The 2025 Annual Meeting of the Society of Florida Archivists – Repair, Restore, Recover – will take place May 13-14, 2025 in St. Augustine, FL, on the historic campus of Flagler College. 

Call for Proposals

The 2025 Society of Florida Archivists Annual Meeting Committee invites proposals for sessions and poster presentations. Along with any aspect of archival practice, the Committee encourages proposals addressing the conference’s main theme and possible subthemes.

Repair, Restore, Recover

Archivists are charged with the preservation of our collective cultural heritage. In doing so, we must build and repair relationships, collections, and practices. We work to restore and maintain the items in our care, as well as plan and recover in the wake of disaster. This is valuable work that can also sometimes take a toll on us, and we must also take time for ourselves to rest and recover. On the 42nd anniversary of our society’s founding, let us convene to discuss and reflect on how we and our work embody the principles of repair, restoration, and recovery.

Subthemes:

• Unfinished projects - what can be reported on the progress of a major project, and what remains to reach completion?

• Legacy collections and backlogs - what work have we inherited, and how do we apply current practices and priorities to these legacies? 

• How have practices evolved and changed over time in the areas of collection development, description, discovery, access, etc? What hasn’t changed?

• How are we approaching new challenges, like born-digital collections or virtual research consultations? 

• With our past experiences and current knowledge, what can we do differently going forward?

• Opportunities for engagement, collaboration, and teaching and learning. How are we facilitating awareness of our collections? How are our efforts at promoting primary source literacy? How important is programming around collections to sustain an interest in the past?

• How are we building and working to repair relationships with other organizations and each other to scale our work and collaborate?

• How are we approaching new technologies and how are they affecting our work? Where are the pain points and where do you see opportunity on these new digital horizons? 

• Given current challenges in our profession, how do we promote recovery and restoration for archives workers? How do we approach issues of advocacy, support, equity, etc., for ourselves and one another in our workspaces?

The above list is merely a starting point for generating topics. The committee encourages first-time presenters and proposals that highlight institutional commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility. 

Presentation Format: 

Individual papers. 10-15 minutes in length and typically combined into a 45-minute session followed by a  comment-and-discussion period.

Papers in a complete panel session. Two or three papers with a common theme and a chair/moderator, comprising a 45-minute session followed by a comment-and-discussion period.

Discussion-based panel sessions. Visual or media presentations (e.g., videos, films, physical items from  collections) followed by group discussion. One to three presenters may comprise a single session. Session length must be mentioned in the proposal.

Lightning talks. Short individual talks (5-10 minutes) given in rapid succession, followed by a comment-and-discussion period.

Poster sessions. Visual displays of projects, activities, or applied or theoretical research, to be  incorporated into a larger poster session.

Other formats. Hands-on demonstrations or other formats that encourage engagement and conversation.

Proposal Criteria:

Submissions should be simple narratives of no more than 300 words that explain the purpose of the session, the intended audience, and how the session will proceed. You need not name specific presenters, but a designated chair or moderator must be identified. Please include that individual’s contact information (institution, mailing address, email, and phone). Preference will be given to session proposals that demonstrate the following characteristics:  

• Inclusion of geographically and demographically diverse perspectives and initiatives.

• Potential impact on archives and records management practice. Relevance of the topic for society members and other interested attendees.

• Interaction and engagement with session participants.

Presenters need not be SFA members, but are expected to arrange their own conference registration, travel, and accommodations.

Proposals are due by the end of the day Friday, March 7th, 2025. Please submit your proposals through the Annual Meeting Proposal Submission Form, linked here: https://forms.gle/uR6UaFxNYqWPUdTD8 

If you have any questions or issues submitting, please contact Keila Zayas Ruiz at vicepresident@florida-archivists.org.