan Kirkaldy, Rhodes University

Contact Email

a.kirkaldy@ru.ac.za

CFP: “What’s the Matter with Description? Form, Practice, and Material Culture” (April 2-3, 2027)

Call for Papers

University of Delaware’s 8th CMCS Conference in Material Culture

April 2-3, 2027

“What’s the Matter with Description? Form, Practice, and Material Culture”

Keynote Speaker

SUSAN STEWART

(Princeton University)

Long considered a distinctive concern for literary specialists, description in fact informs all the arts and humanities and, no doubt, the natural sciences as well. Any object of inquiry—from texts to paintings to other modes of representation or from raw materials to consumer goods or from stars to dark matter—requires some level of description. While description has been and remains a prominent element of reflective thought, its valence has fluctuated over time, with some thinkers finding description to be paralyzing or pedantic, extraneous, misleading, even deceptive, and generally unwelcome. Others, reflecting on description specifically in relation to material culture studies, theorized description as a kind of second substance through which we make sense of objects, “reality reconstituted,” as T.H. Breen put it, whereas Jules Prown thought that textual description was, inescapably, the thing itself. Such characterizations are all the more promising today for cross-disciplinary conversations as scholars from various fields extend their inquiries to material facets of their respective subjects and, at the same time, parallel attempts to engage material culture within any one specialty provide methodological bridges between disciplines since all such efforts inevitably rest upon a studied translation of matter into language.

The symposium, “What’s the Matter with Description,” welcomes submissions from all disciplines concerned with description and the way it interacts with material culture. Papers should offer new perspectives on questions regarding the powers and practices of description, including–perhaps especially–those times when we take descriptions for granted and let them stand unexamined. For instance, how does the description of an object inform and transform what can be grasped of it? Or, is there a uniquely material culture approach to description, one that takes material agency seriously and presumes an iterative relationship between describer and described? 

Topics may include (but are not limited to) to one or more of the following themes:

• Histories of Description

Ekphrasis, Realism, Mimesis, Ut Pictura Poesis and the Imitation of Nature, Word and Image, Drama and Performance, Speech v. Writing, etc.

• Missions of Description

Expeditions, Experiments, First Descriptive Encounters, Taxonomies and Classification, Collecting and Archiving, Laws and other Codes, Memorialization, Education

• Protocols of Description

The Camera Eye, Impressionistic Description, Thick Description, Processual Description, Translation, Rules, Textbooks, Witness and Meditation, Memory and Remembering

• Media of Description

Oral Traditions, Personal Records, Print, Visual Media, Diagrams, Schematics and Maps, Photography and Film, Audio Media, Data Visualization

• Ethics of Description

Observational Objectivity, Phenomenological and Hermeneutic Approaches, Colonial and Imperial Gaze, Reparative Description, Politics of Description

Please send abstracts of max. 300 words, with brief CV of no more than two pages, by July 15, 2026 to Martin Brückner (mcb@udel.edu) and Sandy Isenstadt (isnt@udel.edu). The conference takes place on April 2-3, 2027, at the University of Delaware and the Winterthur Museum, DE. 

Contact Information

Martin Brückner

Director of Winterthur Program in American Material Culture

University of Delaware

Newark, DE 19716

Contact Email

mcb@udel.edu

CFP: IASA–BAAC 2026 Joint Conference: Archives in Times of Peace and War

Archives in Times of Peace and War: Safeguarding Audiovisual Memory, Identity, and Authenticity

Audiovisual archives preserve the voices, images, and sounds that define our shared humanity—but these same records are among the first casualties when a crisis strikes. From the Baltic region to Ukraine and beyond, archives have become both witnesses and targets in conflicts that test the limits of cultural resilience, digital security, and professional ethics.

This joint conference of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) and the Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council (BAAC) invites reflections on how we protect both people and collections before, during, and after conflict.

How do we prepare in peace for the realities of war? How do we preserve the authenticity of digital records in an era of AI-generated misinformation? And how do we ensure that the archives of vulnerable and marginalized communities—especially queer, feminist, and immigrant archives—are not erased when visibility becomes dangerous?

We invite proposals that explore theory, practice, and lived experience across the full spectrum of archival work: from technical preservation to ethical frameworks, from front-line documentation to digital forensics, from regional cooperation to global solidarity.

Conference Sub-Themes

Preparedness in Peace: Building Resilience Before Crisis

  • Integrating risk management and disaster planning into archival practice
  • Regional cooperation, mutual aid, and safe-haven networks
  • Training and simulation for emergency digitization and continuity of access

When War Comes: Protecting People, Collections, and Data

  • Evacuation vs. protection in place—decision frameworks under pressure
  • Staff safety, psychological resilience, and remote coordination
  • Encryption, offsite replication, and secure data handover

Targeted Community Memory: Queer, Feminist, Immigrant Archives Under Threat

  • Strategies for concealment, coded metadata, and distributed preservation
  • Community-based archives as resistance and survival
  • Ethics of visibility and consent under repressive regimes

The Archive as Witness

  • Audiovisual evidence in documenting war crimes and human-rights abuses
  • Chain of custody, verification, and legal admissibility of AV records
  • Preserving dignity and consent in survivor testimonies

Digital Authenticity in the Age of AI

  • Verification and chain of custody for audiovisual evidence
  • Deepfakes, metadata forensics, and watermarking
  • Building institutional capacity for trust and provenance validation

Technical Resilience and Preservation Refresh Strategies

  • Managing LTO transitions, file-format obsolescence, and checksum integrity
  • Balancing cloud, hybrid, and on-prem storage models under duress
  • Sustainable refresh cycles and energy-aware digital preservation planning

Reconstruction, Repatriation, and Healing

  • Restoring collections and infrastructure post-conflict
  • Reconnecting displaced archives and digital repatriation initiatives
  • The role of archives in reconciliation, justice, and cultural renewal

Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future

  • Lessons from conflict-zone archives worldwide
  • Updating archival standards and conventions for an era of uncertainty
  • Reimagining the ethics of stewardship in a volatile digital landscape

Transnational Collaboration and Shared Stewardship

  • Cross-border partnerships for digital preservation and capacity-building
  • Shared infrastructures for validation, metadata exchange, and redundancy
  • Diplomatic and legal frameworks for international cooperation in crisis
  • Collective advocacy for the protection of cultural heritage under threat

As a membership organization, IASA is open to all. We do ask participants to acknowledge and adhere to our code of conduct. We hope you’ll join us this year in Vilnius, to share your stories & lessons learned. 

