DCDC21 Conference: Call for papers

The deadline to submit a proposal for next year’s DCDC conference has been extended to 22 January 2021 owing to the COVID-19 situation.

The DCDC21 conference will explore how crisis can act as a catalyst for change within libraries, archives, museums and cultural organisations. It will look at the impact that crisis can have on working practices, collections and audience engagement, and how periods of turbulence can lead to new opportunities for research and collaboration. It will seek to examine how cultural heritage organisations can look beyond times of crisis and foster innovation and collaboration in their institutions and communities.

In the midst of an extraordinary time in history, cultural heritage organisations across the globe are facing unprecedented changes and challenges. These events are forcing a reassessment of our place in, and our relationship with, society at large.

The response to recent events has been as varied as the sector itself. Libraries, archives and museums responded swiftly to their communities’ changing needs through adapting their offerings and fostering a spirit of collaboration, innovation and engagement in the digital environment. However, not all organisations have been able to respond in the same way, and the emphasis on digital solutions has highlighted the digital divide between institutions and users, and existing inequalities in digital infrastructure.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasised the deep inequalities which exist within societies based on race, gender, disability and socio-economic background. Initiatives and techniques seen previously as underpinning inclusivity, such as the digitisation of collections, look uncertain within the context of the ‘digital divide’, leaving us to question some of the fundamental assumptions around many of our collective activities.

DCDC21 is now inviting proposals in a range of formats on the theme of ‘catalysts for change’. Proposals should be submitted by 22 January 2021. For more information, please visit https://dcdcconference.com/cfp/