Call for Presentations! IASA and BAAC Conference 2013 in Vilnius

December 20, 2012

We are accepting proposals for presentations, papers and panels for the jointly-held, 44th IASA (International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives) Annual Conference and 10th BAAC (Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council) Annual Conference. Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday 6 – Thursday 10 October 2013. Deadline for submissions: 31st January, 2013.

Theme: Open Doors: New Ideas, New Technologies. http://2013.iasa-web.org/ 

The 2013 conference is exploring the tools, the people, legislation, ideas and technologies that enables constant, open and unmediated access and discussing the consequences of such openness on the collections, the collection owners and the managers.  What does Access for All mean to our mission and curators and carers for the world’s sound and audiovisual heritage?

Open Doors: New Ideas, New Technologies, the 2013 conference theme, is pertinent to today’s environment of information availability, where openness is the expectation.

But does “Open Doors” mean unlimited entry rights? Is that appropriate when we offer open access? Is complete openness always ethical, or even legal? Or are constraints to access just a limit on the individual’s right to information?  Are archivists gatekeepers, or facilitators?  Where does ultimate responsibility lie, with the collections owners, users or managers?  How do we manage a variety of access conditions, from closed to open?  Can an online description be a breach of confidence?  Are the users’ rights paramount?

No matter what kind of Openness we need for our particular archive archivists must manage access.  Is technology the solution to the growing management problem, or does technology create a new burden?  In the face of innovative technology, new possibilities and the ever looming budgetary constraints, we need to be open to new ideas and gain the knowledge to evaluate new solutions for our collections and archives.

Let’s all head to Lithuania… with an Open mind!

This conference aims to investigate and discuss the issues pertaining to Open Doors including the following subthemes:

–         Open Rights – the legal aspects of openness in archives

–         Open Source – what is open source, is it just about software, what are its advantages for archives, and how do we implement open source models and applications most effectively?

–         Open Knowledge – exploring all aspects of open information, its potential, and its impact upon archives

–         Open Archives – is openness the future of all archives? How open is open?

–         Open Collections – how does openness impact collections and their development?

–         Openness and Discovery – the implications of openness on search and research

–         Open Pockets – the bottom line.

The IASA and the BAAC invite proposals for presentations, posters and panel discussions for our joint conference. The closing date for submissions is 31 January 2013. All proposals must be accompanied by an abstract (maximum 250 words).

Offers of presentations should be submitted online via the presentation submission form (http://2013.iasa-web.org/presentation-submission-form)

It is preferred that presentation proposals are submitted online. However, if you do not have internet access and you would like to submit a presentation or register for the conference, please contact the Secretary General Lynn Johnson by landline at +27 21 481 4414 and fax at +27 21 481 4660.

Note: Accommodation, traveling and subsistence are the responsibility of the presenters. All attendees are expected to register and pay the registration fee – including presenters.

If you require any further information or have questions, please contact the Organising Committee and the conference administrator Bruce Gordon through enquiries@iasa-conference.com