8-11 June 2026

Format: Virtual

Proposals Deadline: January 31, 2026

Student Presentations and Poster Submissions Deadline: Will be released at a later date

The 2026 ACA Program Team invites proposals that reflect on the theme of Making Archival Theory Relevant to Daily Practice.

Submit Your Proposal Here

Information and Support Session 

The Program Team would like to invite anyone interested in submitting a proposal to an informal Information and Support Session where the Program Team will guide participants through the proposal process and answer any questions you may have about submitting a proposal. 

January 7, 2026, 3:00 EST (12:00 PST) 

Event Registration

Call for proposals: 

The 2026 ACA Program Team invites proposals that reflect on the theme of Making Archival Theory Relevant to Daily Practice. We welcome proposals that showcase the work archivists have done putting theory to practice, whether a short demonstration of a tool or process you have implemented, a longer exploration of a challenge your institution is dealing with, or something else entirely! We encourage outside-of-the-box presentations which are meaningful to the presenter, however traditional presentations are always welcome. In keeping with the ACA’s Equity Commitments, we encourage proposals from members of Indigenous and Black communities, people of colour, people with disabilities, new Canadians, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. 

ACA is committed to an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming selection process that provides reasonable accommodations to all applicants. Please let us know if you require any accommodations to participate in this process by contacting the Program Team at ACAProgramTeam@archivists.ca.

Types of proposals: 

• Show and tell: Demonstration of a tip, trick, or tool developed to address a specific issue at your archives. 

• Sprint session: Presentation of a challenge you are dealing with to a group of participants, with an accompanying brainstorming session to develop a solution. 

• Performance: Presentation of a short film, video, dance, song, or performance.  

• Storytelling session: Informal sharing of experiences with discussion. 

• Traditional session: Presentation of research papers, case studies, and thought pieces. 

• Panel discussion: Presentation of research papers, case studies, and programs or projects. 

• Roundtable: Presentations of programs, projects, and tools. 

• Focused debate on specific topic: Brief presentations with debate to follow. 

• Workshops: Virtual interactive workshops using Zoom. If necessary, participation can be limited to a specific number of individuals. 

• Other format: Please share your ideas! We welcome suggestions of ideas not represented here and encourage alternate formats of conference presentations. 

As part of your proposal, please include the approximate time your presentation will take. The Program Team encourages proposals of varied lengths to a maximum of 45 minutes. We hope to include as many voices as possible, in as many formats as can be accommodated. If you have a proposal that does not fit the above format, please contact the Program Team at ACAProgramTeam@archivists.ca.

Please note that the Program Team may request modifications or changes to your submission to more closely align with the theme and the overall program schedule. 

Suggested Conference Topic Areas:

Putting Theory to Practice

• Sharing how archival theory has (or has not) helped address everyday issues.
• Subjects for which theory is needed, but none exists.
• person-centered archival theory and practice.
• Canadian copyright.

Archival Education

• Things they didn't teach you in school.
• Unique challenges that emerge after you leave school and enter the profession.
• Teaching the practical side of archiving in graduate programs.
• Giving new professionals a voice. 
• What is the vision for the future of archival courses and practices?

Funding and Budgets

• Balancing best practices with losses in funding.
• Navigating reliance on project-based grants as a funding model.
• Preserving records with limited resources.
• Making difficult/realistic choices during acquisition and selections.
• Reference services in a small shop (operating hours, digitization, staffing, etc.).

Relevance in an Evolving Archival World

• How are political, social, and economical landscapes reflected in how we do archival work?
• How do we create relevance in archives for people?
• Respectful implementation of indigenous data sovereignty.

What are Past Lessons, Present Challenges, and/or Future Opportunities for the Archival Profession?

Feel free to direct questions to:

Co-Chairs, ACA 2026 Conference Program Team

Program Team Members

Grace Isibor

Jo McCutcheon

Raegan Swanson

Josiah Nowrie

Camhart

Amanda Steiner