Full call for papers

In today’s rapidly changing world, new technologies offer both opportunities and challenges. Archivists are not only the custodians of our past, they are also helping to shape our future. The role of archivists and records managers has broadened. They now not only preserve records, but also manage memories, protect identities and navigate the complexities of social conflict. Archivists ensure that records protect rights and make information accessible and understandable.

At the Barcelona Congress, participants will discuss the future of archives, the evolving role of the profession, and how to connect with other fields. By sharing ideas and knowledge, we use the power of archives to create a more informed and inclusive world. Join us at “Knowing Pasts, Creating Futures” to shape the future by learning from the past.

The Congress Programme Committee hereby invites your proposals for papers and other types of sessions related to the theme “Knowing Pasts, Creating Futures.” Session formats and subthemes are described below.

The Programme Committee welcomes the participation of new professionals in the field, new members of the ICA community, and people from other professions who want to engage with archivists and records managers.

An evaluation panel will select proposals for the final programme based on the quality of the proposals and the significance of the topics, while also ensuring that the Congress includes a diverse group of speakers from a wide range of countries and perspectives. In addition, the final programme should provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about record keeping and archives in our host country.

Note for ICA Branches, Sections, and Expert Groups: all ICA groups will be able to reserve meeting time on Monday, 27 October, subject to availability of spaces in the congress venue. For this, you do not need to submit a proposal. Groups can open these meetings to all attendees or limit them to their members. ICA will also organize dedicated lightning talk sessions for Sections and Expert Groups to provide short introductions to their objectives and ongoing work for the general ICA audience. However, ICA groups and their members can always submit session proposals on their significant projects using the usual process to share their work with the widest audience.

Subthemes

1. Managing Memories / Preserving Identities

To navigate the uncertainties of the future, humanity must not forget its past. In this context, archives are essential instruments of society, which is expressed through traditional communication channels and others that are constantly evolving. These include social networks and new social movements, which, in many cases, generate instant and ephemeral documentation.

2. Conflict, Disaster, and Displacement

Around the world there are episodes of forced displacement, displaced people and emergent movements whose memory and that of the reception spaces are important to preserve. These memories are fragile and endangered, and from the archives we must respond to preserve them as a testimony of human activity (displaced people), social activity (organisations supporting displaced people: humanitarian, medical, etc.), and official activity (driven by states and global organisations: UN, EU, etc.).

3. Records of Rights

Archives guarantee personal and collective rights by providing access to our memory through heritage management. Document management ensures better access to documents, greater transparency and good governance of public administrations. In terms of collective rights, archives promote corporate social responsibility through collaboration between archives and society.

4. Digital and Accessible

Within digital society, archives are digitising the past, present, and future. As a result, both digital humanities and artificial intelligence projects focus on documents, from all time periods. However, these strategies differ significantly from traditional models of knowledge transfer, often involving the direct construction of knowledge from information. This universal access to documents, data and information significantly changes the role of professionals.

5. Archival Futures

The training of archive professionals is crucial in shaping the future of the profession. With new societal challenges and developments in the field, it is time for an in-depth debate on the functions of professionals, their expertise, professional skills, and areas of specialisation. We must assess the state of the profession and evaluate new realities and experiences to determine the professional hazards and opportunities faced by archivists and document managers.

Papers may be submitted in Catalan, Spanish, English or French

We request that you complete your application by no later than Thursday 16 January 2025 (23:59:59 CET). Presenters will be notified of acceptance by the end of April 2025. The Programme Committee will only consider submissions received via ConfTool. Instructions on how to submit are contained in the submission platform. 

Submission Form

Read more about types of sessions and other details.

We invite you to contribute to the ARMA Canada Information Conference by submitting your proposal today. By participating in the ARMA Canada Information Conference, you have the opportunity to play a significant role in redefining and progressing the field of information governance. Your insights and contributions can serve as a catalyst for future developments and improvements within the industry, driving forward the evolution of best practices and standards that meet the challenges of tomorrow.

By presenting at this prestigious conference, you will enhance your professional reputation and connect with fellow experts and decision-makers in the industry. We encourage proposals that are interactive, innovative, and provide practical insights that participants can apply in their organizations. In addition to the opportunity to present at the conference, your participation promises a revolutionary experience for both attendees and presenters. Your sessions will not only educate but also spark significant changes and advancements within the field of information governance. By sharing innovative strategies and solutions, you have the potential to revolutionize practices and inspire transformative growth in organizations across Canada and beyond. Engage with peers who are equally passionate about paving the way for a future-oriented approach to information management. This could be a pivotal moment for enhancing your influence and contributing to a revolutionary shift within the industry. Don’t miss the chance to inspire change and foster innovation—submit your proposal now and be part of this transformative event.

The deadline to submit a proposal is December 3.  Click on the 2025 Call for Proposals menu for details on submitting and the link to the submission form.

