Call for Participation: Contingent Employment Study III (CES III) Survey

New England Archivists’ Contingent Employment Study III (CES III) Survey is open through August 31, 2026, and seeks participants who have been contingently employed in New England in the past ten years.

We want to hear directly from you about your current or recent experiences in temporary or term positions. Follow the link to learn more, take the survey, and share with your friends and coworkers: forms.gle/XMPitYqtXeq1mowx8.

CES III aims to help NEA better understand and support New England’s archival workers in temporary or term positions. This third iteration of the study measures the ways the archival profession has progressed or failed to progress in creating equitable employment opportunities in the years since CES II in 2021 and CES I in 2016. The current sociopolitical and economic climate is a key part of this landscape, and CES III has updated the survey with new questions related to the job market, anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) developments, funding cuts, changes to student loans, and artificial intelligence use in the profession.

Questions for the research team are welcome and can be directed to Elizabeth Nosari, CES III chair, at CEStudy@newenglandarchivists.org.

Thank you,

Sally Blanchard-O’Brien

Erica Buswell

Alexandra Dunn

Irene Gates

Nicole Gómez

Mollie Metevier

Elizabeth Nosari

Clarrie Scholtz

Call for Chapter Proposals: Intangible Archives

Call For Chapter Proposals

Book Title :Intangible Archives (Working Title)

Editors: Jeannette A. Bastian, Professor Emerita, Simmons University.

Stanley H. Griffin, Head, Dept. of Library and Information, University of the West Indies.

Introduction

In the primarily text-driven archival discipline, intangible expressions are too often discounted as records.  And yet these expressions, created by societies world-wide and in multiple formats, are carriers of significant information, recorders in themselves of a  variety of beliefs, history, customs, and cultures. Intangible Cultural Heritage  (ICH) as defined by UNESCO includes orality, performance, social practices, festivals, and generational knowledge, and can also encompass craftsmanship, landscapes and memory texts,  but to what extent are these cultural signifiers also the archival records of the societies that produce them? And to what extent are these active forms of documentation and memory seen as valid and equal archival representations in ways that textual works are  traditionally perceived to be?

     Seeking essays from an international range of cultures and traditions, we invite chapters on intangible archives for an edited book to be published by Bloomsbury Press.  

Possible topics include:

·      Exploring the ways in which societies ‘document’ themselves through intangible expressions.

·      Whether intangible expressions are archival within traditional understandings of records or whether they are indicative of new understandings of what an archive could be.

·      Tensions between intangible and tangible archives, between community memory and  official records.

·      How community rituals and practices serve as record formation and archival processing

·      Institutional configurations to center intangible cultural heritage collections and holdings.

·      Ethical considerations and challenges for inclusion of intangible cultural heritage materials within archival collections.

·      Digital culture as intangible cultural heritage archives.

·      Preserving the intangible.

Please send an abstract of no more than  300 words to Jeannette Bastian at jbastian6@gmail.com  and Stanley Griffin at stanley.griffin@uwi.edu  by March 25, 2026.

Deadlines:

Submission of Proposals: March 25, 2026

Notification of Acceptance: April 10, 2026

Full Chapter Submission: June 30, 2026

Call for Proposals: Media Studies Grant 2026

The Media Studies Grant call for proposals is open until March 15th, 2026.

Download the full call for proposals. (there is extensive detail)

The 2026 Call for Proposals for the Media Studies Grant is now open for applications. The FIAT/IFTA Media Studies Commission is looking to commission two small-scale research projects that deal with one or more of the following core themes: audiovisual archives and public service value, memory and identity through the lens of audiovisual archives, precarity in audiovisual archives, and audiovisual archives in the Latin American context.

The Media Studies Grant aims to promote archive-based research and ensure the valorization of scientific knowledge for archival practice. Junior and senior researchers from across different disciplines (e.g. media studies, history, sociology, political sciences, cultural studies, environmental studies, anthropology, conflict studies, etc.) are encouraged to apply. We particularly encourage researchers from outside Europe to apply.

