Loading…
arrow_back View All Dates
Wednesday, October 21
 

8:30am EEST

9:30am EEST

Building on the SADC Early Warning System for the Protection of Documentary Cultural Heritage in Africa’s Peace and War Contexts
Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am EEST
In peacebuilding and conflict prevention setups, early warning systems are in place – but with little or nothing to do with the documentary heritage despite the latter existing in the same risk environment characterized by political instability and conflict escalation. With no structured systems to identify vulnerable archives before conflict escalates, damage becomes reactive rather than preventive – and often irreversible. Using the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Regional Early Warning System as a reference point, this paper explores how Africa’s documentary cultural heritage can be safeguarded across peace and war contexts through early warning systems. It argues that current mechanisms for conflict monitoring exclude vulnerable heritage assets such as archives and audio-visual records. Drawing on several examples in Africa or elsewhere, with insights from relevant international relations political theories, the study highlights risks posed by political instability and digital warfare. It proposes integrating documentary heritage indicators into the existing early warning frameworks, if not designing separate, enhanced and functional documentary heritage-centered early warning system(s), anticipatory and resilient - across Africa’s peace-war spectrum.
Speakers
avatar for SHADRECK BAYANE

SHADRECK BAYANE

Privacy & Records Consultant & Researcher, Independent Consultant & Researcher
Shadreck Bayane is a Botswana-based certified Records Analyst and certified Privacy professional pursuing a Masters degree in Politics & International Relations, with interdisciplinary research interests spanning data protection, risk management, AI & digitization, diplomacy, and... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am EEST
Statehood hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

9:30am EEST

IASA Research Archive Section Meeting
The Research Archives Section of IASA addresses issues of sound and audiovisual archives whose holdings include collections of unique and usually non-commercial recordings, such as field recordings, curated primarily for research purposes. The meetings of the Research Archive Section include possibilities for its members to share information on ongoing projects as well as discuss common issues with colleagues from all over the world. The Research Archive Section invites its members to meetings twice a year, at the annual conference as well as an online meeting in between.

At every meeting, the Research Archive Section invites lecturers on topics of relevance to archivists and researchers working with audiovisual collections at research archives. The topic of this years meeting will be “Rescuing Sámi Voices from Wax: Czech–Swedish Collaboration in Preserving the Karl Tirén Joik Collection“; a report on an ongoing collaboration project between Svenskt visarkiv (The Centre for Swedish Folk music and Jazz Research) in Stockholm and the Sound lab at the National Museum in Prague. With the expertise in sound preservation from phonograph cylinders at the Sound Lab at the National Museum of Prague, the project aims to digitize broken and damaged phonograph cylinders of the Karl Tirén Collection of Sámi Joik held at Svenskt visarkivs and recently added to the
UNESCO Memory of the World List. The invited speakers will be Wictor Johansson (Svenskt visarkiv, Stockholm), Filip Sir and Geoff Tyson (National Museum, Prague).
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Marija Dumnić Vilotijević

Dr. Marija Dumnić Vilotijević

Senior Research Associate, Institute of Musicology SASA
Marija Dumnić Vilotijević holds MA and PhD in ethnomusicology from Faculty of Music of theUniversity of Arts in Belgrade. She is Senior Research Associate at Institute of Musicology of SerbianAcademy of Sciences and Arts. She specialized in similar institutions of Austrian and BulgarianAcademies... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EEST
Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

9:30am EEST

Silences in the Archive: Stories of Transborder Resistance in Mendoza, Argentina During the Last Civil-Military Dictatorship
Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EEST
We will share stories from two archives in Mendoza, Argentina, which contain information about the human networks, artistic creations, communication and codes, and experiences of clandestine resistance to dictatorships in the Southern Cone. These stories reveal how, through networks of cooperation, the highest range of the Andes Mountains separating Mendoza and Santiago, Chile, functioned as a hidden bridge between communities. Unregistered stories such as these and the objects surrounding them, due to the secrecy necessitated by their repressive political environment, will remain a lasting silence in archives unless initiatives are taken to register and preserve them. 

