Comma, the Journal of the International Council on Archives (ICA), invites abstract submissions for a special issue dedicated to the theme of “Endangered Archives,” set for publication in 2026. This issue will address the pressing concerns surrounding the preservation of archival materials that are at risk due to a variety of economic, environmental, technological, and institutional factors. Our goal is to bring together voices from across the global archival community to explore these challenges and to highlight innovative strategies for safeguarding archives. 

For this issue, we adopt an inclusive understanding of the term “endangered,” encompassing not only archives impacted by natural disasters and economic pressures but also those affected by technological threats, cultural shifts, and evolving resource constraints. This Special Issue, however, will not cover themes related to “Archives in Conflict” and “Endangered Archives: Theft and Loss” as these are planned to be addressed in separate forthcoming issues. 

Themes for the Special Issue

We are seeking case studies, reflections, and analytical articles across various types of archives (e.g., corporate, governmental, community-based) that highlight unique challenges and potential solutions.

We invite authors to submit abstracts that explore topics related to the following themes:

• Endangered Materials in Native Communities: Addressing preservation challenges and strategies within Native and Indigenous communities, with attention to self-representation and cultural sensitivity.
• Economic Issues and Orphaned Archives: Exploring the impact of institutional closures on archives and examining how “orphaned” collections are managed or preserved.
• Funding Challenges: Examining the impact of funding shortages, with a focus on corporate and local government archives facing the threat of closure.
• Funding Impacts on New Professionals: How a lack of funding affects the next generation of archivists, examining internships, professional development, and labor precarity.
• Archives in the Age of Climate Change: Examining climate-related preservation challenges, including rising sea levels, extreme weather, and other environmental threats. Exploring how resource-constrained archives can develop disaster management plans and environmental controls on limited budgets, with a focus on strategies for preparedness, resilience, and securing funding for sustainable preservation.
• Community Archives and Sustainability: Funding challenges, governance dynamics, and preservation issues within community archives, including the post-custodial model and sustainability considerations.
• Digital Archives at Risk: Challenges related to outdated formats, inadequate metadata, and limited infrastructure in digital archives.
• Technological Threats to Archival Practices: Exploring how AI and technological advances impact traditional archival workflows, from cataloging and processing to preservation and access. What new knowledge and skills will archivists need to effectively adapt to and manage these tools?
• Endangered Archives Programs and Initiatives: Successful examples of endangered archives programs and regional initiatives addressing archival endangerment.

Submission Guidelines 

Abstracts should be between 300 and 400 words and provide a clear overview of the proposed article’s focus, research basis, and anticipated conclusions. Each article, if accepted, can be up to 6,000 words but may be less if appropriate to the subject matter. The Comma welcomes articles in any of the journal’s seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. 

We encourage submissions from a diverse range of contributors, including archivists, records managers, conservators, administrators, community leaders, scholars, early-career professionals, and first-time authors from across all ICA regions.  

Please submit your questions to the Editor-in-Chief for Comma, Forget Chaterera-Zambuko (comma@ica.org), and the “Endangered Archives” Special Issue editors, Polina Ilieva (polina.ilieva@ucsf.edu) and Pauline Soum-Paris (pauline.soum-paris@canalrivertrust.org.uk). 

Submit your abstract

Please use this form to submit your abstract by 15 February 2025.

Refer to Comma’s submission guidelines for further details on article requirements.

All articles published in the journal (including in any special issues) are subject to peer review by objective experts in the field prior to acceptance by the journal editor(s). The journal employs a double-anonymous review (anonymity strictly observed between author and reviewer).