Call for Poster Presentations: ArchivesFest in the City of Festivals

The Midwest Archives Conference will convene for its annual meeting April 27-30, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Poster Proposals

The 2016 Program Committee invites poster proposal submissions on all aspects of archival practice and research, as well as from allied and related fields. Submissions are welcome from students as well as new professionals (2013-2015 graduates). Proposals are due January 15, 2016.

Proposal Evaluation

The Program Committee will evaluate all proposals submitted by the deadline. Proposals will be evaluated in two ways:

  • Merit and clarity of the 250-word abstract; and
  • Completeness of the proposal, particularly having well-developed content to understand all relevant aspects of the topic.

Individuals with proposals chosen for inclusion in the MAC 2016 Annual Meeting will be notified in February 2016.

To submit a proposal, please fill out the online form. The deadline for submitting poster proposals for the 2016 MAC Annual Meeting is January 15, 2016.

We look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee!

Poster Session Tips

Poster sessions are a means to communicate and exchange ideas, programs, research, and projects to fellow MAC meeting attendees. Poster sessions may present any of the following:

  • a description of an innovative archives program
  • an examination of a practical, problem-solving endeavor
  • an explanation of a research investigation
  • novel archival projects or case studies

Posters typically include  pictures, data, graphs, diagrams and narrative text on boards that are approximately 40x32 inches. Authors are required to present their posters during scheduled times during the meeting. These presentations are more like elevator speeches that summarize the poster content with attendees that stop by the poster to view it and ask questions. Helpful tips on creating posters are available at these links:

Poster sessions cannot be used to advertise products or to display vendor items. If you are unsure if your proposal qualifies, please email Tom Lamb at [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will MAC pay my travel expenses and/or registration fee to attend the Conference if I am presenting a poster? No, MAC would not reimburse you for your travel or conference registration expenses.

2. What if I have a conflict between my poster session presentation time and a meeting? At least one author of the poster must be present during the poster sessions. This is the opportunity to give feedback to conference attendees who stop to ask questions. Poster sessions cannot be presented unless at least one author is present during the allotted times.

3. What happens if I have to cancel my poster session because I can't attend the conference? Please plan on a backup person who will be able to represent your poster if an emergency arises.

4. Can I have an Internet connection or other electrical support? If your poster session includes electrical equipment, you will need to provide your own source of power (e.g., batteries). No electrical support or Internet connections are available in the poster session area. Audio-visual presentations that include sound are not encouraged. These can be very distracting to the presenters located nearby. If you are able to supply headphones for viewers/listeners, sound is acceptable.

5. What about simultaneous submissions? Can I submit a poster session proposal about a project for which I've also submitted a manuscript for publication in a journal? Yes, poster submissions for articles that have been simultaneously submitted for publication are welcomed, as long as you note the simultaneous submission in your abstract. 
IMPORTANT: Please note at the end of your abstract if the project has been submitted to other conferences, for publication in a journal, or has been published
or presented before.

6. What is the difference between the MAC Exhibit area and the MAC Poster Session Area? The poster session area is expressly not for vendors to display or promote new products, or for organizational displays.

If you have questions about the status of your submission please email Tom Lamb ([email protected]), Poster Session Coordinator.