Páez’s work with the Asociación Ecumenica de Cuyo preserves the archive of the Comité Ecuménico de Acción Social (CEAS), active from 1973 to 1992, which was created to support Chilean exiles in Mendoza during Pinochet’s dictatorship. This collection comprises the case files documenting the passage of Chilean exiles, as well as secret communications between networks of human rights organizations in Santiago and Mendoza. Skinner’s work with Memorias Sonoras includes interviews related to clandestine artistic gatherings and musical composition during the last dictatorship in Argentina. We propose to share stories from these two related projects, draw connections between the encrypted codes in both archives, communicational and musical, and explore the role of the Andes as a connector rather than a border. Finally, we will analyze these sources through the lens of a public consultation realized together in March of 2026, in which many of these ideas were brought forth by members of the community.
Speakers
avatar for Mariana Páez

Mariana Páez

Director, Bibilioteca y Centro de Documentación Mauricio A López
Mariana Páez is the director of the Mauricio A. López Library and Documentation Center in Mendoza, Argentina. As director, she oversees an archive pertaining to ecumenical thought, feminism and liberation theology. The archive includes collections relating to the following figures... Read More →
avatar for Andrew Skinner

Andrew Skinner

Co-Director, Memorias Sonoras
Andrew Skinner is the co-director of Memorias Sonoras, an initiative dedicated to supporting musical archives in Mendoza, Argentina, through community collaboration. Over the past three years, through Memorias Sonoras, he managed the preservation of the Zanessi Studios collection... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EEST
Education hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

10:00am EEST

Safeguarding Audiovisual Memory in Fragile Contexts: Challenges and Strategies from Burkina Faso
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:00am - 10:30am EEST
This presentation examines the challenges of safeguarding audiovisual archives in fragile and resource-constrained contexts, focusing on Burkina Faso. Audiovisual materials play a key role in preserving cultural identity, yet they face risks such as limited infrastructure, technological obsolescence, and lack of formal preservation systems.

Based on academic research and field observations, this presentation highlights how local actors develop adaptive strategies, including informal archiving practices and community-based preservation. It also emphasizes the importance of integrating risk preparedness and strengthening digital resilience.

By offering a West African perspective, this contribution aims to enrich global discussions on audiovisual preservation, resilience, and cultural sustainability.
Speakers
avatar for PARE Aboubacar Franck Hermann

PARE Aboubacar Franck Hermann

Master’s Student in Cinema and Audiovisual Studies, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
I am a Burkinabè audiovisual professional and a Master’s student in Cinema and Audiovisual Studies. My work is situated at the intersection of film, project management, and cultural development, with a particular focus on the role of audiovisual media in preserving cultural identity... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:00am - 10:30am EEST
Statehood hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Short Presentation, Online

10:30am EEST

A Case for Mandatory Deposit: Archiving the Mammoth Indian Film Industry
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EEST
What if the only version of a national award-winning film in a state/regional archive is a wantonly censored YouTube copy? How will we protect the cinema of the world’s largest film producer, which contributes to over 26% of the global film production, as per the World Intellectual Property Organisation?

With access and storage of films mainly being controlled by private players, a mandatory film deposit policy becomes important to save information from the profit-driven rules of the market and the preferences of the cultural majority. Besides the fear of some films being neglected as not worth preserving, the chances of modifying content (there is news of muting parts of dialogues, editing scenes out, and colour grading films differently for streaming platforms and theatrical re-releases) are high, too. To combat this, the government must introduce a two-tier approach to archiving, with every film appearing for copyright/exhibition certification, submitting a copy to the national film archive and the respective regional archive. Though most Indian states (28 in total) and some union territories have their own film industry, not all of them have an archive. Lacking a well-oiled production-to-archives pipeline becomes even more worrying in times of crisis when market disruption alters the usual venues for access and storage. A collaboration between the film fraternity, state governments, and the national government, focusing on the principle of LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), is essential. By keeping the onus of preserving films exclusively on for-profit private entities, India risks losing its film heritage.
Speakers
GR

Gayathri Rajkumar

Archivist, Prasad Corporation
I'm a graduate of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation. I worked as a cataloguer with the National Film Archive of India and later as an assistant conservator at the Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru. I'm currently an archivist with Prasad Corporation.
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EEST
Statehood hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Short Presentation, Online

10:30am EEST

Between Material Decay and Political Erasure: Preserving a 16mm Newsreel of the Plaza de Mayo Bombing (Argentina, 1955)
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EEST
We present a work in progress based on a 16mm film reel from the First Argentine Television News Programme, which recounts the events of the 1955 bombing of Plaza de Mayo and the Government House by military aircraft, intended to overthrow President Juan Domingo Perón. Amidst a turbulent political climate that proved crucial for the subsequent decades, the event deepened the long-standing tension between Peronism and anti-Peronism that continues to this day. It was one of the largest attacks in Argentine history, resulting in the murder of more than 300 civilians. The coup d’état was finally carried out three months later with the self-proclaimed Liberating Revolution taking power – an extreme right-wing opposition that sought to liberate the people from Perón’s ‘tyranny’. This attack was effectively rendered invisible for many decades and, despite some research that emerged from the return to democracy in 1983 to this day, it has failed to be recalled in the collective memory.

