These themes have emerged from ongoing dialogue within our profession and address both the practical realities and aspirational futures of archival work. Your voice matters: review the themes below and help determine which one should take centre stage in 2026. Don’t forget to cast your vote at the end—and we’d love to hear your reflections on the most recent International Archives Week!
1. #ArchivesForJustice: Conflict, Memory & Justice
Archives are not neutral; they are contested spaces, especially in times of conflict, displacement, and post-crisis reconstruction. “Archives for Justice: Conflict, Memory & Justice” addresses the pressing need to protect, recover, and activate archives under threat.
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- At-Risk Archives: In zones of war, occupation, or unrest, archives are both casualties and instruments used to shape its narratives. International cooperation is essential for documentation, digital rescue, and secure remote hosting of vulnerable collections.
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- Memory & Transitional Justice: Archives are central to reckoning and reconciliation. Digital repositories—especially those that enable secure storage and access to testimony and evidence—can play a key role in supporting truth commissions and survivor-led initiatives.
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- Diaspora & Displacement: Displaced communities often turn to digital platforms for memory building and preservation. Archives must support mobile, multilingual, and participatory approaches that reflect the lived realities of migration.
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- Decolonial Practices: Digitisation can support repatriation and access, but must be grounded in community consent and control. Emerging tools—including selective automation—may help surface silenced histories, but cannot replace ethical, relational work.
2. #SustainableArchives: Green & Resilient Archives
Environmental sustainability is central to the future of archives. The theme of “Sustainable Archives” reframes our responsibilities, urging archival institutions to act as stewards of both memory and the environment.
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- Sustainable Infrastructure: Archives are rethinking energy use, storage environments, and material choices. As digital preservation expands, so must attention to the environmental cost of data centres and long-term storage.
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- Disaster Resilience Planning: Archives are developing emergency protocols for both physical and digital collections. Climate modeling and digital backup strategies help mitigate risk from fire, flood, and other threats.
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- Ecological Metadata: Access and preservation to records, documenting environmental change, Indigenous stewardship, and climate justice movements increasingly rely on both traditional context and digital traceability.
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- Policy Leadership: Archival institutions can align with broader sustainability goals through policy, procurement, and partnership—including responsible digital practices and technology choices that reduce environmental impact.
3. #ArchivesStandards: From RiC to Ontologies
Archival standards provide the backbone of professional practice. “Archives Standards” calls for renewed engagement with evolving frameworks—balancing legacy systems with the opportunities of digital transformation.
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- Records in Contexts (RiC) :As interest in RiC grows, so does the need for practical pathways to implementation. Linked data approaches offer great potential, especially for networked digital collections.
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- From ISAD(G) to Interoperability: Transitioning from legacy standards to more flexible, modular models is essential. Interoperable metadata supports collaboration, reuse, and integration across digital platforms.
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- Ontologies & Linked Data: When thoughtfully applied, semantic structures can support multilingual access, complex relationships, and dynamic discovery in digital archives.
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- Practice-Led Development: Standards must support real-world use. Open-source toolkits, peer exchange, and case studies can help bridge the gap between technical potential and day-to-day archival needs.
4. #FutureArchives: Long-term Preservation & Transformation
The future of archives is digital—but not exclusively so. “Future Archives: Long-term Preservation & Transformation” explores how we manage, preserve, and reimagine archival holdings in an era of rapid technological change.
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- Beyond Digitisation: Not everything can—or should—be digitised. Hybrid strategies are needed to support meaningful access while preserving analogue materials for future generations.
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- Migration & Sustainability: Digital preservation is an ongoing process, requiring infrastructure, funding, and policy. Techniques such as emulation, checksums, and automated migration can help ensure long-term integrity.
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- Accessibility & Interactivity: Digital platforms are enabling new forms of engagement—from user annotation to immersive experiences. Some archives are exploring how AI might assist with transcription or description, but these uses must be carefully evaluated.
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- Ethical Digitality: Digital presence brings responsibilities. Archives must consider data sovereignty, informed consent, and community access—especially for sensitive or culturally restricted material.
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- Platform Futures: Choosing open, flexible platforms reduces long-term risk and expands possibilities for collaboration. The goal is not just access, but adaptability and autonomy in a changing digital landscape.
Take Our Survey by 15 August!
We invite you to cast your vote for the topic you believe should be featured in 2026. This is your chance to help shape the IAW2026 discussions and ensure the themes reflect the priorities of our global archival community. In the short survey that follows, we’ll first ask for your reflections on the most recent International Archives Week, followed by your input on which theme should lead the conversation in 2026.
