ACA 2024 Virtual Conference

Future-Proofing: Centring Care Now for Archives Tomorrow

Future-Proofing: Centring Care Now for Archives Tomorrow discusses designing systems and processes, and relationships that anticipate future needs of users, archivists, and society. What strategies and tools can archivists use to prepare for future challenges, known and unknown? What practices can archivists draw upon to support our resilience and that of our materials while we consider the still-developing challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Climate Crisis, and social and political conflict? Future-Proofing: Centring Care Now for Archives Tomorrow explores how we can proactively prepare our profession to ensure that archival organizations remain relevant to their communities, responsive to the evolving record-keeping landscape, and in accordance with professional ethics.

Location: Virtual/ Alberta

Dates: June 11 - 13, 2024
Format: Virtual

PROPOSALS DEADLINE:

Friday, January 5, 2024, 11:59 pm, MST

The 2024 ACA Program Team invites proposals that reflect on the theme of Future-Proofing: Centring Care Now for Archives Tomorrow.

Types of Proposals (All VIRTUAL):

• Traditional Session: Presentation of research papers, case studies, and thought pieces. 20 minutes per speaker followed by a question period.
• Panel Discussion: Presentation of research papers, case studies, and programs or projects. 10 minutes per speaker followed by a discussion period.
• Roundtable:  Presentations of programs, projects, and tools. 5 minutes per speaker with open discussion.
• Focused Debate on Specific Topic: Brief presentations with debate to follow.
• Sprint Session on Specific Challenge: Presentation of a challenge to registered group of participants. Timed exercise to brainstorm a solution to a problem.
• Performance: Presentation of a short film, video, dance, song, or performance. 5-15 minutes. Discussion period.
• Storytelling session
• Workshops: Virtual interactive workshops using Zoom. 1.5 – 3 hrs in length. Participation can be limited to a specific number if necessary.
• Other format: Please share your ideas!

Suggested Conference Topic Areas:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Archives

• AI tools for archival processes (appraisal, arrangement & description, preservation, and access)
• AI and Digital Curation for online archives
• Ethical considerations of AI and Archives
• Access, Privacy and AI
• Increasing accessibility with AI
• Trustworthiness of AI-generated records
• Building competencies for new technologies, such as AI into archival education programs for students and professionals.
• Indigenous perspectives and approaches to AI and Archives
• Bias and representation in AI training data

Climate Crisis

• Emergency & Disaster Preparedness
• Wildfire Response & Case Studies
• Climate Emergency Toolkit Creation
• Conservation & Treatments for Archival Materials
• Considering digital preservation through a Climate Change lens
• Adapting appraisal and selection strategies to address Climate Change
• Climate Activism and Archives
• Building competencies for Climate Change adaptation into archival education programs for students and professionals
• Indigenous perspectives and approaches to stewardship and Climate Crisis

Social and Political Conflict

• Integrating trauma-informed practice into archival appraisal and selection
• Trauma-informed Practices and Disaster Recovery
• Trauma-informed Practices and Oral History during Crisis Events
• Advocacy for adapting trauma-informed practices in Archives
• Mis/dis information and recordkeeping during conflict
• Human rights and Archives
• Indigenous knowledge and archives as sites of conflict
• Truth and Reconciliation strategies and case studies

While topics related to AI, Climate Crisis and Social & Political Conflict will be highlighted at the 2024 ACA Conference, the Program Team will consider proposals exploring other areas and encourage practitioners to submit proposals related to current actions to make archives more accessible and/or relevant in the future.

The Call for Student Papers and a Call for Posters will be announced in early 2024. Scholarships are available to students and are administered by the ACA Foundation.

Please feel free to direction questions to:

Jessica Bushey

Chair, ACA 2024 Conference Program Committee

Program Team Members

Jonathan Bowie

Linnet Chappelka

Sam Frederick

Emma Morros

Karen Ng

Lelland Reed

Corinne Rogers

Olivia White