More than 70 years later, through a private job, this material presented numerous challenges for us: an advanced case of vinegar syndrome and, on a personal level, political contradictions associated with working on a broadcast featuring anti-democratic discourse alongside rare footage of corpses and the aftermath of the attack. However, it also provided an opportunity to take a specialised approach to a deteriorating film and to bring the event back into public debate, at a time when Argentina’s far right is drawing inspiration from the Liberating Revolution and using the rhetoric of ‘freedom’ once again.
Speakers
avatar for Laura Gómez Gauna

Laura Gómez Gauna

Co-coordinator of the Commission on Archives and Audiovisual Heritage, Argentine Association for Film and Audiovisual Studies (AsAECA)
Independent conservator. She holds a diploma in the Preservation of Photographic, Sound and Audiovisual Collections from the National School of Restoration and Museography from Ibermemoria. She was awarded a scholarship to the Film Preservation & Restoration School Latin America by... Read More →
avatar for Mayumi Romina Higa

Mayumi Romina Higa

Teacher, National University of Arts, Argentina
Conservator and restorer based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She graduated in Conservation and Restoration from the National University of Arts and holds diplomas in Audiovisual Preservation and Restoration from the University of Buenos Aires and in Cultural Mediation from the Latin... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EEST
Education hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

10:30am EEST

Trust in Archives Initiative: A Community Response to Digital Authenticity in the Age of AI
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EEST
Audiovisual archives face novel challenges with the rise of generative AI, which can manipulate audiovisual materials, but AI is also trained, in part, through metadata and content scraping. Archives face daunting tasks in preserving and protecting audiovisual collections, placing additional strains on archival staff who shoulder the responsibility of validating provenance and authenticity of audiovisual collections, but lack established standards and guidelines. There is a need for practical tools, shared language, and capacity-building that support both internal decision-making and public-facing communication. While there may be AI tools that provide certain benefits to archives, such as programs improving workflows and metadata creation, the growing use of AI carries serious risks that call for urgent study and work toward creating safeguards. To further the discussion around AI, this session will focus on ongoing efforts by the Trust in Archives Initiative (TAI), a coalition of archivists and archival producers centered in the moving image community, who are actively developing guidelines and rubrics for use of AI in archives. The panel will report on current guidance for authenticating digital records to guard against AI-generated misinformation, legal language and frameworks archives may adopt to prevent or manage the use of AI, describing the use of AI, and engaging with tech institutions to assess collaboration opportunities.
Speakers
avatar for Laura Rooney

Laura Rooney

Managing Director, Association of Moving Image Archivists
Managing Director for the Association of Moving Image Archivists
Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EEST
Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

11:00am EEST

Voices from the End of the World: The Koluel Archive as a Safeguard of Memory, Identity, and Audiovisual Authenticity in the Malvinas Conflict
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am EEST
This paper presents the Koluel oral and audiovisual archive project, focused on the memories of Southern Patagonia, and its dedicated collection on the Malvinas War (1982). It will analyze how this community archive stands as a fundamental tool for safeguarding memory in post-war contexts, addressing the challenges of constructing regional identity through direct testimonies and, crucially, the technical and ethical issues surrounding the authenticity of audiovisual supports. The presentation aims to contribute to the debate on the role of regional archives in preserving peripheral narratives and the need for collaborative standards to ensure the faithful transmission of these memories to future generations.
Speakers
avatar for Gustavo Navarro

Gustavo Navarro

Teacher, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral . UNPA
Director del proyecto Memorias de la Patagonia Austral . 
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am EEST
Education hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Short Presentation, In Person

11:00am EEST

AI-CODE, Debunk, and the Evidentiary Future of Audiovisual Archives
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EEST
Preserving the authenticity of digital records in an era of AI-generated content is a growing challenge for archives. This presentation offers one approach through AI-CODE, a Horizon Europe project developing AI-supported services for media asset annotation, content analysis, verification, and credibility assessment. The session will give audiovisual archivists a practical overview of the AI-CODE service ecosystem, with attention to how these tools may support discovery, contextualization, verification, and assessment of audiovisual materials.