Requirements

  • Candidates are required to send in their application in PDF format by 15 March 2026;
  • Applications should be emailed to: msc@fiatifta.org.
  • Awarded candidates need to sign a funding agreement with FIAT/IFTA;
  • Awarded candidates should report back on their work in progress to the Media Studies Commission at regular intervals, as specified in the funding agreement;
  • Awarded candidates are expected to deliver by the end of their grant period:
    • A written research report at the quality standards of a scholarly article but written for a readership made up of broadcast archivists.
    • A discussion of their research findings at the FIAT/IFTA World Conference in São Paulo, Brazil, 6-9 October 2026, pitched to an audience of FIAT/IFTA members.
    • A short video to be distributed further on social media and which highlights some of the interesting discoveries, curiosities or inspirations of their research.
    • Other forms of creative output aiming to disseminate the research findings to a wider audience are encouraged (e.g. audiovisual essay, an interactive digital story, creative demo, etc.). Please make sure there are no copyright restrictions for the archival material you may want to re-use in this type of output.
  • All output needs to mention the support of FIAT/IFTA and should be made available to FIAT/IFTA.
  • Candidates may be asked for promotional interviews and/or to share their research progress during an online session.
  • FIAT/IFTA reserves the right to make accessible the output of funded studies on its own website.
  • Proposed studies can be part of a bigger project (e.g. a PhD dissertation, book project, etc.) or can be stand-alone research initiatives that the candidate wishes to pursue.

CFP: 2026 Oral History Network of Ireland Annual Conference, “Oral History & Movement”

Call for Participation: ‘Oral History and Movement‘

The Oral History Network of Ireland (OHNI) is pleased to announce its 2026 meeting, taking place on 18–19 June 2026 at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, County Kerry. The annual meeting is a gathering of practising oral historians and all those with an interest in the recording, collecting and preserving oral history and heritage.

This two-day event offers interactive workshops, presentations and project showcases that are designed to inspire discussion, learning, knowledge and to create greater networking amongst our community. Whether you are experienced in oral history or just beginning your journey, we invite you to join us and share your insights and ideas.

Mary Stewart, Lead Curator of Oral History at the British Library, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s meeting. Mary is Director of the oral history fieldwork charity National Life Stories, and a trustee of OHNI’s UK equivalent, the Oral History Society. Her research interests include family histories and narratives and their use as a tool for academic research and oral history and their reception by family members of interviewees. She has also been exploring the ‘biography’ of the oral history archive: contextualising collections, capturing information about the research process and exploring ethical debates about the re-use archived oral history material.

Contributions are welcome in a range of formats:

Standard Papers (20 minutes)
Posters and Visual Presentations
Community Project Showcases & Moments (10 minutes) – this shorter format allows for presentations that offer an overview of new or developing projects, or that reflect on outstanding or memorable interviews, experiences, and/or incidents that influenced or changed the way the presenter practices oral history.

This year’s theme, ‘Oral History and Movement’, invites reflection on the many ways movement shapes human experience and storytelling. Movement can be understood broadly, and we invite reflections on how movement shapes human experience and storytelling: the physical movement of people across places and borders; social and political movements that bring people together/divide them; movement through time, memory, and the generations; movement of voices from the private spaces/spheres into public archives; those memories which emerge from our journeys taken, changes endured, and moments of transition.

Movement is central to how stories are told and remembered. Oral histories frequently unfold through accounts of travel, migration, work, protest, displacement, and return, but also through quieter movements: daily routines, changing neighbourhoods, or shifts in identity and belonging. This conference aims to create an inclusive and welcoming space for academics, community historians and OHNI members to explore how movement, in all its forms, is recorded, interpreted, and shared through oral history.

Possible Themes and Topics

We welcome proposals that engage with the theme Oral History and Movement in creative, reflective, or practical ways. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Migration, emigration, immigration, and diaspora experiences
Asylum, refuge, displacement, forced movement and borders
Social, political, and labour movements
Everyday mobility: work, commuting, travel, and local journeys
Borders, boundaries, and crossing points
Movement across generations: memory, inheritance, and change over time
Rural and urban change, including housing, land, and community movement
Walking interviews, mobile methods, and place-based storytelling
Music, performance, sport and embodied movement
Movement from private memory to public archive: ethics and access
Digital movement: sharing oral histories online and across platforms

We welcome proposals from community groups, educators, archivists, academics, early career researchers, heritage professionals and anyone engaged in oral history practice or research.

