Tag: international

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: 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: 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

CFP: Children’s Tesmonies. Unveiling historical and art-historical archives

Conference at the University of Bonn/Center for Slavery and Dependency Studies (BCDSS) Oct 22nd -24th 2026

PDF of full CFP

Children around the world witness brutal violence: in wars, through displacement or migration, and increasingly also through climate disasters. At the same time, children worldwide are threatened by physical violence and experience it as emotional and psychological violence (distress). Children leave behind a wide range of testimonies of their experiences of violence, which are only belatedly becoming the focus of research and children are thus becoming increasingly important as witnesses to violence. This shift in the importance attached to children as witnesses affected by extreme violence has been aided by a revaluation of children as future adults. The planned conference aims to complement this contemporary observation with a historical dimension, bringing different approaches into dialogue with one another. Understanding children as witnesses inevitably raises methodological issues. These have been far less widely addressed in historical research than in law and psychology.[1] For this reason, the conference will be fullheartedly interdisciplinary and aims at visual, material, archeological and textual archives of childhood, trauma, and violence.

[1] fundamental: Gail S. Goodman, ‘Children’s Testimony in Historical Perspective’, Journal of Social Issues, 40.2 (1984), pp. 9–31; Yuille, John C.: THE SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN’S TESTIMONY. In: Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 1988, 29:3, S. 247-263.

Contact Information

The conference is held by Claudia Jarzebowski and Birgit U. Muench, both of the UNiversity of Bonn, at the University of Bonn’s Center for Slavery and Dependency Studies.

Contact Email: claudia.jarzebowski@uni-bonn.de

URL: https://www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/en/about-us/people/principal-investigators/claudia-jarzebowski

New Issue: South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science

Vol. 92 No. 1 (2026): Stewardship of Documentary Heritage in Lesotho: Reflections from the Basotho Bicentennial Conference
(open access)

Editorial
Stewardship of documentary heritage in Lesotho: reflections from the Basotho Bicentennial Conference

Research Articles
Preserving and indigenising chieftainship cultural heritage in Lesotho: the case of Royal Archives and Museum
Matseliso Moshoeshoe-Chadzingwa

Safeguarding Basotho heritage: the role of Lesotho National Library Srvices in the digital preservation of national collection
Wole Michael Olatokun, Mamoeletsi Cecilia Monyane

Preserving the past, present and future: the case of Lesotho National Broadcasting Services
Ts’epo Joseph Rafoneke

Cloud computing as a disaster management tool for documentary heritage management: reflections by the National University of Lesotho
Tahleho Tseole, Olefhile Mosweu

Preservation management framework in library and archival institutions: a conceptual framework
Thatayaone Segaetsho

Preserving language through digital neologisms: a study of word-formation processes in the digital age
Beatrice Ekanjume, Maboleba Kolobe, Thuso Leoisa

Language and translation as tools for the archiving and preservation of Indigenous knowledge: the case of Lesotho
Mosisili Sebotsa

A case for black sartorial history: the role of orality, archives, museums, and libraries
Khaya Mchunu, Maneo Ralebitso, Kiara Gounder

Generating knowledge for archives, libraries and museums: oral history research methodology in the twenty first century
Neo Lekgotla laga Ramoupi, Maneo Ralebitso

Orality as a mechanism of preserving SeMoshoeshoe Basotho History
Keneuoe Anacletta Motšoene

The complexities of shared digital curation: a case study relating to Lesotho material held in the Royal Commonwealth Society collection at Cambridge University Library
Sally Kent

CFP: International Conference – Museums Beyond the Beaten Track. Challenges from the Periphery, Communities and Local Heritage

deadline for submissions:  March 18, 2026

full name / name of organization: 
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

contact email: 
congreso.museos@urjc.es

Throughout its consolidation as an academic discipline, museum studies have tended to gravitate around major national and international museums, their emblematic collections, and the management models they have established as standards. These institutions, mostly located in urban centers and supported by solid structures of funding, research, and public outreach, have shaped a “canon” that has influenced not only academic agendas but also collective imaginaries about what a museum is (and what it should be).

