2024 Annual Meeting^
Dates + Location^
September 19–21, 2024
College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University
3675 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Submission deadline: April 5, 2024
Notifications by: April 30, 2024
Registration will open in April/May.
Theme: Documents from the Future^
Documents involve technology, meaning they change with the times. The ancient Latin root of "document" referred to an oral teaching, and centuries later the most common form of document was a piece of paper. Now, with computing widespread, perhaps most documents are digital. What will tomorrow's documents bring, particularly in light of generative AI? What might change, and what might stay the same?
There's a long history of imagining the future of documents—think of fictional representations like Star Wars holograms and space billboards in Blade Runner, or of academic imaginings like Vannevar Bush's Memex or J. C. R. Licklider's vision of man--computer symbiosis.
The theme for this year's Annual Meeting of the Document Academy invites attendees to reflect on the future of documents—and because the future is informed by the past, we may simultaneously also reflect on the past of documents.
Explorations relevant to the theme may involve, but are not confined to, the following considerations:
- Reflections on document media, modes and technologies over the tides of change
- Ethical reflections on documents in the past, present and future
- Discussions of how past predictions and visions of future documents either nailed it or missed the mark (e.g., format wars)
- Bridges between the ancient past and far future
- Speculative design, critical design, and design futures proposals
- Investigations of presentism and syncretism, palimpsests and anachronisms—what happens when timelines collide?
- Meditations on the relevance of materiality in digital environments
- Examinations of time as a concept in library and information studies and allied fields, building on recent work such as a special issue of Journal of Documentation
- Explorations of what stays the same when things change—plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose?
- Analyses of emerging technologies such as generative AI and ubiquitous computing with respect to document theory
- Potential visions for future documents making use of new technologies
- Imaginings of what museums, archives and libraries—as the homes of documents—may look like in 1,000 years or even 10,000 years
Call for Proposals^
This year's meeting, hosted by the College of Computing & Informatics at Drexel University and Speculative Futures Philadelphia, welcomes completed research, research in progress, general conceptual and theoretical work, projects and case studies, creative and practical work relevant to the conference theme in the following formats:
- Standard conference presentations
- Discussions and alternative events
- Creative works in performance or on display
- Field trips or in-situ presentations at relevant spaces around the city (logistics of travel permitting)
Proceedings^
For any of the above contribution types, presenters are welcome to submit a manuscript to the Proceedings from the Document Academy.
The DOCAM’24 issue of the Proceedings from the Document Academy will be accepting submissions later in 2024, including a few weeks after the annual meeting. Dates and deadlines to be announced. The language for papers in the Proceedings is English.
Submission Details^
The conference program will be juried. Prepare an extended abstract of about 500 words to submit for consideration.
Submit your proposal via this online submission form. Besides the abstract, the form will ask you to include a title, authors, contact information, etc.
Multimedia and non-traditional proposals are welcome; if you have any questions, contact Dr. Tim Gorichanaz.
If you encounter any difficulties or have questions about submission, contact Dr. Tim Gorichanaz.
Attending the Conference^
Recognizing the alchemy, fun and effectiveness of physical gatherings, this is an on-site, in-person conference. That said, remote presentations will be considered for attendees with a compelling need. Please contact the conference chair Dr. Tim Gorichanaz with inquiries.
The conference will be hosted at 3675 Market Street, in the heart of the University City district of Philadelphia and on the campus of Drexel University. University City is close to Center City, the downtown section of the city with shopping, restaurants and nightlife, and Old City, the historical section of the city with plenty of sights to see from America's colonial past.
Travel Information^
Philadelphia is served by the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). There is a train that runs from the airport to various stops in the city every 30 minutes, as well as taxi and rideshare services and a car rental depot. The airport is less than 20 minutes from Drexel's campus by car or train.
For lodging, the closest hotel to the conference venue is Sheraton Philadelphia University City, about two blocks away. Next is The Study, about four blocks away. Besides these, there are numerous hotel options in Center City, and Airbnb's are plentiful throughout Philadelphia.
For more travel information and other ideas for what to do while you're in Philly, see this helpful guide put together by the hosts of the recent Association of Internet Researchers conference, held in 2023.
Contact^
For assistance or with comments, contact Dr. Tim Gorichanaz at gorichanaz@drexel.edu.
About DOCAM^
DOCAM'24 is the annual meeting of the Document Academy, an international network of scholars, artists and professionals in various fields, who are interested in the exploration of the concept of the document as a resource for scholarly, artistic, and professional work.
The aim of The Document Academy is to foster a multi-disciplinary space for experimental and critical research on the document in the widest sense, drawing on scholarship, traditions and experiences from the arts and humanities, social sciences, education, and from such diverse fields as information, media, museum, archival, cultural, and science studies.
The Document Academy originated as a co-sponsored effort by the Program of Documentation Studies, University of Tromsø, Norway, and the School of Information, University of California, Berkeley. Since then, it has convened in various locations across the globe, from Australia to France.