Object Lessons: Continuing Care for the Physical in a Digital World

Dates: 6-8 May 2026

Location: St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto

The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) is thrilled to invite proposals for its 2026 Annual Conference, our first in-person gathering in years. This return to a physical space invites us to reflect on the heart of the archival tradition: the stewardship of physical objects for the long term in an increasingly digital society.

When access is so often virtually mediated, what is the evolving role of the physical artifact? How do we respond to changing researcher expectations while preserving the unique value and materiality of original, physical records? This conference will explore the enduring importance, practical challenges, and profound joys of caring for physical collections. We seek presentations that offer both critical understanding and practical insights from archives of all sizes and types.

We welcome proposals on topics including, but not limited to:

• Changing user or researcher expectations. 
• The limits of digitization, and confronting the expectation that everything can or should be digitized.
• Case studies in physical care: stories of conservation, facilities management, or exhibiting unique physical collections.
• Processing and description of hybrid collections.
• Transformations in archival workplaces and workspaces.
• Supporting real access to and accessibility of physical records. 
• User responses to the physicality of materials. 
• The importance of physical preservation in archival traditions and human cultures.

Session Formats:

Your session may take the form of a:

• Traditional session – live presentation by a speaker with audience questions to follow; your proposal may be combined with others to create a full session 
• Discussion panel – brief presentations by each speaker with significant time allotted to questions from the audience 
• Roundtable or structured conversation – brief presentations followed by an open, planned discussion between speakers
• Creative and innovative approach to presenting your material 

Submission Guidelines:

We especially welcome and encourage papers by and from information professionals who identify as part of equity-deserving communities. We also welcome proposals from students, new graduates, emerging information professionals, and those associated with under-represented institutions or collections. All who work or volunteer with archival records are invited to submit a proposal.

In the spirit of intellectual honesty, the use of AI tools in preparing a proposal or presentation is allowed, but must be disclosed in your paper proposal and/or in the conference programme. 

Proposals for a session or paper should include a brief abstract of up to 250 words and a biographical note of no more than 100 words for each speaker. 

Please indicate if you are submitting a proposal for an entire session, or would like your presentation to be combined with complementary proposals from other speakers. For non-traditional formats, please also indicate the estimated duration of your presentation. 

Proposals should be submitted to: Conference Committee at conference@aao-archivists.ca. The preferred format is PDF. 

Individual papers should use the subject line format: AAO2026_Paper_Lastname-Firstname. Proposals for a session should select a “point person” and use the subject line format: AAO2026_Session_Lastname-Firstname. 

The due date for submissions is January 16, 2026. 

On behalf of the 2026 Conference Planning Committee