Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities (DCDC)

Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities (DCDC) is an annual conference for the gallery, archive, library, museum and academic sectors.

Open and inclusive in its ethos, DCDC provides a platform for colleagues to come together in joint conversation, looking beyond their own specialisms to forge new partnerships and enhance the social, cultural and economic impact of our unique collections.

The National Archives and Jisc are delighted to welcome the British Library as a new partner in the delivery and organisation of the interdisciplinary Discovering Collections: Discovering Communities (DCDC) conference series.

DCDC23: Radical reimagining: interplays of physical and virtual

The call for papers is now open for the next DCDC Conference, which will be held in person and online from 11 to 13 July 2023, at Durham University.

The deadline to submit a proposal for this year’s conference is close of business on Friday, 31 March 2023. For more details on how to submit a paper for the event, please visit our DCDC23 conference page.

The pandemic has allowed a radical reimagining of how we work in the GLAMA sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Academia). The way we collaborate and engage with our communities, as well as the skills and tools we use which have all changed substantially.

We invite you to join the DCDC community and delve into the possibilities and challenges of navigating the interplay between the physical and the virtual, the ‘materiality’ of physical collections and digital interventions.  Join us this July at DCDC23 as we explore these complex challenges and the future of our sector.

DCDC22

DCDC22 showcased how digital innovation is transforming the cultural heritage and academic sectors and their relationship with their audiences. From individual projects to national programmes, for organisations and groups large and small, we examined the opportunities and challenges that digital technologies and collaboration can offer.

Videos of the presentations from DCDC22 are available on the DCDC website.

DCDC21

The DCDC21 conference explored how crisis can act as a catalyst for change within libraries, archives, museums and cultural organisations. It looked 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 also examined how cultural heritage organisations can look beyond times of crisis and foster innovation and collaboration in their institutions and communities.

Videos of the presentations from DCDC21 are available on the DCDC website.