Tag: Midwest Archives Conference

Call for Posters: Midwest Archives Conference and the Society of Ohio Archivists joint 2026 Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting: Call for Poster Presentations 2026

The Midwest Archives Conference and the Society of Ohio Archivists will hold a joint 2026 Annual Meeting on May 14-16, 2026 at the Ohio Union on The Ohio State University’s campus in Columbus, Ohio.

Founded in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, The Ohio State University sits a few miles north of downtown Columbus. A city unto itself with an enrollment of more than 65,000, Ohio State is known for its top ranked academic programs in engineering, agriculture, and business, its world class research endeavors. For more information about the host and the conference, see the meeting website.

The 2026 Program Committee invites poster proposal submissions on all aspects of archival practice and research, as well as on topics from allied and related fields. The Program Committee seeks a diverse slate of presenters, representing a variety of personal and institutional backgrounds, perspectives, and voices. We seek to foster a culture of inclusion in the MAC-SOA program and encourage submissions from students, new professionals, first-time presenters, and those from allied professions. Membership in MAC and/or SOA is not required to present. Poster presentations will be onsite only, and at least one author must be present.

Proposals are due by 11:59p CST February 8, 2026. There will be no deadline extension.

The Program Committee invites poster proposals touching on the theme “Find it Here.”

Potential areas of focus include:

  • Distinct approaches to collecting, reference, and instruction
  • Overcoming challenges to making collections accessible and discoverable
  • Successful community archiving projects and partnerships
  • Utilizing facilities in unique ways to highlight and provide access to collections

For more ideas, see the earlier conference Call for Session Proposals here.

Authors are required to present their posters in person during scheduled times during the meeting, Thursday 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Friday 3:00 – 3:30 pm. These presentations are more like elevator speeches that summarize the poster content with attendees who stop by the poster to view it and ask questions. 

Proposal Evaluation

The MAC-SOA PC Poster Subcommittee will evaluate all proposals submitted by the deadline. Proposals will be evaluated in two ways: 1) merit and clarity of the 1750-character abstract; and 2) completeness of the proposal, particularly having well-developed content to understand all relevant aspects of the topic. Authors of posters accepted for inclusion in the MAC-SOA 2026 Annual Meeting will be notified in February 2026.

To submit a proposal, please fill out the MAC 2026 Poster Proposals Submission Form.  The deadline for submitting poster proposals for the 2026 MAC-SOA Annual Meeting is February 5, 2026.  We look forward to seeing you in Columbus!

Poster Prizes

MAC memberships will be awarded to a select number of posters based on the following criteria: 

  • Originality 
  • Relation to meeting theme (“Find It Here”)
  • Creativity displayed in the poster

Poster Session Tips

Poster sessions are a means to communicate and exchange ideas, programs, research, and projects to fellow MAC-SOA meeting attendees

Posters typically include pictures, data, graphs and/or diagrams with narrative text on paper backing that are approximately 36×24 inches. MAC will provide easels, thumb tacks, and appropriately sized foam board. 

Helpful tips on creating posters are available at these links:

Poster sessions cannot be used to advertise products or to display vendor items. If you are unsure if your proposal qualifies or if you have questions about the poster submission process, please email Adam Wanter, Poster Coordinator, at awanter@midpointelibrary.org

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Question: Will MAC pay my travel expenses and/or registration fee to attend the annual meeting if I am presenting a poster?

Answer: No, MAC cannot reimburse you for your travel or conference registration expenses. However, MAC offers travel scholarships for first-time meeting attendees. Applications for the Mark A. Greene Award for First-Time Meeting Attendees are due March 16, 2026. SOA also offers a variety of scholarship opportunities.

  1. Question: What if I have a conflict with poster session presentation time?

Answer: At least one author of the poster must be present during the poster sessions.This is an opportunity to engage with conference attendees who stop to ask questions and provide further details about poster content. Poster sessions cannot be presented unless at least one author is present during the allotted times.

  1. Question: What happens if I must cancel my poster session because I can’t attend the conference?

Answer: Please plan on a backup person who will be able to represent your poster if an emergency arises. If an alternate presenter is unable to be arranged, your poster will not be included in the poster session.

  1. Question: Can I have an internet connection or other electrical or technical support?

Answer: If your poster session includes electrical equipment, you may need to provide your own source of power (e.g., batteries). We cannot guarantee electrical support or Internet connections in the poster session area. Audio-visual presentations that include sound are not encouraged, as they can be distracting to the other presenters and attendees. However, if you can supply headphones for viewers/listeners, sound is acceptable. Please note in your proposal if you request specific electrical support.

  1. Question: What about simultaneous submissions? Can I submit a poster session proposal about a project for which I’ve also submitted a manuscript for publication in a journal?

Answer: Yes, poster submissions for articles that have been simultaneously submitted for publication are welcomed, if you note the simultaneous submission on the proposal form.