However, beyond this centralized focus there exists a vast and heterogeneous museum universe that has historically remained at the margins of scientific discourse and cultural policy. Small archaeological, ecclesiastical, community and local museums, ethnographic and anthropological institutions, and medium-sized collections, often located in peripheral or rural areas, actually constitute the largest part of today’s museum landscape. Far from being residual spaces, these museums safeguard heritage that is deeply connected to the communities that sustain them and to the social, cultural, and symbolic environments from which they emerge.

The relative “marginality” of these institutions is not only geographical or budgetary, but also epistemological. Their practices, challenges, and potential have been scarcely addressed in academia, despite the fact that they directly confront key issues for contemporary museums: sustainability, community participation, intergenerational transmission of heritage, management of limited resources, professionalization in precarious contexts, and the redefinition of their social function in the 21st century. In these contexts, the museum appears as an active agent of cultural mediation, living memory, and identity construction, moving beyond the notion of a mere monumental container of objects.

The International Conference Museums Beyond the Beaten Track. Challenges from the Periphery, Communities and Local Heritage, organized by students and faculty of the Master’s Degree in Museums Curation of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, aims to shift the focus and open a space for critical reflection on these frequently overlooked museums. It is conceived as an interdisciplinary and intergenerational forum in which researchers, professionals, and cultural agents may share experiences, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks to rethink the role of museums from the periphery.

The International Conference Museums Beyond the Beaten Track. Challenges from the Periphery, Communities and Local Heritage welcomes proposals for on-site oral presentations in Spanish and English that may fall within one of the following thematic areas:

1. Management and funding strategies in peripheral museums.

Proposals focused on specific management models of museums located outside major cultural centers, considering legislative frameworks, public and private funding formulas, working conditions, and institutional sustainability. Critical reflections on structural precariousness and center-periphery asymmetries in resource allocation are particularly welcome.

2. Community participation, education, and cultural action.

Contributions analyzing the role of peripheral museums as educational and cultural agents, in dialogue with local communities, educational institutions, and associations. This includes mediation experiences, educational programs, temporary exhibitions, and participatory projects that position the public as an active actor in museum planning and local cultural action.

3. Territorial outreach, sustainability, and rural environments.

Studies on strategies through which museums extend their impact beyond their physical headquarters, contributing to the cultural, social, and economic development of rural environments. Special attention will be given to sustainable initiatives, territorial networks, and cultural policies addressing imbalances between urban centers and peripheries.

4. Collection preservation, digitization, and technological integration.

Contributions devoted to preventive conservation, documentation, and digitization of collections in small and medium-sized museums, as well as the incorporation of technological resources, digital platforms, virtual or augmented reality, and web developments. Legal, technical, and economic challenges that shape innovation in peripheral contexts will be considered.

5. Local tangible and intangible heritage and its management.

Proposals highlighting the diversity of local heritage in rural and peripheral contexts, including oral traditions, agricultural practices, craft techniques, and intangible expressions. Analyses of their management, intergenerational transmission, heritagization processes, risks of disappearance, and the museum’s role as cultural mediator are especially welcome.

6. Case studies, ongoing projects, and best practices.

Presentations of concrete experiences, ongoing projects, and best practices promoted by peripheral museums, individually or in networks. This includes applied research, new curatorial dynamics, temporary exhibitions, as well as academic work (doctoral theses, TFM, and TFG) related to these museum realities.

Researchers interested in participating with an on-site oral presentation (Madrid) at the International Conference Museums Beyond the Beaten Track. Challenges from the Periphery, Communities and Local Heritage must submit their abstract through this digital application before March 18, 2026. Any questions or inquiries will be addressed via email at congreso.museos@urjc.es.

New Issue: ESARBICA Journal: Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

Editorial
Segomotso Keakopa , Mehluli Masuku

Repatriation of the World Council of Churches’ 1948-1960 archives from Switzerland to South Africa
Sidney Nkholedzeni Netshakhuma

Engaging the public through archives: a systematic review of participatory approaches in public programming
Mthokozisi Masumbika Ncube, Patrick Ngulube

Leveraging artificial intelligence for ethical archiving and democratising access to sensitive historical narratives
Prince Kudakwashe Madziwa, Takunda Michael Ralph Chingonzo

The custody questionownership and control of armed struggle archives in Zimbabwe
Heather Ndlovu, Elizabeth Kyazike, Peterson Dewah

Digital transformation for leveraging police case records management to support justice for all in South Africa
Ngoako Marutha