Submissions highlighting collaborative or community-based projects are particularly encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

To participate, please submit an abstract (of not more than 250 words) along with your contact details using the form on our website no later than 20th March 2026

Contact Information

David Ryan, Communications Chair, Oral History Network of Ireland

Contact Email

info@oralhistorynetworkireland.ie

URL https://oralhistorynetworkireland.ie/events/2026-meeting/

CFP: Witnessing State Violence: Oral History and Liberatory Praxis (OHMAR Conference 2026)

Witnessing State Violence: Oral History and Liberatory Praxis
Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR) Conference 2026

Conference Dates: May 7-8, 2026

Location: Arlington, Virginia. The conference will be in person with no virtual/hybrid option.

Deadline for Submissions: Friday, March 27 by 11:59pm Eastern

Theme: Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR) and The Alexandria Oral History Center invite you to submit individual and session proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting, themed “Witnessing State Violence: Oral History and Liberatory Praxis.” The theme encourages attendees to think critically about the role that oral history has in documenting and resisting state violence, to include municipal, provincial/state and federal forms of violence—via two key aspects of oral history practice: witnessing and power. Both national and internationally focused proposal topics are welcome, as well as viewpoints from across the ideological spectrum.

While submissions on the conference theme are encouraged, all topics related to the Mid-Atlantic region, or proposals from oral historians active in the Mid-Atlantic region, are welcome and will be considered equally.

Please view the Call for Proposals document for more details about the conference theme and to view full submission guidelines.

The deadline for all submissions is Friday, March 27 by 11:59pm Eastern. All submissions should be emailed with attachments to ohmar.conference@gmail.com.

Contact Email

ohmar.conference@gmail.com

Call for Editors: Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing

The editorial board of Scholarly Editing announces a rolling call for editors and other recovery practitioners. Scholarly Editing seeks to develop and advance all aspects of textual and documentary editing, including the recovery of texts and artifacts that represent and celebrate the lives and contributions from and about Black, Latinx, and Indigenous peoples; Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; women; LGBTQ+ individuals; and people of the Global South as well as others whose history has been erased, misrepresented, or disregarded. As we strive to diversify the journal’s staff and bring in new voices, we strongly encourage applications from these communities, as well as those who have expertise in the histories and literatures of those groups and peoples. This call reflects our commitment to ensure the journal’s sustainability by cultivating a robust editorial team that will succeed the senior editors over time. Applications from outside the US are welcome.

Scholarly Editing seeks to fill the following position on our editorial team:

  • Co-Managing Editor

Editors serve for three-year terms. Because the journal is grounded in higher education’s tradition of service, the work of editors is voluntary and uncompensated.

The Co-Managing Editor will assist with peer review and journal outreach, including developing a peer reviewer directory, identifying and communicating with peer-reviewers during the review process, assisting with the creation of peer-review documentation, and distributing journal updates. The anticipated time commitment is 10 hours per month. This position will provide an opportunity to learn more regarding the managerial aspects of scholarly publishing.

To apply, please complete the application form, which asks for a short statement of interest.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions about Scholarly Editing or the positions that the journal is seeking to fill. 

Please circulate widely.

Noelle A. Baker
Editor-in-Chief, Scholarly Editing

Call for Nominations for the Archival History Article Award

The Archival History Section is now seeking nominations for its annual Archival History Article Award. The prize encourages and rewards an article or other short piece of excellence in the field of archival history, regardless of subject, time period, or national boundaries. Journal articles as well as stand-alone chapters in edited essay collections and anthologies will be considered for the award. Nominations may include works by archivists as well as by others writing scholarly articles on the history of records and archives. The work must be published in English during the previous calendar year (January-December 2025).

We encourage you to nominate your own work or that of a colleague. Please send your nominations to Elizabeth Jones-Minsinger (ejonesmins@haverford.edu) by Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Call for Proposals for the 2026 SAA Research Forum, due May 1, 2026

May 1 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS FOR THE SAA RESEARCH FORUM 

On behalf of the 2026 Research Forum Committee, we invite you to submit abstracts (of 300 words or fewer) for either 10-minute platform presentations or 5-minute lightning talks. Topics may address research on, or innovations in, any aspect of archives practice or records management in government, corporate, academic, scientific, or other settings.