The presentation will include an expert contribution from Debunk.org, a Vilnius-based independent technology think tank and NGO working on disinformation analysis, education, research, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). Debunk will present AI-CODE’s Media Asset Annotation and Management service (MAAM) created by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). MAAM uses AI models for content annotation, retrieval, and media verification, including synthetic media and deepfake detection. For audiovisual archivists, MAAM offers a practical view into AI-assisted annotation, retrieval, and authenticity assessment. The presentation will consider how machine-generated labels, synthetic media detection, and explainable model outputs can contribute to verification-oriented approaches to audiovisual materials, especially where provenance, authenticity, and evidentiary context are at stake. Ample time will be reserved for discussion, with the aim of exploring how AI-CODE services might support real-world archival use cases.
Speakers
avatar for Randi Cecchine

Randi Cecchine

researcher, AI-CODE
Randi Cecchine has a background in documentary filmmaking, media education, and educational film distribution. Her work focuses on the intersections of audiovisual archives, artificial intelligence, and media literacy. She has researched AI implementation in audiovisual archives... Read More →
LS

Laura Šėrytė

Head of Projects, Debunk
Laura Šėrytė is Head of Projects at Debunk.org, a Vilnius-based independent technology think tank and non-governmental organization that researches disinformation and runs educational media literacy campaigns. She leads the AI-CODE task on user-centered service validation.
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EEST
Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

11:00am EEST

QC for Reformatted Audio Projects
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EEST
In archival settings, outsourced reformatting projects create an unusual melding between the industrial processes of mass digitization and the uniqueness of archival assets. Mass digitization methods prioritize saving both effort and cost, but institutions often have little time for a systematic approach to quality control. In this talk, we suggest an approach to quality control for reformatted audio that focuses on developing workflows that work for your institution. We will introduce a variety of time-tested tools at our disposal, from developing quality plans to acceptance sampling techniques. We will then suggest other ambits where QC can be applied, and touch on later developments in QC from projects such as Six Sigma and Lean. Finally, we will look at efforts to standardize perceived audio quality in other fields such as broadcasting (PESQ, PEAQ).
Speakers
MS

Marcos Sueiro Bal

Digital Collections Manager, Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College
Marcos Sueiro Bal is the Digital Collections Manager at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York City, USA. Marcos is a member of the technical committees of the Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) and IASA, and was part of the Collection Management... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EEST
Statehood hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

11:30am EEST

Ukrainian Non-State Film Collections in Wartime: Liminal Archivism and Decolonial Reframing
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm EEST
While the Soviet film archive exemplified a colonial model of cultural preservation, serving a centralised, militarised state and determining which films and language versions deserved conservation; national archives in the ‘no-longer-post-Soviet’ space (Tlostanova 2024), particularly in Ukraine, largely emulated this structure. Their collections were built around state studio feature production, however, often remaining incomplete and improvised due to the unwillingness of the Russian film archives to repatriate non-Russian films to their countries of production. Meanwhile, Ukrainian students’ works, amateur films, ‘useful cinema’ (Acland and Wasson 2011), and other ‘ephemeral’ forms (Prelinger 2006) remained in a preservation grey zone. Russia’s neocolonial war against Ukraine has further foregrounded the vulnerability of state archival collections, including those of the Dovzhenko Centre and the Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive, while also prompting significant discoveries outside formal institutional frameworks. These findings challenge the notion of national film heritage and raise questions about the future of these materials. This paper examines three examples of liminal archives: 1) an amateur film collection compiled by Oleksandr Makhanets at the Lviv Center for Urban History; 2) rushes of popular science films discovered by Oleksii Radynskyi in the Kyivnaukfilm studio attic; and 3) a collection of student films identified by Alik Derman and Volodymyr Prylutskyi at the Ukrkinokhronika/Karpenko-Kary University facilities. Despite the fact that a number of these materials have been catalogued, digitised, or publicly screened, there is still a lack of clarity regarding their long-term preservation in proper environmental condition.
Speakers
avatar for Oleksandr Teliuk

Oleksandr Teliuk

Postgraduate Researcher, Queen Mary University of London
Oleksandr Teliuk is a film archivist, scholar, artist, and currently a postgraduate researcher at Queen Mary University of London. As a film archivist, he worked at the Dovzhenko Center, the Ukrainian state film archive (2015–23), where he headed the non-film archives department... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm EEST
Education hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

12:00pm EEST

Community Archives: Refugee Narratives and Political Prisoners’ Histories
Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EEST
The Digital Repository of Ireland is a Core Trust Seal-certified repository for the preservation of Ireland’s humanities, cultural heritage, and social sciences digital data for long-term access and discovery.

