Collections

Collection
Published: 07/05/24

Sowing Seeds of Change: The MAC 2024 Annual Meeting

Des Moines, Iowa (May 2–4, 2024)

The capital and most populous city in Iowa, Des Moines takes its name from the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The conference theme this year is “Sowing Seeds of Change,“ a nod to Iowa’s historic role in agriculture. It also acknowledges that archival work is evolving and changing, requiring archivists to adapt and implement new approaches to the work.

Collection
Published: 24/04/23

Dig Deep: The MAC 2023 Annual Meeting

Chicago, Illinois (April 13–15, 2023)

Our conference theme of “Dig Deep" is a nod to the state’s iconic culinary staple, deep dish pizza. While it may seem unassuming, the dish can provide an apt framework to consider the many layers of archival meaning to our work and how we understand our profession. Are there times you’ve had to dig deep to slice up new approaches, deliver creative solutions, or toss around new ideas? What are some of the professional, environmental, social, and cultural ingredients that we’ve baked into our profession, our collections, our patrons, and ourselves?

Collection
Published: 09/05/22

Moving Archives Forward: The 2022 MAC Annual Meeting

Madison, Wisconsin (May 5–7, 2022)

Our conference theme of “Moving Archives Forward" is a nod to the state’s motto “Forward,” adopted in 1851 and meant to signify Wisconsin’s continuous drive to be a national leader. This also provides a useful lens through which to examine the archival profession. What are some of the professional, environmental, societal, and cultural factors that affect the way we move forward, the way we see trends, and the way we identify challenges and opportunities? How are we leaders? The city of Madison is located on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

Collection
Published: 10/05/21

Archivists Respond: The 2021 MAC Annual Meeting

This year’s theme, “Archivists Respond,” recognizes the challenges and opportunities 2020 brought to archivists. The Program Committee asked archivists what work and projects they have undertaken that adapt to change. Presenters from across the Midwest and beyond will discuss how they have adapted and responded to change. A variety of posters will also be available for browsing.

Collection
Published: 28/01/20

DECISION 2020: The 2020 MAC Annual Meeting

Des Moines, Iowa (May 6-9, 2020)

The theme of the 2020 MAC annual meeting is “DECISION 2020,” meant to honor the role Iowa plays in our national elections, as well as acknowledge the political nature of our work. Our archival lives require a multitude of decisions every day, and we hope that this year’s MAC attendees find focus and renewed clarity for making all those decisions.

Image credit: Phil Roeder, "Clouds Rolling In," used under a CC-BY license via Flickr.

Collection
Published: 03/04/19

Innovation, Transformation, Resurgence: The 2019 MAC Annual Meeting

Detroit, Michigan (April 3-6, 2019)

Long known as a city of innovative industry and activism, today Detroit is referred to as “America’s Comeback City” as a result of its imaginative revitalization of architecture and green spaces, community-building initiatives, and a reinvigorated sense of place. The Program Committee invites session proposals touching on the 2019 theme “Innovation, Transformation, Resurgence” from all areas of archival practice and research and from allied fields.

Collection
Published: 21/03/18

Blurring Boundaries, Crossing Lines: The 2018 MAC Annual Meeting

Chicago, Illinois (March 21-24, 2018)

Chicago has historically served as a transition area between different types of boundaries: from rural, urban, and suburban landscapes, between land and lake, as a leader in the evolution of transportation, as a home to built forms that encompass traditional and modern architecture, and even from East to West. For MAC 2018 we call archivists to a place whose official city motto itself, “city in a garden” (Urbs in Horto), invites an exploration of contradictions and contrasts.

Collection
Published: 05/04/17

OMAMAC: The 2017 MAC Annual Meeting

Omaha, Nebraska (April 5-8, 2017)

Nebraska. Known as the “Gateway to the West” and birthplace of the Reuben sandwich and Butter Brickle ice cream, the Midwest Archives Conference annual meeting convened in Omaha as Nebraska celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2017.