About the Forum
The BitCurator Forum brings together representatives of all levels of experience from libraries, archives, museums, and related professions engaged in (or considering) digital archives work.
The Forum will balance discussion of theory and practice of digital forensics, curation, and related digital analysis workflows. There will also be hands-on activities with the BitCurator environment, and other useful tools.
You do not need to be a BitCurator Consortium member or BitCurator user to submit a proposal and/or attend the event.
#BitCuratorForum
Code of Conduct & Community Agreement
The BCC is committed to fostering an open, inclusive, and safe environment.
View BCC Code of Conduct
In 2019, the BitCurator Forum adopted a Community Agreement which has served as a framework for inclusive participation and engagement for each Forum since. The community agreement is adapted from Aorta Collective’s Anti-Oppressive Facilitation for Democratic Process:
- One person speaks at a time
- Everyone has something to contribute
- Aim for more equitable participation
- Please feel comfortable participating (even if unsure about terminology, etc.)
- Be aware and considerate of time
- Embrace curiosity
- Acknowledge difference between impact and intent
Get in Touch
If you have questions or feedback about the BitCurator Forum, please contact the BCC Forum Committee.
Call for Proposals
The 2026 conference theme, Hitting Reset, reflects the challenges and changes of the past several years and the importance of pausing to reflect on our practices before moving forward. This theme invites us to reassess how we work, what we prioritize, and how we adapt in a rapidly evolving professional landscape. Hitting Reset also encourages us to respond intentionally to new opportunities, expanding responsibilities, and changing environments.
Within the context of digital archives tools and practices, how are you “hitting reset” in areas including, but not limited to, the following?
- Human-centered practices
- Budgeting and resource allocation
- Organizational responsibilities and obligations
- Digital forensics and data recovery or rescue
- Sustainability of digital preservation practices in an AI-driven world
We welcome proposals that explore reflection, reinvention, and practical approaches to moving forward with intention.
The BCC Forum Committee recognizes that the field of digital archives is broad and diverse, and considers proposals that focus on any related topic from any areas of interest. We particularly encourage proposals to consider the themes mentioned above and encourage proposals from a diversity of views, including members of BIPOC communities, students, new professionals, and organizations and individuals working outside of academic and special collections libraries and archives
This year’s call is for 5 or 10 minute “lightning talks.” Lightning talks are a great format for case studies, digital archives “success stories” or “tales of woe,” research updates, practices and procedures, and short demos or how-tos. Options include:
- One presenter for 5 minutes
- Up to two presenters for 10 minutes
The Forum Committee welcomes participation from organizations and individuals working outside of academic and special collections libraries and archives, members from BIPOC communities, students, and new professionals.
The BitCurator Forum is open to all. You do not need to be a BCC member or BitCurator user to submit a proposal and/or attend the event. See examples of past Forum presentations here.
Submission Information
Deadlines
Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 8th, 2026
Acceptance Notification: Friday, March 30
Speaker confirmation/changes: April 17th, 2026
Program Posted: (Tentative) May 17th, 2026
All sessions will be hosted live on Zoom. Final time length of sessions may be adjusted in the final program. The Forum Committee will communicate any changes about this with speakers as early as possible.
How Proposals Will Be Evaluated
The BCC Forum Committee will review all proposals. Criteria used to evaluate proposals include:
- Is the proposal relevant to conference theme or goals?
- Is the proposal relevant to born digital archives work/practitioners, especially novel approaches or lessons learned?
- Does this proposal address or center BIPOC, student, new professional perspectives and experiences and/or perspectives beyond academic institutions?
Eligibility & Requirements
Presenters must register for and attend the conference. (Note: we offer a $0 registration rate for presenters.) Presenters must also designate their permission in the submission form related to livestreaming their presentation during the event, making a recording of their presentation available online, and posting their presentation slides online. Please see below Information for Presenters to understand more about the experience of presenting at the Forum.
Information for Presenters
What can you expect after submitting a proposal to the BitCurator Forum?
Communications
One important volunteer role on the Forum Committee is “Speaker Liaison.” You will have communication with Forum committee representatives throughout the planning process who are there to answer any questions you have.
Review Period
The Forum Committee reviews proposals and responds to submitters by the stated deadline. Often the Committee responds with requested changes, such an expansion of the topic, different format, or other feedback based on their understanding of the whole program.
Sharing your Work
If accepted, you will receive a release form that asks you for permission to share a recording of your presentation and a copy of your slides. Recordings and slides are a great way to share knowledge back to the community, and presenters can point to the web posts as work samples throughout their careers. Forum Committee members often add links and other supplementary material along with the recordings, creating rich resources on the topic you discuss at the Forum. But it’s also okay to not record your presentation! You have the option to share as much or as little publicly as needed when submitting your work to the BitCurator Forum. The Forum livestream is open to registered attendees only.
Scheduling your Session
Once the Forum Committee has the set of selected proposals, they form the schedule. Presenters are informed as soon as their presentation time is set and asked to confirm their participation at the chosen time.
Fees
All fees for presenters are waived for the BitCurator Forum. Presenters are encouraged to register at the “Forum Presenter” rate.
Slides
Slides are encouraged for sessions. For demo’s and how-to sessions, slides are typically run by the presenter, but please ask the Forum Committee if you need assistance running your slides. For sessions and talks, the Forum committee runs slides to reduce the time spent turning over between each presentation. Slides are typically due a week before the event to provide time for the Forum Committee to organize the slides for a smooth show.
Practice Opportunities
A week before the event, you will have the opportunity to join a practice Zoom session to test anything you wish to test. You are encouraged to take this opportunity whether it’s your first or 50th time presenting at a virtual conference! It’s a great way to meet the team supporting you on the big day and to let the session leaders know a little more about what to expect during your talk or session so they can give you the best support possible.
Executing your Session
There are typically no special presenter links. Zoom links are shared each morning of the event for that day.
The day of the event, we hope you’re already there attending the rest of the conference – but at the least, arrive at the Zoom link at least 15 minutes before your presentation starts. The Forum Tech Host will give you presenter permissions.
The Forum Committee takes seriously our commitment to upholding the BCC Code of Conduct and you will have a Code of Conduct monitor in your session. In addition, you will have a Tech Host, a Moderator to introduce you and moderate discussion after your talk, and someone to advance your slides. Just sit back and focus on you!
After your talk, you will be asked to participate in a short Q&A session. Again, a Forum Committee moderator will facilitate the discussion.
First-time presenters are encouraged to submit to the BitCurator Forum. You will receive guidance along the way and support the day-of to make your presentation a success!
BitCurator Consortium
The BitCurator Consortium (BCC) is an independent, community-led membership association that supports born-digital archives in libraries, archives, and museums in order to help ensure the longevity and reliability of the cultural, scientific, and historical record. We strive to address the needs of the BCC community through training, collaboration, research, software development, documentation, integration, and scripts, while also advocating for the expansion of born-digital archives practice worldwide.
For more information on how to get involved, visit the Get Involved page.