The 36th ICARUS Convention will be hosted by our colleagues of the National Archives of Estonia, in their recently refurbished new seat at Tõnismägi 2, co-located with the National Library, in central Tallinn. Under the theme “Highlighting Heritage, Empowering Knowledge – From Archivists to Everyone” the National Archives and ICARUS invite you to join us in Estonia from 27-29 May 2026.

About the event

The Convention will bring together multiple initiatives and case studies focusing on the power of archival heritage in the era of data transformation. There are multiple questions to be discussed, the core ones can be highlighted as follows:

• What user-friendly solutions and archivist-designed tools can we offer to manage new technologies and support inclusive practices?
• How can we integrate advanced technologies in our work to improve access to archives?
• How can we foster technological innovation in archival practice? How can we use digital content to support archival research and study across generations?
• How can we foster crowdsourcing activities to increase public understanding of and access to archival content?
• Above all, how can we help everyone in society understand the importance of supporting the creation of trustworthy records, the protection of reliable data, and the ongoing care of archives as a source of evidence?

By highlighting archival heritage, the Convention will focus on the challenges the archival community faces in the era of AI, while recognizing the continuing value of traditional archival methods and practices. New technologies offer remarkable opportunities for protecting and providing access to archives for every user group, from scholarly researchers to schoolchildren;  we need to understand and implement best practices in solutions such as text recognition, automatic translation, large language models, text-to-speech systems, and so on, if we are to make best use of those innovative technologies. The more we can share about our different archival experiences, achievements, and knowledge, the better we will be at supporting the public to access and use the valuable materials in our care.

The keynote address at the Convention will be delivered by Laura Millar, a highly renowned Canadian consultant specialised in records, archives and information management. Laura has over 40 years’ experience advising governments and organisations around the world, including in Canada, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Hong Kong, Fiji and Ghana, on records and archives programmes. She also taught in the fields of records and archives management for many years and is the author of numerous publications and presentations, including the award-winning archival textbook Archives: Principles and Practices (Facet Publishing, 2nd edition 2017, 3rd edition forthcoming). Her 2019 book, A Matter of Facts: The Value of Evidence in the Information Age, was written for a general audience to emphasise the crucial role of records, archives and information in combatting misinformation and disinformation in the digital age.

Call for Papers:

We invite professionals, archivists, scholars, educators, and students to contribute to the Convention with the following topics:

1. Insights into AI-driven applications and user-friendly tools for archival work.
2. Research on data design, digital transitions, and innovative archival practices.
3. Solutions for user inclusion and raising public awareness of archival practices.
4. Case studies on promoting understanding and engagement through crowdsourcing, intergenerational learning, and community involvement.
5. The use of multimedia, including film archives, interactive learning tools, and social media, to enhance archival accessibility.
6. Practices for educating the public and professionals on the importance of safeguarding trustworthy data and the value of evidence.

Join us at the ICARUS Convention #36 in Tallinn to collaborate with experts in the field and discuss how the archival community can adapt to the challenges of the digital era while preserving the rich heritage that underpins our collective knowledge.

You can submit your presentation (title and abstract) via our registration form here.

Deadline for the submission of papers is 1 April.

Registration for attendance is open until 30 April.

ICARUS members are invited to apply for a travel grant – deadline for submissions is also 1 April.

Find a list of recommended hotels (with special rates) and other travelling information here.