Since 2018, the DRI has run a Community Archive Award scheme, allowing unfunded archives and researchers the opportunity to avail of preservation services at the DRI, providing training and assistance to the winners and making these collections accessible to both the communities they represent and the wider public.

The winner in 2020 was the ‘Asylum Archive’, a collection that documents life under  Ireland's Direct Provision system, collected by artist and activist Vukašin Nedeljković. This collection represents a hugely important effort to capture the experience of the Direct Provision System in Ireland.

The winner in 2026 was the ‘Long Kesh Style’ collection. This is an exceptional collection of historical documents relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland known as ‘the Troubles’ (1968-1998). The collection comprises hundreds of prison letters, communiqués, crafts, and other artefacts. Curated by Holly Lennon, this collection seeks to centre the stories of protesting and non-protesting republican prisoners who have been censored politically and historically, and whose voices are absent from dominant institutional archives.

This paper explores the importance of the Community Archive Scheme and its role in giving visibility to alternative narratives and fostering a more inclusive understanding of social and political history, represented in these two collections.
Speakers
HL

Holly Lennon

Executive Officer, Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS)
Holly Lennon is a writer from Belfast. She began collecting archival material from Long Kesh prison while completing her master's degree in English literature, during which she wrote her thesis on Bobby Sands and the 1976–1981 prison protests. A bursary from The Bobby Sands Trust... Read More →
NR

Noelia Romero

Digital Archivist and Training Manager, Digital Repository of Ireland
Noelia Romero holds the position of training manager and digital archivist as part of the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) team based at the Royal Irish Academy (RIA). In her role, Noelia provides expert advice and hands-on assistance to DRI members to facilitate the ingest, preservation... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EEST
Education hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Short Presentation, In Person

12:00pm EEST

Post-Disaster Catalogue: Photographic Plates of the National Museum in the Reconstruction of Audiovisual Memory
Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EEST
O incêndio no Museu Nacional do Brasil em 2018 causou a destruição quase total de seu acervo, incluindo cerca de 11 mil negativos de vidro. Essa perda representou não apenas um dano material extremo, mas também uma profunda ruptura na memória científica e audiovisual da mais antiga instituição científica do país.

Por meio dos procedimentos de conservação e restauração, foi possível garantir a recuperação e a salvaguarda deste acervo. O presente trabalho analisa o processo de elaboração do catálogo dessas peças não como um produto editorial ou museográfico, mas como um instrumento arquivístico para a reconstrução da memória institucional por meio da imagem.

O catálogo confirmou que as placas são reproduções diretas dos negativos de vidro perdidos, de modo que as imagens originalmente produzidas como material auxiliar passaram a funcionar como documentos primários de testemunho após a destruição dos negativos originais.

Inserido no debate internacional sobre arquivos em tempos de paz e crise, o estudo demonstra que, em contextos de destruição, a função do arquivo se desloca da preservação integral dos suportes para a reconstrução a partir dos fragmentos sobreviventes. A experiência do Museu Nacional oferece, assim, lições aplicáveis a arquivos audiovisuais localizados em contextos de vulnerabilidade, conflito ou risco cultural, destacando o papel estratégico da imagem na salvaguarda da identidade, da autenticidade e da memória coletiva.

Ao analisar o catálogo de placas fotográficas como uma prática arquivística de reconstrução pós-catástrofe, este trabalho contribui para as discussões do IASA-BAAC sobre restauração de acervos, resiliência institucional e preservação da autenticidade audiovisual em cenários de destruição.
Speakers
avatar for Ana Luiza Castro do Amaral

Ana Luiza Castro do Amaral

Head of the Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration, Museu Nacional / UFRJ
Master’s degree in Social Memory from the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Museology from the same institution. Currently serves as a Conservation Technician at the Museu Nacional of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro... Read More →
avatar for Jorge Dias da Silva Junior

Jorge Dias da Silva Junior

Head of the Section of Memory and Archives, Museu Nacional / UFRJ
Jorge Dias da Silva Junior is an archivist and holds a Master’s degree in Records and Archives Management from the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. He is Head of the Section of Memory and Archives at the Museu Nacional/UFRJ, where he coordinates preservation, reconfiguration... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EEST
Statehood hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

12:00pm EEST

Safeguarding Indigenous Sound: Archival Integrity, Resilience, and Authenticity in Australia’s National Audiovisual Memory
Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EEST
National Archives of Australia’s two audio studios have recently undergone a major refurbishment, encompassing a significant procurement process, a complete redesign of audio signal pathways, and the renewal of digitisation workflows. This work has reinforced a central archival principle: that the foundations of analogue‑to‑digital transfer are inseparable from the long‑term integrity, authenticity, and trustworthiness of archival audiovisual files.

