Call for Session Proposals: OMAMAC 2017

The Midwest Archives Conference will hold its Annual Meeting April 5–8, 2017, in Omaha, Nebraska. Known as the “Gateway to the West” and birthplace of the Reuben sandwich and Butter Brickle ice cream, join us in Omaha as Nebraska celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2017.

Session Proposals

The 2017 MAC Program Committee invites session proposals on all aspects of archival practice and research, as well as from allied fields. The committee especially wishes to invite session proposals on the themes of:

  • diversity and inclusion;
  • instruction and assessment;
  • advocacy, outreach, and inreach; and
  • collaborative projects.

The deadline for submitting proposals for the 2017 MAC Annual Meeting has been extended to August 19, 2016. A separate call for 2017 annual meeting poster proposal submissions will go out later in the fall. 

Session Content and Format

The Program Committee encourages dynamic sessions that promote interaction with the audience, and in formats that complement the proposed topic. Session times may vary depending on proposed format. For example, 60-minute slots are best suited for panels, lightning rounds, Pechu Kucha, and paper presentations; 90-minute slots are best suited for debates, open mics, world cafes, and mini-workshops. For more information about different types of presentation formats, visit our session format descriptions page.

Speaker Representation

The Program Committee seeks a diverse slate of presenters representing a variety of personal and institutional backgrounds, perspectives, and voices. We seek to foster a culture of inclusion in the MAC program and encourage submissions from anyone who is interested in presenting, including students, new professionals, first-time presenters, and those from allied professions.

To facilitate collaboration among those brainstorming session ideas, the Program Committee encourages use of the MAC Facebook page and the list of session proposal ideas. 

Proposal Evaluation

The Program Committee will evaluate all proposals submitted by the deadline using the following criteria:

  • Merit and clarity of the 250-word abstract;

  • Completeness of the proposal, particularly having well-developed content and sufficient speakers to address all relevant aspects of the topic;

  • Originality of proposed topic;

  • Diversity of the content and speaker representation; and

  • Appropriateness of proposed format with session content.

All proposals will be considered in the context of the overall structure of the meeting and availability of time slots for proposed sessions.

When submitting proposals, please have ready a session title, 250-word abstract, names and contact information for all speakers, the type of session format being proposed, and any A/V or special consideration requests for your session.  

All individuals in an accepted proposal must sign a presenter agreement.

Proposal Submission

The deadline for making proposals for the 2017 MAC Annual Meeting has passed and the MAC 2017 Program Committee is reviewing the submissions.

If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact the 2017 Program Committee co-chairs Sasha Griffin ([email protected]) and Harrison W. Inefuku ([email protected]).

We look forward to celebrating all things archives with you at OMAMAC 2017!