From August 8–9, the Center for Digital Editing’s eLaboratories will host its first annual conference in Charlottesville, Virginia, under the theme “Revolutions and Reflections.” We invite editors, recovery practitioners, public historians, archivists, educators, students, digital humanists, community-based researchers, and more to join us in discussing methodologies, technological approaches, public applications, and insights gained from editing and recovery work.

Held in the context of the United States’ 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, our first conference aims to reflect on revolution as both a historical event and an ongoing process. Our theme, “Revolutions and Reflections,” fosters discussion on how editions, archives, and research collections shape our understanding of revolutionary moments, and how evolving technologies, methodologies, and public needs are reshaping the editorial landscape.

We welcome proposals that explore topics such as:

Revolution, Memory, and Interpretation

• The power of editions, archives, and research collections in constructing, contesting, or reframing social, intellectual, and political revolutions
• The role of local or collective community interests in shaping project goals and outputs

Methodology and Editorial Practice

• The role of editorial apparatus and methodology in amplifying voices or perspectives that have been historically marginalized or silenced
• Ethical considerations in editorial decision-making, including representation, selection, and contextualization 

Technology and the Digital Landscape

• The impact of digital publishing on the goals, methods, and meanings of editions, archives, and research collections
• Applications of AI technologies in annotation, indexing, transcription, metadata creation, or other practices that enhance the accessibility or discoverability of materials
• Strategies for improving the discoverability and use of digital scholarly resources in an informational landscape increasingly shaped by AI-generated content or AI-driven search interfaces
• Strategies for implementing environmentally sustainable practices in the methodology, design, or tools selected for digital publications

Access, Design, and Public Engagement

• Strategies for addressing web accessibility and updated ADA guidelines in digital publications, such as changes in methodology, design practices, or tools and technologies
• New models for democratizing participation in research, editing, and public knowledge-making
• Pedagogical applications of editing and recovery work, including classroom integration and public-facing interpretation

Sustainability and Preservation

• Long-term preservation strategies for digital editions, archives, and research collections
• Institutional sustainability and infrastructure for maintaining editorial and digital projects

Collaboration and Labor

• Collaborative models of editing across institutions, disciplines, and communities
• Invisible labor in editorial and archival work, including student, community, and contingent labor 

We invite interested individuals to submit proposals for papers, panels, roundtables, posters, or digital showcases by May 10, 11:59 PM EDT using this form: https://forms.gle/vTkBkAVCC3gwv6Vi7. 

Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, travel and lodging costs for all accepted presenters will be covered.

Event Location