In a global context where cultural memory is increasingly threatened—by conflict, technological disruption, and misinformation—this presentation positions technical infrastructure as a form of preparedness and resilience planning. Robust signal design, transparent workflows, metadata integrity, and security frameworks are not merely operational considerations; they are essential safeguards that ensure audiovisual records remain credible and defensible in contested environments.

At the National Archives of Australia, these concerns are especially significant given our custodianship of irreplaceable recordings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, past and present. These recordings embody ancient and living cultures and carry deep responsibilities around access, care, cultural authority, and protection. Preserving Indigenous audiovisual heritage requires approaches that prioritise respect, collaboration, and ethical stewardship alongside technical excellence—particularly when communities and their histories have been, and remain, vulnerable to erasure or misrepresentation.

Senior Audio Officer Craig Field will share how the National Archives of Australia has applied new technologies to strengthen archival standards and professional principles, outline the role of security and integrity controls in protecting both collections and people, and discuss how authenticity can be maintained in an era of AI‑generated and manipulated audiovisual content. The presentation will also reflect on the Archives’ vision for accessible, culturally appropriate curation that honours Indigenous knowledge systems while ensuring long‑term preservation.

By embedding resilience, integrity, and collaboration into everyday technical practice, this work demonstrates how audiovisual archives can actively safeguard memory, identity, and trust—both in times of stability and in moments of crisis.
Speakers
avatar for Craig Field

Craig Field

Senior Audio Officer, National Archives of Australia
Craig Field is a Senior Audio Preservation Officer at the National Archives of Australia, bringing more than 26 years of professional experience across music, audio, and sound pre- and post-production. His career spans extensive work in Australia and internationally as a commercial... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EEST
Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

12:30pm EEST

1:00pm EEST

Digital Witnesses: Safeguarding Audiovisual Memory and Authenticity in the Age of AI and Conflict
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
Abstract: Audiovisual archives have become crucial witnesses to political violence, humanitarian crises, and cultural transformation. Yet in contemporary conflicts—such as the ongoing war in Ukraine—audiovisual records face dual threats: physical destruction and digital manipulation. This paper explores how archival institutions can safeguard audiovisual memory, identity, and authenticity in contexts where war, displacement, and AI-generated misinformation undermine trust in recorded evidence.

Introduction: In the digital era, audiovisual archives are no longer passive repositories but active custodians of historical truth. As conflicts increasingly unfold online and in hybrid information environments, archives must adapt new strategies for preservation, verification, and ethical stewardship.

Objective: This study investigates how audiovisual archives can maintain authenticity and evidentiary integrity during conflict, particularly when digital manipulation technologies—such as deepfakes and synthetic media—challenge the credibility of recorded memory.

Methods: The research employs interdisciplinary analysis combining archival studies, digital forensics, and media governance. Case studies from conflict-zone documentation projects and community-based digital archives are examined alongside emerging verification tools, metadata standards, and chain-of-custody protocols.

Results: Findings suggest that resilient archival practice depends on three key strategies: distributed digital preservation networks, forensic verification technologies, and community-centered documentation frameworks that protect vulnerable voices while maintaining evidentiary credibility.

Conclusion: Audiovisual archives must evolve into trusted infrastructures for truth in times of crisis. By integrating digital authentication methods with ethical archival stewardship, institutions can safeguard cultural memory and support accountability in an era of conflict and AI-driven misinformation.
Speakers
avatar for Chidera Miracle Igwe

Chidera Miracle Igwe

Legal Practitioner and Independent Researcher, Independent Researcher in Law, Culture, and Digital Governance, Nigeria
Chidera Miracle Igwe is an independent researcher and legal practitioner whose work explores the intersection of law, digital technology, cultural memory, and information governance. His research focuses on how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital archives... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Poster, In Person
  • global Y

1:00pm EEST

Digitize and Discard: Preserving Audiovisual Memory Beyond the Carrier
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
Archives and libraries face growing preservation challenges from aging audiovisual collections due to carrier degradation and playback equipment obsolescence. As the media becomes more difficult to access its archival value decreases, leading to questions about its ongoing storage. One proposed solution has been to digitize and discard the original media, preserving the recordings as digital masters with derivative files for public access.  The suggestion to reformat audiovisual materials raises questions for cultural heritage professionals, and each stakeholder group may have its own concerns. Yet as media capture and digital preservation technology improve, to maintain our program’s sustainability we have begun exploring how this audio and video migration might proceed at scale.
 
