IASA-BAAC 2026 Conference

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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

Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

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

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

Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

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

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

Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

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

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

Atrium 5th floor: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

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

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

Poster, Hybrid