International diplomacy versus Zimbabwean archival heritage: challenges and prospects of repatriating migrated archives in Zimbabwe
Adock Dube, Trevor Gumbo, Masithokoze Hlabangana

An assessment of the storage systems for medical records in public healthcare facilities in Malawi
Austin Phiri, Antonio Rodrigues

Expanding the archival boundary through a “community archives” project in Zimbabwe
Samuel Chabikwa, Patrick Ngulube

Unlocking digital records enhancing accessibility for effective records management at Zomba District Council in Malawi
Clement Mweso

The impact of artificial intelligence on modern records and archives management practices
Andrew Asasiira

Artificial intelligence in records management in Africa: opportunities and threats
Ndakasharwa Muchaonyerwa, Sharon Ndlovu

CFP: 2026 Oral History Network of Ireland Annual Conference, “Oral History & Movement”

Call for Participation: ‘Oral History and Movement‘

The Oral History Network of Ireland (OHNI) is pleased to announce its 2026 meeting, taking place on 18–19 June 2026 at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, County Kerry. The annual meeting is a gathering of practising oral historians and all those with an interest in the recording, collecting and preserving oral history and heritage.

This two-day event offers interactive workshops, presentations and project showcases that are designed to inspire discussion, learning, knowledge and to create greater networking amongst our community. Whether you are experienced in oral history or just beginning your journey, we invite you to join us and share your insights and ideas.

Mary Stewart, Lead Curator of Oral History at the British Library, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s meeting. Mary is Director of the oral history fieldwork charity National Life Stories, and a trustee of OHNI’s UK equivalent, the Oral History Society. Her research interests include family histories and narratives and their use as a tool for academic research and oral history and their reception by family members of interviewees. She has also been exploring the ‘biography’ of the oral history archive: contextualising collections, capturing information about the research process and exploring ethical debates about the re-use archived oral history material.

Contributions are welcome in a range of formats:

Standard Papers (20 minutes)
Posters and Visual Presentations
Community Project Showcases & Moments (10 minutes) – this shorter format allows for presentations that offer an overview of new or developing projects, or that reflect on outstanding or memorable interviews, experiences, and/or incidents that influenced or changed the way the presenter practices oral history.

This year’s theme, ‘Oral History and Movement’, invites reflection on the many ways movement shapes human experience and storytelling. Movement can be understood broadly, and we invite reflections on how movement shapes human experience and storytelling: the physical movement of people across places and borders; social and political movements that bring people together/divide them; movement through time, memory, and the generations; movement of voices from the private spaces/spheres into public archives; those memories which emerge from our journeys taken, changes endured, and moments of transition.

Movement is central to how stories are told and remembered. Oral histories frequently unfold through accounts of travel, migration, work, protest, displacement, and return, but also through quieter movements: daily routines, changing neighbourhoods, or shifts in identity and belonging. This conference aims to create an inclusive and welcoming space for academics, community historians and OHNI members to explore how movement, in all its forms, is recorded, interpreted, and shared through oral history.

Possible Themes and Topics

We welcome proposals that engage with the theme Oral History and Movement in creative, reflective, or practical ways. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Migration, emigration, immigration, and diaspora experiences
Asylum, refuge, displacement, forced movement and borders
Social, political, and labour movements
Everyday mobility: work, commuting, travel, and local journeys
Borders, boundaries, and crossing points
Movement across generations: memory, inheritance, and change over time
Rural and urban change, including housing, land, and community movement
Walking interviews, mobile methods, and place-based storytelling
Music, performance, sport and embodied movement
Movement from private memory to public archive: ethics and access
Digital movement: sharing oral histories online and across platforms

We welcome proposals from community groups, educators, archivists, academics, early career researchers, heritage professionals and anyone engaged in oral history practice or research.

Submissions highlighting collaborative or community-based projects are particularly encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

To participate, please submit an abstract (of not more than 250 words) along with your contact details using the form on our website no later than 20th March 2026

Contact Information

David Ryan, Communications Chair, Oral History Network of Ireland

Contact Email

info@oralhistorynetworkireland.ie

URL https://oralhistorynetworkireland.ie/events/2026-meeting/

CFP: Permanence/Impermanence: Collecting and archiving contemporary clay practices

Permanence / Impermanence: Collecting and archiving contemporary clay practices 

Conference: In-person, London, 24-26 June 2026

Deadline for proposals: 16 March 2026

Conference organisers: Ceramics Research Centre-UK, CREAM, University of Westminster, in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The conference addresses how artworks in the ‘expanded field of clay’ can be made accessible and visible to current and future audiences.