The comprehensive processing of AV media through appraisal, digitization, imaging, re-appraisal, authority-controlled metadata capture, and multi-layered curatorial and archivist review can preserve the informational and contextual integrity of audiovisual records even after physical carriers are discarded.
 
In this way, the archive retains the intellectual and historical identity of the recordings while clearing space and resources for the acquisition and preservation of material reflecting contemporary events and voices.
 
In a global context shaped by conflict, displacement, and climate instability, this approach offers a practical model for safeguarding audiovisual memory—not by preserving every object indefinitely, but by ensuring that memory, meaning, and authenticity endure beyond the carrier.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Gates

Michael Gates

Audiovisual Digitization Lab Manager, Brigham Young University
Michael Gates is the Audiovisual lab manager at the BYU Library in Provo, Utah.  He is responsible for the digitization of legacy audio and video media in the library.  While at BYU he spent 2 years as a Digital Preservation Specialist for the Library validating, ingesting and monitoring... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Poster, In Person
  • global Y

1:00pm EEST

Preparedness in Practice: Risk Management for Audiovisual Archives in Oman
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
This poster examines risk management practices for audiovisual archives in the Sultanate of Oman within the context of escalating geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region. Audiovisual collections are increasingly exposed to a range of risks, including physical damage, technological failure, and data security vulnerabilities, all of which may compromise their long-term preservation, integrity, and accessibility.

The poster presents a focused case study of the Audiovisual Archives Division at the National Records and Archives Authority, drawing on current institutional practices related to preparedness and risk mitigation. It highlights existing measures such as preliminary risk assessment, backup strategies, and initial efforts to safeguard digital content, while also identifying critical gaps. These include limited resources, the absence of comprehensive risk management frameworks, and the need for specialized training and capacity building.

The poster will discuss practical insights derived from this experience and will argue for the importance of incremental and scalable approaches to strengthening archival resilience. The findings aim to contribute to ongoing discussions on preparedness in conflict-prone and uncertain environments.
Speakers
IS

Ibtisam Said Alshuhoumi

Records and Archives Specialist, National Records and Archives Authority, Audiovisual Department, Sultanate of Oman
Ibtisam Al Shuhoumi is a Records and Archives Specialist in the Audiovisual Department at the National Records and Archives Authority in the Sultanate of Oman. She holds a Master’s degree in Information Studies from Sultan Qaboos University (2020) and a Bachelor’s degree in the... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
  Poster, In Person
  • global Y

1:00pm EEST

Visual and Audio Documents of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Their Preventive Conservation and Contribution to the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
This study examines the role of audiovisual media in the representation and safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), emphasizing their significance as both documentation tools and cultural artifacts. It begins with a historical overview of audiovisual media—photography, sound recording, and moving image—tracing their evolution and their contribution to cultural expression. The research then explores the conceptual framework of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage, highlighting the complex relationship between them as reflected in audiovisual records.
Through the analysis of selected case studies, particularly drawing on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece, the study investigates how ICH is documented, represented, and transmitted through audiovisual means. Special attention is given to the dual nature of these media, which embody both material vulnerability and intangible cultural value.

Furthermore, the research addresses the risks of deterioration affecting audiovisual materials and underlines the importance of preventive conservation strategies, including proper storage and digitization. The findings stress the need for a balanced and sustainable approach to preservation, ensuring both the protection of the physical medium and the long-term accessibility of the cultural information it carries.
Speakers
avatar for Niki Adamidou

Niki Adamidou

Conservator of Canvas, Kunstkonserveringen Vest, Silkeborg, Denmark
My name is Niki Adamidou and I come from Greece. I have a Bachelor degree in Conservation of Works of Art. On 03.01.2019 I supported the undergraduate thesis entitled "Study and maintenance of 1970s 1980s vinyl discs from industrial paper", supervised by Mr Konstantinos Choulis... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EEST
Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

2:00pm EEST

IASA Editorial Board (Closed)
Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EEST

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EEST
Meeting Room 204

2:00pm EEST

IASA DEI Committee Meeting
Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EEST
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is pleased to hold its 2026 meeting in Vilnius, welcoming both in-person and online participation from committee members (existing and new) and anyone from the IASA organisation or conference community.

