An exiting range of talks, panels and workshops awaits in Glasgow at ARA2026

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Glasgow is giving us a great welcome and a great venue

‍We are grateful to Glasgow City Council for their support in helping us to bring our annual conference to Glasgow and for lending us their spectacular City Chambers for our Wednesday social.

‍The conference will take place at the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow. The hotel is very centrally located – a stone’s throw from Glasgow’s Central Station in fact. The venue is able to host the entire conference within a discrete area on the same level of the hotel. We also have four evenly sized breakout rooms, addressing some of the concerns raised on feedback from our Bristol conference regarding over crowding for some sessions.

‍The exhibition and catering will all be within the central foyer that links these rooms and facilities – quiet room, toilets (including accessible toilets) are also all within the same area on the same floor.

Most delegates booking the full package will also be accommodated in the conference hotel (early booking is recommended to ensure a room here). The rooms we looked at on our site visit were all of high quality and good size. Accessible rooms are available.‍

You can also find out about the hotel’s accessibility (and other things we are doing to make our conference as welcoming and inclusive as possible) in our blog here.

‍An exiting range of talks, panels and workshops awaits

‍Our theme is “Authenticity” and our programme is packed with fascinating workshops, panels and talks.

‍As usual we have four strands A-D – Track B is the conservation strand.

Strand A On theWednesday focuses on ‘what is authenticity’. It contains workshops and papers where delegates will learn about the origins of authenticity in an archival/record keeping context and attend sessions where they’ll reflect on what authenticity means to them as professionals. On Thursday there is a mix of papers exploring issues of surrogate records and the use of copies in exhibitions. There are also papers covering AI and visual representations of archives. Finally on Friday we have explorations of surrogate records and representing the material properties of physical objects in a digital environment as well as papers looking at applying principles of authenticity when assessing, processing and making collections available.‍ ‍

Strand B - The conservation track will focus on how conservation can act as a mediator of authenticity. Rather than focusing solely on techniques, the conservation track will position conservation as a critical, interpretive practice- one that directly shapes how authenticity, truth and trust are constructed within the record keeping sector.

‍Some of the key themes across the conservation Track include:

• Authenticity and decision making

• Ethics of interventive versus minimal conservation

• Conservation’s role in truth

• Physical authenticity in a digitised and born- digital world

• Sustainability, materials and long-term responsibility

• Broadening what is considered ‘authentic’

‍Strand C on Wednesday focuses on records management, accessioning, disposal, risk management and standards. The panel session in C3 then brings together the issues of risk management and processing data covered in C1 and C2, and looks at them through the lens of data protection - particularly whether a concern with GDPR is what brings different corners of the record keeping profession together. On Thursday there are sessions focusing on decolonisation, contested histories, trust and accountability. Friday’s sessions in this strand continue on from Thursday by looking at accountability, ethics and contested narratives, including with intangible records such as oral histories and oral traditions.

Strand D on Wednesday the sessions centre access, audiences, inclusion and engagement. The first three sessions go beyond representing neglected voices and communities in archives and look at crafting authentic relationships with stakeholders and crafting worthwhile experiences for visitors/partners. Thursday continues on from the previous day by looking at access and community engagement.  On Friday the sessions continue the theme of access and accountability.

‍We will also be bringing back ‘Is It OK?’ this year on the theme of neurodiversity.

You can find the full programme here.

‍Social events

As usual we are offering social events for all the evenings of the conference period giving delegates that vial opportunity for networking, and chatting to old friends and colleagues, in an informal and fun atmosphere.

‍Informal Tuesday night drinks

For anyone arriving the night before the conference starts, these informal Tuesday night drinks have become something of a tradition. Held in the conference hotel there is also an opportunity to get your registration and avoid the first day queue.

Wednesday Social

Thanks to the support of Glasgow City Council we are able to host our Wednesday social in the spectacular setting of Glasgow City Chambers. Delegates will be formally welcomed to the city by the Vice-Provost.

Thursday Gala Dinner and Awards Presentation

As usual this will be held in the Conference Hotel and provides a suitably celebratory moment for the conference, and the sector, as we present the annual ARA Excellence Awards

‍These events are included within the full delegate package and can be added on as option extras for those booking one and two day delegate passes.

We will also, of course, be bringing back the Ice Cream break – once again kindly sponsored by Bruynzeel.

Early bird registration closes on 20 May 2026 and registration closes on 13 July 2026 – find all the information you need on our conference website here: https://conference.archives.org.uk/

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