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

CFP: Permanence/Impermanence: Collecting and archiving contemporary clay practices

Permanence / Impermanence: Collecting and archiving contemporary clay practices 

Conference: In-person, London, 24-26 June 2026

Deadline for proposals: 16 March 2026

Conference organisers: Ceramics Research Centre-UK, CREAM, University of Westminster, in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The conference addresses how artworks in the ‘expanded field of clay’ can be made accessible and visible to current and future audiences.

Artists’ practices in the expanded field of clay can result in raw clay artworks, large-scale site-specific installations, performance-based events and involve audience participation (Brown, Stair and Twomey, 2016). Due to their ephemeral or mutable nature, such works pose significant challenges to museums, which have more often acquired permanent ceramic objects due to the complexities of capturing live or transient clay artworks. 

The conference takes place in the context of important recent work on collecting performance, installation and live art (Tate, 2018-22; Hölling, Feldman & Magnin, 2023-4), and on the politics and practices of museum collecting (Jones, 2021; Krmpotich & Stevenson, 2024).

Proposals are invited from artists, academics and museum professionals, including archivists, conservators, curators, collection managers, learning officers and others. Proposals may take any of the following formats: 10-minute provocations that ignite debate, 25-minute papers and 60-minute panel discussions. We particularly welcome case studies of artworks, acquisitions, exhibitions, interventions or other museum projects. Presenters may address issues relating to, although by no means limited to, the following themes and questions:

Artists / Artworks / Projects: 

  • How can artists be active in the process of their artworks being represented in collections?
  • Object, concept, experience, process? What is it that museums are collecting?
  • Can the re-performance of a work or its translation to a different medium be a productive, rather than reductive, process?
  • Outside of documentation through photography and videography, how might the physical sensations of interacting with a work, beyond sight, be preserved when it no longer exists in the same form?

Museums: 

  • How are museums engaging with the expanded field of clay practice through collections, learning programmes and other activities?
  • What are the implications if these artworks are not collected in a sufficiently meaningful way?
  • What is the impact on visitors and institutions when working with ephemeral, performance-based, participatory and site-specific ceramic or clay artworks?
  • What are the challenges of stewarding and/or documenting contemporary clay artworks, including issues of care, ethics and long-term availability, and how can museums meet them?
  • How can museums welcome, accommodate or document intentional decay in ephemeral artworks?

Collections / Archives:

  • What can be learned from the strategies of collecting other kinds of ephemeral art practices, such as performance, digital and hybrid objects? 
  • Do the nuances of materiality inherent in experimental clay and ceramic practices pose particular challenges?
  • Collections or archives? Where can transient artworks be best represented for the future?

Timeline

16 March 2026: Deadline for proposals (max. 300 words + 100-word biography per presenter/panel member).

Submit proposals to: Ceramics@westminster.ac.uk   

Early April 2026: Notification of acceptance. 

Mid-April 2026: Registration opens.

The conference is staged in the first year of the AHRC-funded Future Ecologies of Clay research project (August 2025-July 2028) with the objective of gathering information on the experiences and needs of artists, museums and researchers. It is the first event of a ‘long conference’, which reconceptualises the notion of the conference-as-catalyst and functions as a means to develop ideas and approaches within a follow-on seminar series and summit day. Conference presenters will initially be invited to contribute to the project website, and selected conference papers and research findings will be published in an edited book of essays in 2028. 

The Future Ecologies of Clay research involves creating four new artworks with four UK museums, including the V&A. These practice-based case studies of ephemeral, site-specific, participatory and live art will provide new content for each museum’s collection. An Open Call for museums interested in participating will be publicised in Spring 2026. 

The Future Ecologies of Clay research is being undertaken by the Ceramics Research Centre-UK in partnership with the V&A. This work is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number UKRI748].

References:

Brown, C., Stair, J., & Twomey, C. (eds.) (2016), Contemporary Clay and Museum Culture, Routledge.

Hölling, H. B., Feldman, J. P., & Magnin, E. (eds.) (2023-4), Performance: The Ethics and the Politics of Conservation and Care, Vols. 1 & 2, Routledge.