The Memory Studies Association invites proposals for its ninth annual conference, to be held from 14 to 18 July 2025 at Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences in the historic city of Prague. This on-site conference aims to carry over from earlier conferences a transdisciplinary conversation on memory and its social, cultural and public relevance. It welcomes scholars, practitioners, and activists from diverse fields to contribute to this vibrant exchange of ideas.

In 2025, we will globally commemorate many significant anniversaries, such as the end of World War II (1945) and the end of the Vietnam War (1975). We will mourn the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia (1995) and the massacres in Sudan (2005). Additionally, we will be half a decade removed from the onset of the COVID-19 lockdowns. With the theme Beyond Crises: Resilience and (In)stability, the conference seeks to explore how the memory of these events and other critical turning points has led to new tensions but also generated new possibilities. What patterns of decisive change can we observe? What is the role of memory in these processes, and how have they been commemorated? How have such critical turning points and their actors been collectively remembered and commemorated? And what can memory teach us amid the ongoing polycrisis?

While we have identified several central thematic streams, the conference is open to all fields of interest of the members of the MSA:

• Anniversaries and their societal importance: Examining the politics of memory and commemoration practices both top-down and bottom-up.
• Digital Memories: Investigating the impact of digital technologies on memory formation, preservation, and dissemination.
• Economic Memories: Exploring the impact of collective memory on economic behavior, policy-making, and the socio-economic identities of communities.
• Environment: Examining how environmental changes and ecological memory shape collective and individual identities.
• Gender, Belonging, Embodiment: Examining how memory intersects with issues of gender, identity, and embodied experiences.
• Health, Welfare & Care: Reflecting on the memories associated with health, caregiving, and social welfare systems.
• History, Theory, and Methods of Memory Studies: Critically examining the foundational aspects of memory studies, focusing on the theoretical frameworks, historical contexts, and methodological approaches that shape the field.
• Human Rights & Civil Society: Analyzing memory’s role in promoting and defending human rights and civil society initiatives.
• Humanitarianism & Philanthropy: Investigating the interplay between memory, humanitarian efforts, and philanthropic activities.
• Materiality and Nostalgia: Exploring the material aspects of memory and the sentimentality associated with nostalgia.
• Memory Education: Focusing on pedagogical approaches to teaching and transmitting memory.
• Memory Politics and Populism: Looking at the deployment of historical memories by both progressive and reactionary movements.
• Memoryscapes Shared and Divided: Studying the spatial and geographical dimensions of memory, including contested and shared spaces.
• Migration and Displacement: Investigating the memories of migration, displacement, and the diasporic experience.
• Notions of Crises: Exploring and interpreting the meaning of crisis within memory construction.
• Public and Private Memory: Analyzing the interplay between public commemorations and private recollections.
• Resilience, Reconciliation, Mourning: Discussing memory’s contribution to processes of healing, reconciliation, and mourning.
• Transformation, Activism, Social Justice: Exploring the role of memory in social movements and transformative justice.
• Violence, Justice, Trauma: Addressing the memories of violence, justice processes, and trauma recovery.
• Voices of Memory: Highlighting underrepresented and marginalized narratives in the collective memory.

Proposals should include:

1. Individual Papers: An abstract of up to 300 words, including the title, research question, methodology, keywords and key findings.
2. Panels: A panel description (up to 300 words), abstracts for each paper (up to 300 words per paper), and keywords. Each panel should consist of 4 presenters and a chair.
3. Roundtables: A summary of the roundtable topic (up to 300 words) and brief descriptions of each participant’s contribution.
4. Special Events (Film Screenings, Performances, Exhibitions, Workshops): A detailed description (up to 300 words) of the proposed cultural activity, including its relevance to the conference themes, format, technical requirements, and any special considerations. Please also include a short bio of the creator(s) or performer(s). Please note that we have a limited number of slots for creative outputs and cannot cover conference participation costs, including travel, transportation of exhibits and copyrights. We encourage you to contact the organisers if you have organisational or technical questions about a possible special event.  

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to participate in the conference, you must be a member of the MSA. You can become a member after your paper has been accepted.

We invite the submission of individual papers, panels, roundtable discussions, book launches, workshops and special events from members committed to attending the conference in person. The MSA especially encourages complete sessions, such as panels, round tables and workshops. 

Submit your paper at: https://msaprague2025.dryfta.com/72-call-for-papers

Information and dates regarding submissions:

• All proposals should be submitted via our online submission portal by October 20, 2024. 
• Notifications of acceptance will be sent out in December 2024. 
• We will provide the supporting documentation for those needing to apply for visas in January 2025. Please follow the information on the conference website
•  Please note that participants may appear as presenters only once in a panel but may act as chairs in more than one panel. 

Contact Email

pragueconference@memorystudiesassociation.org

URL

https://msaprague2025.dryfta.com/72-call-for-papers