VRA 2024 Call for Proposals

The VRA Executive Board is soliciting content proposals for the 2024 VRA Conference to be held from October 8–10, 2024, at the Embassy Suites in downtown Minneapolis, MN.

The VRA Executive Board reminds everyone that the strength of our content depends on the willingness of our members and other professionals to submit proposals. We want to encourage all members and other potential attendees to reflect on their own work experiences and ideas and consider those as the potential basis for a paper or workshop that can help others in the field of digital object management.

Past conference schedules can give you an idea of the range of topics presented in previous years; for further inspiration you may also wish to read through a list of suggested topics compiled from post-conference survey responses. 

Click here to access the conference proposal form.

Suggested topics:

• Coding (PHP, Python, SQL, etc.)

• Community outreach

• Copyright/Intellectual property

• Digital asset management, digital curation, digital preservation, etc.

• Digitization (workflows, digital capture and imaging technologies)

• Digital scholarship and digital humanities

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competencies, social justice

• Project management (communication, grant writing, prioritization, leadership, etc.)

• Linked data

• Materials/Objects collections

• Metadata/Cataloging ethics (decolonizing vocabularies, radical cataloging)

• Storytelling and oral history

• Technologies (GIS and mapping, 3D imaging, etc.)

• Tools: open source, evolution, future trends

• Workplace cultures and professional transitions (academic departments, libraries, cultural heritage institutions, archives, corporate, etc.)

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Do not hesitate to propose something new or highlight an area of concern that you feel has not been adequately addressed in the past. Moderators may put out calls for presenters within a proposed topic before or after the submission of a proposal. The VRA Executive Board will be looking for articulate and concise submissions with lists of presenters, but submissions without presenter lists are encouraged as well.

Content may take the form of papers, sessions, special interest/user groups, workshops, posters sessions, and committee meetings. All proposals are welcome, and if you have other conference ideas or suggestions that do not fit the conference proposal form, please reach out to the Directors for Events and Initiatives, Maria Nuccilli and Brian Shelburne.

• A paper is an individual idea submission, which will be reviewed for possible grouping into a session. Your ideas, whether they come to us independently or as part of a group, are equally valued in the Board’s proposal and selection process.

• A session is a 60-minute moderated panel consisting of no more than 3 presenters speaking for 15 to 18 minutes each, followed by a brief facilitated question and answer period. If you feel your session topic requires additional time, consider dividing it into two sessions, consisting of a Part I and a Part II.

• A special interest/user group is a 60-minute informal, community-driven, facilitated group discussion on topics related to a specific segment of the VRA membership.

• A workshop is a 2-, 4-, or 8-hour event to develop skills and experience in the field of visual resources with hands-on activities.

• A poster session presents a topic using visual aids in conjunction with direct interaction with conference attendees. Posters can depict workplace initiatives, research in progress, and other topics of contemporary interest.

The conference format will be hybrid, allowing for the possibility of presenting and/or attending remotely. The proposal form includes a section to specify if you are interested in presenting online or in person.

The Equitable Action Committee (EAC) will be available to assist in providing guidance for annual conference session organizers and all presenters. Accepted organizers and presenters are invited to consult the EAC to incorporate equity and inclusion best practices. Depending on the extent of support requested, the EAC will be able to provide one-on-one consultations to evaluate and discuss specific aspects of organizers’ in-progress plans. Discussions can involve (but are not limited to): assessing inclusivity in panelists and perspectives; identifying gaps in accessibility; addressing concerns about contentious topics; and directing organizers, moderators, and speakers to additional resources. This initiative will help promote VRA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as create a more welcoming space for civil and critical engagement at the annual conference.

Please contact the Directors for Events and Initiatives, Maria Nuccilli and Brian Shelburne at initiatives@vraweb.org with any questions or concerns.

Again, the proposal deadline is Monday, April 1, 2024.  Click here to access the conference proposal form.