Jones, M. (2021), Artefacts, Archives and Documentation in the Relational Museum, Routledge.

Krmpotich, C., & Stevenson, A. (eds.) (2024), Collections Management as Critical Museum Practice, UCL Press.

Tate (2018-22), Reshaping the Collectible: When Artworks Live in the Museum: https://www.tate.org.uk/research/reshaping-the-collectible 

Contact Information

Ceramics Research Centre -UK, CREAM, University of Westminster, UK

Contact Email

Ceramics@westminster.ac.uk

URL: https://cream.ac.uk/ceramics-research-centre-uk/

CFP: New at ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2026: Section-Led Session Track

ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2026
New Orleans, Louisiana
Submission Deadline: March 30, 2026

SAA welcomes proposals from SAA Sections for an all-new special track of education sessions at the 90th Annual Meeting, ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2026, Wednesday, July 29–Saturday, August 1, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This new track builds on SAA’s commitment to member-driven programming and, in lieu of Pop-Up Sessions, creates a more structured and visible opportunity for Sections to contribute educational content to the Annual Meeting program. Designed to amplify SAA Section expertise, highlight shared areas of practice, and encourage cross-Section collaboration, these sessions will be scheduled within the full concurrent program and listed alongside general education sessions—making it easy for attendees to discover and attend.

About the Section-Led Track

  • Five (5) sessions will be selected by the Program Committee for this special track.
  • Sessions will be in-person only and scheduled with the regular concurrent session tracks.
  • Proposals must follow session length and format guidelines consistent with the Annual Meeting Program (60- or 75-minute sessions).

Who May Submit

Only official SAA Sections may submit proposals for this track, and submissions must be made by a member of the Section’s leadership. Proposals for this track must involve two or more Sections, with leadership from each participating section involved in and aware of the submission. Each Section may participate in one proposal for this track. This is to enable SAA to include as many sections as possible. Section leaders are encouraged to solicit ideas and collaborate with their broader membership to develop session concepts and abstracts. Proposals must:

  • Be educational in content and suited to a broad audience of Annual Meeting attendees.
  • Involve at least two different Sections.
  • Not be a Section business meeting or an internal gathering; topics must be framed as learning opportunities for the wider profession. Section business meetings/gatherings will continue to occur virtually in the months leading up to the start of the Annual Meeting.
  • Include a clear session title, abstract, presenter list, and learning objectives similar to the Call for Program Proposals. See submission form questions, here.
  • Reflect SAA’s values of diversity, inclusion, and relevance to the archival and records profession, similar to the Call for Program Proposals

Session Formats

Sessions may follow typical formats outlined in the Call for Program Proposals, including:

  • Panel Presentation. Session consisting of a panel of three to five individuals discussing or presenting theories or perspectives on a given topic. Session may consist of a series of prepared presentations or a moderated discussion and should include time for audience feedback. If giving prepared presentations, presentation titles should be provided and will be included in the program. A moderator is required (this role may be performed by the chair); a commentator is optional.
  • Lightning Talks. Session consisting of five to six lively and informative 10-minute talks. The session chair secures commitments from speakers and compiles all presentation slides into one single presentation to ensure timely speaker transitions.
  • Alternative Format. Don’t feel confined by the prescribed formats—suggest an alternative or create your own! Alternative format sessions may take a variety of forms. Examples include world café and fishbowl discussions. Propose a moderated debate offering opposing points of view, or an “experiential” format involving simulation, role play, or games to convey key principles and learning objectives. We welcome your creative ideas about how your topic might best be addressed! Proposals in this category must: 1) specify the format and session facilitator and 2) describe briefly how the format will enhance the presentation of the material. You may suggest up to four presenters for the session.

Your format choice will not affect the Program Committee’s decision. The Committee may, however, recommend the proposed format be changed if it believes that a different format may better serve the session’s learning objectives or desired audience.

Reminder for Proposal Submitters and Session Participants

Archivists and records administrators who participate in the program must register and secure institutional or personal funding. Participants whose employment does not involve performing, teaching, or managing any aspect of the archival or records administration function, or who are from outside the United States and Canada, may be eligible for complimentary registration upon request. SAA cannot provide funding for speakers, whether they are international, non-archivists, non-records administrators, members, or nonmembers.