Artists’ practices in the expanded field of clay can result in raw clay artworks, large-scale site-specific installations, performance-based events and involve audience participation (Brown, Stair and Twomey, 2016). Due to their ephemeral or mutable nature, such works pose significant challenges to museums, which have more often acquired permanent ceramic objects due to the complexities of capturing live or transient clay artworks. 

The conference takes place in the context of important recent work on collecting performance, installation and live art (Tate, 2018-22; Hölling, Feldman & Magnin, 2023-4), and on the politics and practices of museum collecting (Jones, 2021; Krmpotich & Stevenson, 2024).

Proposals are invited from artists, academics and museum professionals, including archivists, conservators, curators, collection managers, learning officers and others. Proposals may take any of the following formats: 10-minute provocations that ignite debate, 25-minute papers and 60-minute panel discussions. We particularly welcome case studies of artworks, acquisitions, exhibitions, interventions or other museum projects. Presenters may address issues relating to, although by no means limited to, the following themes and questions:

Artists / Artworks / Projects: 

  • How can artists be active in the process of their artworks being represented in collections?
  • Object, concept, experience, process? What is it that museums are collecting?
  • Can the re-performance of a work or its translation to a different medium be a productive, rather than reductive, process?
  • Outside of documentation through photography and videography, how might the physical sensations of interacting with a work, beyond sight, be preserved when it no longer exists in the same form?

Museums: 

  • How are museums engaging with the expanded field of clay practice through collections, learning programmes and other activities?
  • What are the implications if these artworks are not collected in a sufficiently meaningful way?
  • What is the impact on visitors and institutions when working with ephemeral, performance-based, participatory and site-specific ceramic or clay artworks?
  • What are the challenges of stewarding and/or documenting contemporary clay artworks, including issues of care, ethics and long-term availability, and how can museums meet them?
  • How can museums welcome, accommodate or document intentional decay in ephemeral artworks?

Collections / Archives:

  • What can be learned from the strategies of collecting other kinds of ephemeral art practices, such as performance, digital and hybrid objects? 
  • Do the nuances of materiality inherent in experimental clay and ceramic practices pose particular challenges?
  • Collections or archives? Where can transient artworks be best represented for the future?

Timeline

16 March 2026: Deadline for proposals (max. 300 words + 100-word biography per presenter/panel member).

Submit proposals to: Ceramics@westminster.ac.uk   

Early April 2026: Notification of acceptance. 

Mid-April 2026: Registration opens.

The conference is staged in the first year of the AHRC-funded Future Ecologies of Clay research project (August 2025-July 2028) with the objective of gathering information on the experiences and needs of artists, museums and researchers. It is the first event of a ‘long conference’, which reconceptualises the notion of the conference-as-catalyst and functions as a means to develop ideas and approaches within a follow-on seminar series and summit day. Conference presenters will initially be invited to contribute to the project website, and selected conference papers and research findings will be published in an edited book of essays in 2028. 

The Future Ecologies of Clay research involves creating four new artworks with four UK museums, including the V&A. These practice-based case studies of ephemeral, site-specific, participatory and live art will provide new content for each museum’s collection. An Open Call for museums interested in participating will be publicised in Spring 2026. 

The Future Ecologies of Clay research is being undertaken by the Ceramics Research Centre-UK in partnership with the V&A. This work is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number UKRI748].

References:

Brown, C., Stair, J., & Twomey, C. (eds.) (2016), Contemporary Clay and Museum Culture, Routledge.

Hölling, H. B., Feldman, J. P., & Magnin, E. (eds.) (2023-4), Performance: The Ethics and the Politics of Conservation and Care, Vols. 1 & 2, Routledge.

Jones, M. (2021), Artefacts, Archives and Documentation in the Relational Museum, Routledge.

Krmpotich, C., & Stevenson, A. (eds.) (2024), Collections Management as Critical Museum Practice, UCL Press.