This meeting addresses the practical work of the committee - strengthening equitable and inclusive practices within the organisation, and pro-actively supporting the diverse contributions and perspectives that shape the organisation and its networks of practice in the field. This work concerns all activities and practices within IASA, while also looking outward to the diverse contexts of real-world practice in the wider audiovisual archiving field.

We encourage attendees to share current concerns and forward-looking ideas during the meeting, to inform the planning of activities and strategies for 2026-2028. This process itself supports the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In line with the work of the committee, we welcome input from IASA’s varied communities, networks and areas of practice.

For more information about the committee, see: https://iasa-web.org/diversity-equity-inclusion-committee.
Speakers
avatar for Randi Cecchine

Randi Cecchine

researcher, AI-CODE
Randi Cecchine has a background in documentary filmmaking, media education, and educational film distribution. Her work focuses on the intersections of audiovisual archives, artificial intelligence, and media literacy. She has researched AI implementation in audiovisual archives... Read More →
avatar for Ketevan Davitashvili

Ketevan Davitashvili

Archivist, Tbilisi State Conservatoire
Ketevan Davitashvili is a performer, sound artist, and archivist from Tbilisi, Georgia. She works as an archivist at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and specializes in the digitization of unique recordings of Georgian folk songs and interviews from magnetic tapes at the Tbilisi State... Read More →
avatar for Helen Grogan

Helen Grogan

Visiting Fellow, University of Amsterdam
Helen Grogan is an artist, curator, researcher, and lecturer based in Amsterdam and Naarm/Melbourne. She is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, University of Amsterdam (2026–2027), and a Samstag International Visual Arts Scholar (2025–2026... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EEST
Education hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

2:00pm EEST

2:00pm EEST

Training and Education Committee Meeting
During the open meeting, the Training and Education Committee will present its work to the attendees. A special focus will be given to the Training for Trainers held in Lugano last March and to the PTP that will probably be held in 2027.
Speakers
avatar for Nadia Lai

Nadia Lai

Deputy Head and Head of Cataloguing and Training, Swiss National Sound Archives
Nadia Lai has worked as head of cataloguing and training at the Swiss National Sound Archives in Lugano since September 2015. She mainly deals with data quality controls, data consistency, cataloguing rules as well as with the training of the Swiss National Sound Archives staff. In... Read More →
Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EEST
Events hall: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania: Great Hall

3:00pm EEST

CCAAA Meeting (Closed)
Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
Meeting Room 204

3:00pm EEST

Professional visit 1: Lithuanian Central State Archive
LIMITED
Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
Limited Capacity seats available
Lithuanian Central State Archive. The Archive is the biggest one in 
Lithuania. The Archive preserves paper-based and audiovisual documents. 
During the professional visit conference participants will be guided 
through audiovisual part of the Archive: storage rooms of films, photo, 
sound and video recordings; technical control of film reels; 
digitization of films, sound and video recordings. At the end of the 
visit participants will be able to watch some archival films in the 
Cinema hall.

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
Lithuanian Central State Archive

3:00pm EEST

Professional visit 2: Lithuanian National Television and Radio
LIMITED
Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
Limited Capacity seats available
Lithuanian National Television and Radio. The National broadcaster of 
Lithuania. During the professional visit conference participants will be 
guided through different parts of the National broadcaster archives and 
will have a short tour in television and radio buildings, as well as museum.

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) S. Konarskio g. 49, 03123 Vilnius, Lithuania

3:00pm EEST

Professional visit 3: Kinoteka Hall in Ozo Street
LIMITED
Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
Limited Capacity seats available
Kinoteka Hall in Ozo street. It is one of the oldest cinemas in 
Vilnius, showing non-commercial, auteur, experimental, "non-repertoire" 
cinema and classic works, and also the only one where the film 
repertoire is shown only from analogue film reels. During the 
professional visit conference participants will have a tour, see old 
film equipment and be able to watch a film directly from analogue film reel.

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EEST
The Kinoteka Hall Ozo g. 4, Vilnius, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania
 
IASA-BAAC 2026 Conference
From €70.00
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Filtered by Date -