Proposal Evaluation

The Program Committee will review proposals for:

  • Clarity and relevance of the topic to Annual Meeting attendees.
  • Strength and feasibility of the proposed session design.
  • Evidence of broad appeal beyond individual Section membership.
  • Effective collaboration among participating Sections, where applicable.
  • Inclusion of diverse perspectives and representation.

Proposal Submission

Proposals for the Section-Led Education Sessions are due on Monday, March 30, 2025, 11:59 PM CST. The Program Committee will not consider proposals received after the deadline.

Submission Form Forthcoming

Proposals must be submitted via the official Annual Meeting submission system.

See frequently asked questions (FAQs) https://www2.archivists.org/am2026/program/calls/section-led-track-faqs 

Inclusion in this track does not replace or preclude Sections from scheduling their own separate business meetings outside the education program.

The 2026 Program Committee has created a Google spreadsheet to be used as an informal tool to connect individuals who are seeking ideas and/or collaboration on session proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting. It is not monitored by SAA or the Program Committee and is not part of the official submission process.

Upcoming Talk on A Practical Guidebook to Trauma-Informed Archival Practice, Feb. 25th

Please join us for the first public online talk of 2026 of the Society of American Archivists’ (SAA) Crisis, Disaster, and Tragedy Response Working Group (CDTRWG). 

CDTRWG maintains and updates SAA’s Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit; develops and provides immediate and ongoing resources and response assistance to archivists, allied cultural heritage professionals, and their communities in times of tragedies, disasters, or other crises; and builds partnerships with organizations focused on relief efforts and cultural stewardship and preservation. As part of that partnership building, we are conducting a series of public talks in 2026 to hear about related work. 

Book launch for A Practical Guidebook to Trauma-Informed Archival Practice

Wednesday, February 25th 2026, 12 noon EST (9am PST; 5pm BST)

Register for the event

Summary

Join editors and authors, Michelle Ganz, Veronica Denison, and Sarah Aisenbrey as they discuss their new book about archival trauma. The authors will discuss their experiences with trauma and how it impacted their approach to archives and how the book can be used to develop your own policies around trauma.

Biographies

Sarah Aisenbrey has served as the Archivist for the Sisters of the Precious Blood in Dayton, Ohio since 2018. She also serves as Vice President/President-Elect of the Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious. Sarah became a Certified Archivist in 2020 and holds a Master’s in Public History from Wright State University.

Veronica Denison is an Assistant Professor, and the Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Rhode Island College. She received her MLIS from Simmons University in 2013 and has published articles and book chapters on disability and accessibility in the archival profession, as well as teaching with primary sources.

Michelle Ganz is the Archives Director for the Dominican Sisters of Peace. She has previously worked in academic, museum, corporate, and private archives. Michelle has served in section leadership roles in the Accessibility & Disability Section, the Independent Archivists Section, and was part of the working group who first developed the Best Practices for Working with Archives Researchers with Physical Disabilities in 2008. Michelle received her MLIS from the University of Arizona in 2006, her Archival Certification in 2008, and her Bachelors in Medieval literature from The Ohio State University in 2003.

The event will be recorded and be made available on the CDTRWG Website after the event. 

TS-DACS Seeks Presenters for Spring Webinar on “The Power of Dacs”

TS-DACS is seeking three presenters for a webinar centered on, “The Power of DACS,” to discuss how and why they have implemented DACS at their institution. We are looking for presenters who can answer questions such as: Why did you choose DACS as your descriptive standard? How have you used DACS to create finding aids and gain intellectual control over your institution’s collections? This webinar is meant to appeal to a broad audience and we are especially interested in presenters from various institution types and sizes.

The webinar will be held on April 24, 2026 1pm EST/10am PST and will last one hour. Presenters will each speak for 10 minutes, followed by a 20 minute Q&A. 

Please reach out to Sarah Jones (sarah.jones1@unlv.edu) if you are interested in presenting, or have any questions.

Thank you,

Sarah Jones (on behalf of the TS-DACS Education Subgroup)