The 2026 Research Forum will be conducted as two Zoom-based virtual sessions, each four hours long, on July 8 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT and July 15, 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT.

The 2026 Research Forum will be made up of 10-minute platform presentations and 5-minute lightning talks. A limited number of presentations will be accepted to allow for longer presentation times, extended Q&A periods, and opportunities for discussion between attendees. An abstract submission rubric will be used by the Committee to evaluate submissions. Before submitting, please review and adhere to the Norms and Recommendations of the American Archivist Generative AI Statement. The Research Forum webpage provides additional information about the schedule and links to past Forum proceedings.

The Research Forum Committee and CORDA encourage submissions on a range of topics, including:

  • Rethinking archival training
  • Demonstrating the value of archives
  • Collaborating with communities
  • Making archives more accessible
  • Engaging with technology
  • Responding to the climate crisis

These themes can be found in the SAA Research Agenda (first draft available here).

Abstracts will be evaluated by the 2026 Research Forum Committee convened by Emily Lapworth (University of Massachusetts Boston) and Jane Fiegel (Tulane University).

Deadline for submission of abstracts: May 1, 2026.

Proposals can be submitted online here. On the submission form, please indicate whether you intend a platform presentation or a lightning talk.

Best,

Emily Lapworth and Jane Fiegel

2026 SAA Research Forum Coordinators

CFP: BitCurator Consortium

The BitCurator Consortium (BCC) invites proposals for the 2026 BitCurator Forum to be held virtually on June 17th, 2026. An international, community-led organization representing 31 member organizations, the BCC promotes and supports the application of free and open-source digital archives tools and practices in libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage organizations.

The 2026 conference theme, Hitting Reset, reflects the challenges and changes of the past several years and the importance of pausing to reflect on our practices before moving forward. This theme invites us to reassess how we work, what we prioritize, and how we adapt in a rapidly evolving professional landscape. Hitting Reset also encourages us to respond intentionally to new opportunities, expanding responsibilities, and changing environments.

Within the context of digital archives tools and practices, how are you “hitting reset” in areas including, but not limited to, the following?

We welcome proposals that explore reflection, reinvention, and practical approaches to moving forward with intention.

This year’s call is for 5 or 10 minute “lightning talks.” Lightning talks are a great format for case studies, digital archives “success stories” or “tales of woe,” research updates, practices and procedures, and short demos or how-tos. Options include:

·  One presenter for 5 minutes 

·  Up to two presenters for 10 minutes

The Forum Committee welcomes participation from organizations and individuals working outside of academic and special collections libraries and archives, members from BIPOC communities, students, and new professionals.

For more information, see the Call for Proposals page on our website.

Submission deadline: Sunday, March 8th, 2026

The BitCurator Forum is open to all. You do not need to be a BCC member or BitCurator user to submit a proposal and/or attend the event.

Call for research participation: Seeking MLIS, PhD students and faculty perspectives for Schomburg Study

My name is Manuel Mendez, and I’m leading a research project titled “Arturo Schomburg and Library and Information Science: A Multi-Method Analysis.” The project aims to explore the extent to which MLIS, PhD students, and faculty know about Arturo Schomburg’s library (bibliographic) and archival (curatorial) practices. 

Participants will be asked to complete a 20-minute survey questionnaire and an optional 20-30-minute follow-up interview. Participants will receive a $20 Tango card within 2 weeks. 

The study seeks to elucidate Arturo Schomburg’s LIS practices and to identify methods for integrating them into MLIS curricula. 

Involvement in this study is voluntary, and all responses will remain strictly confidential. Participants can withdraw from the study at any point. Stringent measures will be implemented to safeguard data integrity. 

You can sign up for the study by visiting our link below. If you have any questions, please contact the researcher directly at mduranme@umd.edu.

Participation link: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_4T4eYQA6ryP4LKC 

Manuel Julio Durán Méndez, PhD Candidate

University of Maryland, College Park

College of Information