Call for Papers: Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) 2019 Conference

August 20, 2018

June 6 to 8, 2019 – Toronto

Theme: Let’s Start at the Beginning: Archival Origins

In June 2019, let’s talk about origins: origins of the profession, origins of the theories and practices we follow, but also the origins of records themselves. Bringing a new record into the world creates a manifestation that encodes responsibility – on the part of the creator as well as the archivist/records manager. We need to ensure that at the moments they are created and shared, records are endowed with the qualities essential to their survival.

The ACA 2019 Program Committee welcomes all proposals from throughout Canada and beyond, and is especially interested in exploring such questions as these:

• Archivists, records managers, information and privacy managers: what divides us and what unites us? What stories can we tell about experiences with breaking down silos and initiating cooperative endeavours and total governance models? Can the partnership between Archivists and other professionals lead to easily applicable, understandable cross professional standards which then can eventually turn into universal compliance requirements?
• How can we re-envision archival practices and systems to support the significant changes in society and our organizations in the TRC Calls for Action? What is the role of archivists and our peers in amending and transforming popular understanding of both indigenous and settler peoples?
• How can we best work together and with records creators and allied professions on such digital era issues, such as: how to ensure that digital information management solutions (such as ECM, DAM, EDRMS) and digital archives requirements are complementary; how to extract information from old carriers; how to provide access to confidential digital records; and how to leverage the powerful role of metadata?  Can we build a primer or crosswalk to avoid crosstalk?
• What is the importance of place in relation to the meaning of records? Have we understood the concept of place adequately and can we use digital tools to deepen our understanding?  How has indigenous people’s knowledge of their traditional territories been reflected and treated by European recordkeeping and settler archives, and what needs to change?
• How are the building blocks of the archival profession in Canada affected by all this change? Archival theory, archival ethics, the total archives concept, and appraisal methodology all present new challenges and may require new tools. Can and should we engage creators/members of the public with questions of appraisal, retention, accessibility, and access points?

Professional Development/Education Stream 

The 2019 ACA Program Committee and the ACA Education Committee invite proposals for workshops relating to all areas of archival practice for the profession development stream. The professional development stream will run concurrently with conference sessions and allow attendees to participant in workshops throughout the conference.

Proposals may include topics such as the following:

• Social justice and archives
• Unpacking archival responsibilities around UNDRIP and the UN Joinet-OrentlicherPrinciples
• Managing records in light ofthe TRC’s Calls to Action
• Decolonization and Indigenization
• Ethical questions around digital records
• Forensics software and tools available for processing digital acquisitions
• Applying archival functions to digital records
• Access and privacy issues
• Media relations and archives

Please include a description of the workshop, learning outcomes, intended audience, and length of time required in the proposal.

Submitting Proposals

The 2019 Conference Program Team invites contributions, of either a practical and/or theoretical nature, in a variety of formats including:

1. Traditional session: formal presentation of papers; approximately 20 minutes per speakers, with questions to follow as time allows.
2. Panel discussion: short papers; approximately 10-15 minutes per speaker, with discussion to follow.
3. Roundtables: brief 5-7 minute presentations with open discussion.
4. Focused debate on a specific topic: brief presentation with open discussion and debate to follow.
5. Lightning rounds: 2-3 rounds of three minute presentations with up to five speakers and 15 minutes to interact with speakers following the round.
6. Poster session with lightning round: 2 rounds of five-minute poster presentations with up to five presenters with 15–20 minutes to interact with speakers following the round.

The ACA welcomes a diversity of creative formats, so if your format has not been listed – please describe and submit.

Note for Students:

We have a three bursaries for the top proposals, and welcome all submissions at this time.

A PDF version of the call for papers for Archival Origins is also available to print and share.

Submission Deadline:  October 22, 2018 

Please send your submission to:  program.team@archivists.ca

Questions? Send a message to the ACA Program Chair or to any of the members of the Program Team:

• Susan Hart (Chair)
• Amanda Oliver (Education Committee Liaison)
• Grant Hurley
• Harkaran Singh Bajwal
• Jill Teasley
• John Lund
• Regina Landwehr