Please submit your proposal in English, by completing the form below, before April 13th 2026.

Description of Formats

Peer-Reviewed Contributions

All contributions must report on novel efforts. We do appreciate an honest and investigative view on your process, learning from failures matters as much as, if not more than, celebrating success! While we welcome service providers to tell their story, we will prioritize presentations that include the story of an implementation from the patron’s perspective. Should you choose to participate from a distance, please kindly indicate so on the form. To support a collaborative conference atmosphere, we will prioritize a critical number of on-premises presentations.

Presentations

We invite two kinds of presentations:

  • Long presentations (60 mins. including Q&A) must be novel, reporting on previously unpublished work.
  • Short presentations (30 mins. including Q&A) focus on new challenges and work in progress. 

Panel sessions  

Proposals for thematic panels to be held during the main conference program. Panel proposals will be judged on the merits of the proposal and relevance for the expected audience. 

Please detail the subject and desired outcomes for the panel discussion as well as the proposed panelists in your proposal. The Program Committee may identify individual thematic papers and invite submitters to form a panel or invite panelists to join a thematic panel. We encourage and prioritize panel proposals and panelists that reflect our diversity, equity and inclusion commitment to broaden subject matter content.  A respectful debate panel structure on a theme or topic is also very much encouraged.

Posters

Posters are ideal for reporting on emerging issues and on works in progress. Your abstract should clearly describe the topic to be presented and states its unique contribution to the field. Posters should aim to improve knowledge, show new technical capabilities, or share solutions and experience in the field.

Workshops and Tutorials

We welcome proposals for workshops and/or tutorials that address the conference themes for IASA.

Workshops are intended to be hands-on and interactive, and proposers are free to decide how to structure and design them. Workshops usually involve the development of a skill, related to the topic covered in the workshop. While workshops involve more hands-on learning, they should also allow for discussion, interaction and debate on the topic of the class.

Tutorials should focus on a single topic and designate whether it aims at an introductory level or an expert level. Tutorials allow time for group discussion of content and debate on the themes and concepts covered in the class. Tutorials need not be hands-on. Proposers are free to decide how to structure them.

Process

The selection of presentations will be made by June 1st by the Programme Committee. The presenters will receive their notification via email after this selection. The Programme Committee reserves the right to propose to the candidates to present under the Conference or the Forum parts of the event and/or in a different format.

Please note: All presenters will be required to register before the early bird deadline.

Submission form.

CFP: Upgrade: Enhancing Library Services with Technology (Virtual – November 12th & 13th, 2026)

Submit your idea today for Upgrade 2026! Upgrade will be held virtually November 12-13 2026. Conference sessions can take one of several formats, and you are welcome to submit multiple proposals!

  • Lecture presentation: 45-minute presentation + 15 min Q&A
  • Panel Discussion: 2-4 presenters focused on one big topic and sharing their experience
  • Lightning talk: 5-8 minute mini presentation/demonstration 

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • OER
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Virtual reality
  • Cybersecurity and data privacy
  • Media labs and makerspaces
  • Social media
  • Media literacy
  • Podcasts
  • Digital collections
  • Equity, accessible and inclusive technology

Selected lecture and panel sessions will receive one complimentary conference registration. Selected lightning talk and roundtable presenters will receive a discounted conference rate. For more information, visit the conference website. 

CFP: FIAT/IFTA World Conference

FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2026
São Paolo, Brazil – October 6-9

Deadline: March 24, 2026

Screen Memories in Dialogue: Learning from Diversity Memórias Audiovisuais em Diálogo: Aprendendo com a Diversidade

Media archives operate today in an environment shaped by constant transformation. Technological change, evolving media ecosystems, shifting institutional frameworks and growing social expectations challenge how audiovisual memory is preserved, managed, accessed and understood. In this context, archives are not only repositories of content, but active spaces where knowledge, practices and perspectives meet.

Under the theme Screen Memories in Dialogue: Learning from Diversity, the FIAT/IFTA World Conference invites professionals, researchers and practitioners to reflect on audiovisual archives as spaces of exchange, collaboration and mutual learning. Dialogue is understood here as a working principle: between institutions and communities, between regions, between professional cultures, and between past experiences and future challenges.

Learning from diversity means recognising that valuable knowledge emerges from different contexts, scales and traditions of practice. Across the FIAT/IFTA community, archives operate under highly diverse institutional, technological and cultural conditions. These differences are not obstacles to be overcome, but sources of insight that can enrich global archival thinking, inspire adaptation and foster more resilient and inclusive practices.

The conference seeks to create a shared space where experiences from broadcasters, film archives, sound archives, community initiatives, research environments and hybrid institutions can be discussed on equal terms. By bringing together perspectives from Ibero-America and beyond, the conference encourages contributions that highlight situated practices, regional innovations and collaborative approaches, while engaging with broader questions relevant to the international audiovisual archival field.

Full Call for Papers