Session Proposals

The Society of California Archivists (SCA) invites submissions of session proposals for our 2027 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held in-person from April 7-9, 2027 at the Monterey Marriott in Monterey, CA. You can submit your proposals through the SCA AGM Session Proposal Form. 

The deadline for proposals is Monday, November 9, 2026 (11:59pm PT).  If you have a particular topic in mind and are looking for co-presenters, please use the SCA AGM ideas spreadsheet to make connections.

The Program Committee invites your submissions, especially those based on next year's theme, Archival Intelligence. 

While recent technological advancements give us the ability to parse massive datasets, generate transcriptions, and draft preliminary metadata, they cannot replicate the core engine of our profession: human judgment, empathy, critical appraisal, and ethical responsibility. Rather than viewing technological tools as turnkey replacements for professional expertise, this theme re-centers the archivist as an indispensable resource. What frameworks or policies do you use to evaluate privacy, copyright, and ethical sensitivities that automated tools miss? How can archivists actively engage with AI tools while preserving core human-centered values?

Archival Intelligence encourages us to highlight our own roles as experienced decision makers and problem solvers. The Program Committee especially wants to encourage submission of sessions focusing on, but not limited to: 

• Practical skills for navigating recent technological advancements, both in relation to AI and other automation tools

• Budget planning 

• Metadata and description, especially experiences with scraping bots

• Grant writing and grant project management 

• Accessioning and processing workflows 

• Donor relations

• Accessibility for digital assets

• Public service and teaching

• Oral history practices 

First-time presenters, current graduate students, early-career professionals, solo archivists, community members, and other individuals who work with archival materials in less traditional or unconventional roles are encouraged to submit a proposal.

The Program Committee will review all proposals and contact the session chair by mid-November 2026. All presenters are required to register for the AGM and may only present at one session.

SCA is committed to making the AGM welcoming and accessible to all presenters and attendees. If you need specific accommodations to support your participation in this event, please contact the program committee co-chairs.

Questions? Please contact the Program Committee Co-Chairs Mallory Furnier, at vicepresident@calarchivists.org, or Christina Velazquez Fidler, at membersatlarge@calarchivists.org