Join the ICA Section on Sports Archives (SPO) on Thursday, 30 April, 17:00–18:00 CET (Paris time) for a webinar on The Digitisation of Sports Archives: Challenges and Current Developments, moderated by Véronique Reuter.
Our expert speakers, Giorgia Di Marcantonio and Shelby McCannel, will explore how sports archives are being digitised, the challenges of preserving digital collections, and the ways these resources can be accessed. Using examples from Italy, Canada, and other countries, the session will highlight current developments, emerging practices, and future perspectives in the digitisation of sports documents, objects, and artefacts.
KEY INFORMATION
Date
Thursday, 30 April 2026
Time
17:00–18:00 CET (Paris time). To confirm the date/time of this session in your time zone, please use the following link.
Language
English. No other interpretation will be provided.
Date
Thursday, 30 April 2026
Time
17:00–18:00 CET (Paris time). To confirm the date/time of this session in your time zone, please use the following link.
Language
English. No other interpretation will be provided.
Presentations
- “Archival Digitization in Italy: National Strategies and the Case of Sports Archives” by Giorgia Di Marcantonio
Part 1: Overview of archival digitisation in Italy, emphasizing developments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), strategies, investments, and transformations.
Part 2: Focus on sports archives, examining current practices, critical challenges, and future perspectives in the digitisation of sports-related documents and artefacts.
- “Creating Accessible Experiences through the Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery” by Shelby McCannel
Project Lead, Shelby McCannel will discuss the process of developing the Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery (DISG). Launched in 2024 by the BC Sports Hall of Fame (BCSHOF), the DISG was an ambitious project to harness digitization to increase the accessibility of the physical Indigenous Sport Gallery beyond the walls of the BCSHOF in Vancouver. The DISG is in part a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action #87 which states “We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.”
Working collaboratively with an Indigenous-led steering committee and a website development partner, the DISG offers an all-in-one educational tool which includes 360-degree virtual exhibit walkthrough with 20 three-dimensional artifacts, 14 video profiles of athletes, and an audio-narrated tour of the gallery. In addition, the online gallery features extended biographies of Indigenous athletes, a historical timeline which intertwines the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples in Canada with sporting accomplishments, and a map to help contextualize the communities and Nations these athletes are from. In 2025, the DISG was the recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Canadian Association for Sport Heritage and the ISHY Digital Exhibit Award from the International Sports Heritage Association.
Speakers
Giorgia Di Marcantonio
Giorgia di Marcantonio is Associate Professor of Archival Science, Bibliography and Library Science at the University of Naples L’Orientale. Her research focuses on the impact of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on archives, with particular attention to digitisation processes, data representation, and methodological implications for archival science. She participates in national and international research projects dedicated to the digital transformation of cultural heritage.
Shelby McCannel
Shelby McCannel resides in New Westminster, Canada, on the unceded and traditional territories of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples. Passionate about sport heritage, she works to create inclusive exhibits, collections, and organizations. Shelby holds a BA in History from Simon Fraser University and a diploma in Cultural Resource Management from the University of Victoria. She has experience at the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Squamish Nation and currently works at salishan Place by the River, leading a collection move of over 20,000 artifacts and assisting in the development of new exhibits.
