Call for Session Proposals  

North Carolina Preservation Consortium – 2020 Annual Conference 

Hindsight is 20/20: Lessons Learned from Successes and Failures in Preservation

Our conference is going virtual

We are offering another opportunity for session proposals in online format.

 Deadline for Submissions: September  30, 2020 

Empirical learning can be one of the most effective teaching tools. Learning from our mistakes is a hard but not easily forgotten lesson.  How can we as professionals leverage these “life lessons” and get the most out of these less than ideal situations? Share them! NCPC’s 2020 annual conference will focus on just that, sharing our experiences of success and/or failure and what we can all learn from that moment or event. The planning committee is seeking presenters who can share case studies, personal experience or principles of communication, evaluation and decision making informed by, or in light of, failures. The goal of the conference is to create an open and inclusive forum for both sharing what we may view as the “lowlights” of our past performance in a constructive way, as well as learning how to best include these types of dialog into our professional environments.  One way to view this is that a failure not shared is a learning opportunity wasted.  We’d like to include presenters from a variety of roles in cultural heritage preservation and/or allied fields to dive into this topic and develop a rich and well-rounded look at this often ignored or hidden topic. 
Proposal Form

Sessions should align with one or more of these topics: 

• Have the successes or failures of past preservation initiatives affected future policy or decision making?  
• How have you incorporated a transparent evaluation of programs/policy/workflows into staff communication? 
• What makes something a success or a failure? How do you plan for it or avoid it? 
• What have you personally learned from a reflective or evaluation based thought process? 
• How is success or failure communicated in your workplace? Who communicates that? 
• Why is a professional discourse on success/failure evaluation important? Is it important? 
• What specific examples of your own success/failure would you like your peers to learn from?  
• How can we keep from repeating the same mistakes needlessly? 

Conference & Presentation Format 

Presentations can be from 30 to 60 minutes with single or multiple presenters. The conference will be a half day from 9:00am to 2:00 pm (subject to change). If an applicant has time restrictions during the day of the conference (e.g., the presenter is only available in the morning or the afternoon) please indicate this information in the “Other Information” section of the session proposal form. The conference will be virtual via the Zoom platform.  

 Please plan to follow one of these session formats: 

• Panels: Discussions presenting differing perspectives or approaches on a topic or question. Panels must include a moderator, and a maximum of four panelists. The final 10 minutes of the panel should allow for audience question and answers. Audio-visual equipment will be provided. 
• Traditional Sessions: A talk or media presentation focusing on a single topic or program followed by a short discussion with one or two presenters (maximum of three). The final 10 minutes of the session should allow for audience question and answers. Audio-visual equipment will be provided. 

Audience 

The intended audience includes museum (art, history, natural sciences, etc.), historic site, library and archive staff of all skill levels.     

Compensation:  

Do you anticipate needing compensation and/or some form of reimbursement? If yes, please indicate in “Other Information” section of the session proposal form.  

Questions? Please contact Karen Feeney at feeneyke@forsyth.cc.  Completed forms can be emailed to feeneyke@forsyth.cc, or mailed to: 
P.O. Box 2651 Durham, NC 27715-2651