  1. Question: What is the difference between the MAC Exhibit area and the MAC Poster Session Area?

Answer: The exhibit area is designed for vendors or organizations to promote their wares or groups. The poster session area is expressly for authors to present their work on research or projects.

  1. Question: Can I present a session and a poster?

Answer: Yes, but submission preference will be given to authors who are not already presenting.

CFP: 2025 Midwest Archives Conference

The Midwest Archives Conference will hold its 2025 Annual Meeting on April 10-12, 2025 at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis is one half of the “Twin Cities” along with the state capitol, St. Paul. Minneapolis is known for its lakes and parks, as well as the Mississippi River, which runs through both downtowns. We plan to roll out our best “Minnesota Nice” to welcome you to the land of 10,000 Lakes.

In keeping with Minnesota’s famous love for sharing a good hotdish at family and community tables, the Program Committee invites session proposals touching on the theme “Serving it Up.” Join us as we explore how archivists preserve the histories and stories of communities we serve, reach across the table and collaborate, use new technologies to update policies and practices to serve up accessible collections, and stretch budgets and resources to find creative solutions to archival issues.  

The Program Committee encourages submissions from newer professionals, first-time presenters, and colleagues from non-academic institutions.  MAC membership is not required. Presenters may submit more than one proposal but may present only one session OR poster.

With an eye toward clear takeaways that can be broadly applied, possible areas of focus include but are not limited to: 

  • Areas of growth in archival theory, technology, and practice
  • Approaches to collecting, outreach, reference, and instruction 
  • Managing born-digital records and analog digitization standards and preservation
  • Practical workflows for accessioning, appraisal, processing, preservation, deaccessioning, and cataloging
  • Workplace considerations including workload expectations, avoiding burnout, managing relationships, and non-traditional career paths 
  • Leadership and management roles in policy making, supervising, advocacy 
  • Promoting inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity in the workplace, collections, and archival practices
  • Community archiving approaches and practices
  • Stretching resources and budgets in innovative and practical ways
  • Advocating for funding
  • Facility issues such as space constraints, environmental stewardship, and renovations/moves
  • Impact of AI on archives 

The Program Committee will also consider proposals not related to this theme or that fall outside these areas of focus. 

Possible Session Types

  • Standard Presentation: Two to four speakers present on a common theme. May include a moderator to guide discussion and/or introduce speakers and theme.
  • Open Forum: Topical discussion with moderator leading discussion with everyone present. May include additional moderator(s) to direct breakout conversations.
  • Roundtable Discussion: Three or four participants make very brief remarks, then discuss a topic together. Includes a moderator to steer the discussion.
  • PechaKucha: Each presentation consists of 20 slides or images displayed for 20 seconds each, with comment. Each presentation lasts 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
  • Lightning Talks: Like PechaKucha, but without a set format. May or may not include slides or images. Presentations may be from 3 to 10 minutes long, with the time allotted depending on the number of presenters.
  • Debate: Moderator announces the topic, and two individuals debate. May include more than one topic and additional debaters.

In January 2025, there will be a separate call for poster proposals as well as a call for pop-up sessions for less traditional session types or time-sensitive topics.

Possible Session Lengths

60 minutes and 90 minutes. Please be mindful of your number of presenters and session type when indicating the preferred session length.

Speaker Representation

The Program Committee seeks a diverse slate of presenters representing a variety of personal and institutional backgrounds, perspectives, and voices. We seek to foster a culture of inclusion in the MAC program and encourage submissions from anyone interested in presenting, including students, new professionals, first-time presenters, and those from allied professions. In order to facilitate and promote inclusion, the proposal submission form will ask voluntary questions about presenters’ past presentation experiences as well as some demographic information.

To facilitate collaboration among those brainstorming session ideas, the Program Committee encourages use of the MAC Facebook page and this spreadsheet for brainstorming session proposal ideas.

Proposal Evaluation

The Program Committee will evaluate all proposals submitted by the deadline using the following criteria:

  • Quality and clarity of the session abstract;
  • Thoroughness of content and sufficient speakers to address all relevant aspects of the topic;
  • Originality of proposed topic;
  • Diversity of presenters and viewpoints;
  • Appropriateness of proposed format for session content.

All proposals will be considered in the context of the overall structure of the meeting and the availability of time slots for proposed sessions. You can preview a PDF of the proposal form here.

All individuals involved in an accepted proposal must sign a presenter agreement.

Proposal Submission

The deadline for submitting session proposals for the 2025 MAC Annual Meeting is August 30, 2024, at 5 p.m. CST. Use the Call for Proposals form to submit your proposal.

If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact the 2025 Program Committee Co-Chairs, Shae Rafferty (shae.rafferty@wayne.edu) and Amy Lisinski (lisinskia@archmil.org).