Tate (2018-22), Reshaping the Collectible: When Artworks Live in the Museum: https://www.tate.org.uk/research/reshaping-the-collectible 

Contact Information

Ceramics Research Centre -UK, CREAM, University of Westminster, UK

Contact Email

Ceramics@westminster.ac.uk

URL: https://cream.ac.uk/ceramics-research-centre-uk/

Call for Chapters: Understanding User Behavior for Enhanced Library Services

Editors

Edmont Pasipamire, The IIE Rosebank College, South Africa

Call for Chapters

Proposals Submission Deadline: March 15, 2026
Full Chapters Due: June 28, 2026
Submission Date: June 28, 2026

Introduction

The landscape of information is undergoing rapid transformation due to advances in digital technologies, evolving user expectations, and the proliferation of data-intensive research practices. These developments have fundamentally redefined the role of libraries and information centres. Contemporary users engage with information in increasingly complex, personalised, and technology-mediated ways, necessitating a shift from traditional service models toward approaches that are user-centred and evidence-based. Consequently, a rigorous understanding of user behaviour on how individuals seek, access, evaluate, and utilise information has become central to the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective library services. This edited volume, Understanding User Behavior for Enhanced Library Services, responds to the growing need for theoretical, empirical, and practice-based insights into user behavior within academic, public, special, and digital library contexts. The book foregrounds user studies, information-seeking behavior, user experience (UX), and data-informed service design as critical foundations for enhancing library relevance, accessibility, and impact. By bringing together diverse perspectives from researchers and practitioners across global contexts, the volume seeks to illuminate emerging patterns of library use and translate user behavior research into actionable strategies for service innovation.

Objective

The primary objective of this book is to advance scholarly and professional understanding of user behavior in libraries and information environments and to demonstrate how such insights can be systematically applied to improve library services. Specifically, the book aims to: Examine contemporary theories, models, and methodologies used to study user behavior in physical and digital library settings. Showcase empirical research and case studies that illustrate how user behaviour insights inform service design, resource development, and policy formulation. Bridge the gap between theory and practice by translating user behaviour research into practical, scalable solutions for library professionals. Address emerging challenges and opportunities related to digital literacy, user diversity, accessibility, and data-driven decision-making. Contribute to the growing body of literature on user-centred librarianship, particularly in under-researched and Global South contexts. By consolidating interdisciplinary perspectives and evidence-based practices, the book will extend current research and serve as a reference point for future studies on user behavior and library service enhancement.

Target Audience

This book is intended for a broad audience of scholars, practitioners, and postgraduate students in Library and Information Science (LIS) and related fields. The primary beneficiaries include: Academic, public, and special librarians seeking to design user-centred and responsive services. Library managers and administrators involved in strategic planning, assessment, and service innovation. Researchers and scholars investigating information behavior, user experience, and digital engagement. Postgraduate students (Master’s and PhD level) studying library science, information studies, and knowledge management. Policymakers and educators interested in evidence-based approaches to improving information services. The volume will be particularly valuable for professionals and researchers working in rapidly evolving information environments and diverse socio-cultural contexts.

Recommended Topics

Proposed chapters may address, but are not limited to, the following topics: Theories and models of information-seeking and user behavior User experience (UX) research and design in libraries Digital user behaviour and online library services Information behaviour of students, researchers, and faculty User behaviour in public, academic, and special libraries Data-driven decision-making and analytics in library services Personalisation and adaptive library systems Accessibility, inclusivity, and diverse user communities Digital literacy, information literacy, and user engagement The impact of emerging technologies (AI, discovery tools, virtual libraries) on user behavior User behavior in research support and scholarly communication services Ethical considerations in studying and analysing user data User behavior in Global South and under-researched contexts Assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement of library services

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before March 15, 2026, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by March 29, 2026 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by June 28, 2026, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Understanding User Behavior for Enhanced Library Services. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process.

All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission manager.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing, an international academic publisher of the “Information Science Reference”, “Medical Information Science Reference”, “Business Science Reference”, and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2027.

Important Dates

March 15, 2026: Proposal Submission Deadline
March 29, 2026: Notification of Acceptance
June 28, 2026: Full Chapter Submission
August 30, 2026: Review Results Returned
October 11, 2026: Final Acceptance Notification
October 25, 2026: Final Chapter Submission

Inquiries

Edmont Pasipamire
The IIE Rosebank College
edmontp936@gmail.com

Classifications

Education; Library and Information Science

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