Language documentation and archiving are key activities in the effort to preserve and support linguistic and cultural diversity globally. As new technologies emerge and evolve, new opportunities and challenges present themselves for how we record, curate, preserve, and disseminate linguistic and cultural materials. This conference invites documenters, scholars, activists, technologists, and others engaged in language documentation and archiving to present papers and posters exploring new approaches, methods, and technologies for documentation, archiving, and mobilization. We welcome critical and creative perspectives on the politics, practicalities, and possibilities for working with language documentation materials in both academic and community contexts.

Abstract submission open now, until 1 March 2026.

Authors may submit only one abstract as the first author, but they may be collaborators on more than one abstract submission. The conference will be hybrid, with both in-person and online participation.

We especially invite submissions on the following themes in language documentation and archiving:

Relationships & Collaboration

• Community-driven and Indigenous-led documentation projects
• Navigating differing expectations among community members
• Capacity-building and support for local agencies and small cultural centers

Tools & Technology

• Advances in documentary tools (remote methods, specialized software, audio/video tech)
• Use of 360 cameras, GoPros, and new audiovisual tools - Enhancing annotation, orthography, and translation practices
• Development of digital platforms for documentation and revitalization
• Using social media and technology to promote minoritized languages

Impact & Outcomes

• Archives as models for strengthening language records
• Reports on indigenous community use of archives and materials
• Move from paper to digital, and qualitative shifts in record-keeping
• Educational and artistic initiatives using archival materials
• Sustainability: addressing carbon costs of documentation and archiving

Planning, Policy & Future

• Updating OLAC metadata and archiving standards for accessibility
• Making digital archives more navigable and engaging
• Solutions for access in low or no-internet environments
• Training sessions, capacity development, and future prospects

Artificial Intelligence: Challenges & Opportunities

• Use of AI for description, transcription, OCR, and ASR on records
• AI tools to locate and catalog language materials
• Debate over using AI for synthetic speech; ethical and legal concerns
• Calls to heed critiques like Emily Bender's about “AI hype”
• Balancing innovation with data sovereignty and community consent

For more information on the conference, visit the website at langdoc.org.