Call for Proposals
NEA Spring 2016 Meeting
Portland, ME, March 31- April 2, 2016
By the Bay Hotel & Convention Center
New England Archivists invites submissions of session proposals for the Spring Meeting to be held March 31-April 2, 2016, in Portland, Maine. Deadline for proposals is July 17, 2015.
This year’s conference theme is Uncharted Waters, where we aim to capture the innovative, unconventional, and adventurous approaches being taken throughout New England’s archives community. Want to discuss the results of a pilot study or program? Have you road-tested an assessment or practice that breaks with tradition in some way? Has your institution collaborated with “non-scholarly” users for a novel or even a disruptive (i.e., innovative) project? We’d love to hear from you. We're also interested in session proposals from first-time presenters and those new to the archives profession.
The Spring 2016 Program Committee invites proposals on all topics but is especially interested in the following:
- projects or processes that break with institutional traditions
- trained archivists working in "non-archivist" roles
- Maine history and culture (local or state-wide)
- cross-disciplinary projects
- projects or initiatives with direct, collaborative involvement from archives users
- digital humanities
- digital curation and digital forensics
Potential Session Types
PechaKucha
Each presentation consists of 20 slides or images displayed for 20 seconds each, with comment. Each presentation lasts 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Highest number of presenters possible is 12, fewer if leaving time for questions.
Lightning Talks
Like PechaKucha, but without following a set format. May or may not include slides or images. Presentations may be from 3 to 10 minutes long. Number of presenters possible depends on the time allotted for each.
Open Forum
Topical discussion with moderator leading discussion with everyone in attendance. May include additional moderator(s) to direct breakout conversations.
Roundtable Discussion
Three or four participants make very brief remarks then discuss a topic together. Includes a moderator to steer discussion.
Poster Session
Posters about a project or process tied to the theme of the meeting where the presenter wants to share information or encourage discussion of an idea. Presentation and discussion can span from 10 to 30 minutes. Posters displayed at designated times during the meeting.
Debate
Moderator announces the topic, and two other people debate.
Standard Presentations
Two or three speakers present on a common theme. May include a moderator to steer discussion and/or introduce speakers and theme.
Mini-Workshops
Two or three facilitators offer a session-length, hands-on workshop that gives archivists an opportunity to learn a specific skill. (Presenters must work with the PC to coordinate any equipment needs beyond standard AV of projectors and screens).
In order to facilitate collaboration, the Spring 2016 Program Committee has created a space for NEA members to develop session proposals together at the NEA Spring 2016 group forum. Please use this space to connect with your colleagues about potential session topics and formats. This collaborative space will be accessible until the deadline for proposals on July 17, 2015.
To submit a proposal, complete the form here.
Please note that proposed sessions involving fewer than three presenters and/or covering overlapping topics may be grouped together.
If your proposal is selected, you will be contacted by a member of the Program Committee. Upon acceptance, all presenters are required to register for the conference at the early-bird rate and fund their travel expenses. Meeting and travel scholarships are available through NEA for those in need, please see http://newenglandarchivists.org/awards/scholarship for details on how to apply.
Questions? Please contact program chair, Megan Schwenke at megan_schwenke@harvard.edu.
