[Commlist] cfp: Preserving local media – who cares? One-day symposium

*Preserving local media – who cares? One-day symposium.*

Extended deadline for abstracts: April 14, 2024.

The Local and Community Media Network 
<https://www.meccsa.org.uk/networks/local-and-community-media-network/>of 
MeCCSA is calling for contributions to a one-day symposium looking at 
the future of local and community media archives. The event will be held 
at Coventry University, United Kingdom on Friday, June 7, 2024.

While digitisation might be perceived to be making some aspects of local 
media more readily available, the consolidation of outlets has led to 
the disposal and destruction of many of the records relating to its 
outputs, production and significance. This may include, but is not 
limited to, the destruction of analogue formats of media, photographic 
collections and business records archives. In some places, organisations 
are stepping in to preserve collections; this includes community groups 
who seek to salvage what they consider to be the collective memory of a 
place. All collectors find themselves faced with the myriad challenges 
which are associated with preservation and recognition for items 
relating to an often-undervalued aspect of media.

This symposium will bring together academics, publishers, archival 
practitioners and community representatives to explore the issues and 
possible solutions in relation to preserving local media archives across 
the range of formats, including newspapers, radio, local television and 
film archives, and alternative publications. The event will be held at 
the university library (Frederick Lanchester building). It will include 
the chance to visit the Lanchester Innovation Archive 
<https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/archives>based in the library which 
documents the life and work of legendary motor designer and inventor 
Frederick Lanchester.

Themes for exploration might include:

  * Locating local media archives
  * The physicality of archives – including preservation and accessibility
  * The good and the bad of digitisation
  * The place of local media archives in the memory of localities
  * Community usage and involvement with local media archives
  * Archives and well-being
  * Oral history and local archives
  * Practical approaches to dealing with local media archives
  * Creative responses to local media archives

The organisers welcome submissions for academic papers, panels, 
workshops and posters.  Abstracts outlining your contribution should be 
limited to 350 words and should be sent to (r.matthews /at/ coventry.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(r.matthews /at/ coventry.ac.uk)>by the extended deadline of April 14, 
2024. It is expected that a publication will result from the event.

A fee of £40 will be charged to cover conference costs. A limited number 
of bursaries will be available to help support attendance by 
post-graduate students. Please indicate on your abstract if you would 
like to be considered for an award.



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