Kia ora iPRES Enthusiasts!
Message from the Conference Chairs
The te reo Māori greeting ‘Kia ora’ translates to ‘Be well’, and is a common way of saying hello here in Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s generally the first words you’ll hear upon arriving on our shores.
We could not be more excited that 2025 is finally here, and to be hosting iPRES in beautiful Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington from November 3-7. Many of us on the Local Organising Committee have made New Zealand our home from other parts of the world to become part of the vibrant digital preservation community here. We hope that you will love it here in Aotearoa as much as we do!
We know that it will be a long journey for some folks, and we are committed to making iPRES 2025 as environmentally sustainable as possible for in-person attendees. Wellington is a leader in environmental sustainability and conservation of our native bird life, being one of the few cities in the world where biodiversity is increasing, thanks in no small part to the Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne Ecosanctuary. These environmental learnings have powerful lessons for digital preservation as well.
Even if you can’t be physically present with us in Wellington in November, we are working hard to ensure that our programme and content cater to participants across time zones. Whether in person, or online, this is one conference you won't want to miss.
– Andrea Goethals (Chair); Valerie Love, Jan Hutař, and Martin Gengenbach (Vice-Chairs)
Call for Contributions and conference themes
The Call for Contributions is currently open for peer-reviewed submissions between now and 14 April, End of day, Anywhere on Earth (AoE).
The themes for iPRES 2025 are: Haerenga (Journey), Tūtaki (Encounter), and Tūhono (Connect). These themes encourage reflections on the evolving practices, innovations and partnerships shaping the future of digital preservation. Each theme reinforces the others, creating a holistic view of how digital preservation research and practice can adapt, innovate and thrive.
Haerenga (Journey) - This theme focuses on the broader narrative of digital preservation, emphasising the ongoing processes, challenges, and learning experiences practitioners face.
Tūtaki (Encounter) - This theme is focused on innovation, disruption, and the re-evaluation of long-held norms.
Tūhono (Connect) - This theme is all about the importance of communities, collaboration and interdisciplinary work in digital preservation.
Detailed information on types of submissions, conference themes, and submission instructions is available on the iPRES website at https://www.ipres2025.nz/call-for-contributions.
Call to Community
This month we’re also holding a series of Call to Community brainstorming workshops, which provide a unique opportunity for you to share your thoughts and ideas for shaping the ideal iPRES experience directly with the 2025 Local Organising and Attendee Experience committees. The workshops will all have the same content, so you only need to join one. Connection details will be delivered via email prior to each session. More information is available here.
Sign up to be a reviewer, or join a committee!
We are currently seeking reviewers for peer-reviewed paper and proposal submissions. Expressions of interest are sought from suitably qualified and experienced individuals to join the Programme Committee as reviewers.
There are also opportunities to participate in other iPRES 2025 Committees, such as Attendee Experience, Communications Team, Professional Visits, and Regional Impact committees. More information about iPRES 2025 Committees is available on the news section of the iPRES 2025 website. Use this form to express your interest in being a reviewer, or to indicate the committees you'd like to volunteer for by 31 January 2025, End of Day, AoE. While we welcome your enthusiasm, please note that submitting this form does not guarantee placement on a committee.
Sponsorship Opportunities
We have also launched our sponsorship prospectus and available packages. Partnering with us at iPRES 2025 is a great opportunity to showcase your organisation’s products and services to local and global audiences, both in person in Wellington and online. We look forward to working together to make iPRES 2025 an event to remember! For more information, contact us directly or visit our website at https://www.ipres2025.nz/sponsorship.
All the iPRES 2025 info
We are continually adding to the information available on the conference website at ipres2025.nz, so do check back regularly. You can also follow official iPRES 2025 accounts on social media on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, and YouTube, or follow the hashtag, #iPRES2025.
If you have been forwarded this email, do sign up for the iPRES Interest mailing list at https://bit.ly/ipres-interest.
Whakatauki / Māori proverb
We plan to close each newsletter with a whakatauki, or Māori proverb. This one is from the book, Aroha - Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet, by Dr Hinemoa Elder.
Te manu kai miro, nōna te ngahere; te manu kai mātauranga, nōna te ao.
The bird that eats the miro berries, theirs is the forest; the bird that consumes knowledge, the world is theirs.
Ngā manaakitanga / With best wishes,The Wellington Local Organising Committee and Committee Chairs:
Andrea Goethals, Angela Puggioni, Blanche Joslin, Carly Lenz, Cynthia Wu, Dale Cousens, Jan Hutař, Joshua Ng, Martin Gengenbach, Nicola Caldwell, Sarah Middleton, and Valerie Love
Nau mai, haere mai - Welcome one and all
As we prepare for iPRES 2025 in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) Aotearoa (New Zealand) from 3-7 November 2025, we’re excited to announce a series of ‘Call to Community’ online workshops, and to invite expressions of interest to join our committees.
The Call to Community offers a unique opportunity to share your ideas for shaping the ideal iPRES experience with the Wellington Local Organising Committee. These workshops are a space for the digital preservation community to come together, discuss and collaborate, ensuring the conference reflects your needs, aspirations and priorities. We look forward to hearing your voices and working together to make iPRES 2025 unforgettable!
The workshops will be an opportunity to discuss topics of importance to the iPRES community such as:
How can we best support our diverse community of virtual, in-person, first-timers, and returning iPRES participants?
What topics would you most like to see at iPRES 2025?
What kind of features would make your conference most productive and enjoyable?
We will hold four online workshops, all with the same content, so you only need to join one. Connection details will be delivered via email prior to each session.
Call to Community brainstorming workshop schedule
Online Event | Date and Time | Region |
10 December 2024, 13:00-14:30 NZDT (UTC +13) 10 December 2024, 11:00-12:30 AEDT (UTC +11) 10 December 2024, 8:00-9:30 CST (UTC +8) | Optimised for attendees in these time zones but all are welcome to join:
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14 January 2025, 11:00-12:30 EST (UTC -5) 14 January 2025, 16:00-17-30 GMT (UTC +0) 14 January 2025, 17:00-18:30 CET (UTC +1) 15 January 2025, 5:00-6:30 NZDT (UTC +13) | Optimised for attendees in these time zones but all are welcome to join:
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29 January 2025, 11:00-12:30 EST (UTC -5) 29 January 2025, 16:00-17-30 GMT (UTC +0) 29 January 2025, 17:00-18:30 CET (UTC +1) 30 January 2025, 5:00-6:30 NZDT (UTC +13) | Optimised for attendees in these time zones but all are welcome to join:
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30 January 2025, 13:00-14:30 NZDT (UTC +13) 30 January 2025, 11:00-12:30 AEDT (UTC +11) 30 January 2025, 8:00-9:30 CST (UTC +8) | Optimised for attendees in these time zones but all are welcome to join:
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iPRES 2025 values manaakitanga - kindness, respect, and hospitality towards others. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. The Code of Conduct applies to all meetings, events, working groups, social events, online communication channels including social media, and other activities organised by or affiliated with iPRES in person, online or in a hybrid model. This Code of Conduct also applies to all pre-conference activities, committee meetings, review panels, and planning sessions.
Interested in joining a committee for iPRES 2025?
There are a range of open volunteer opportunities to be a part of iPRES 2025 - everything from reviewing submissions to helping to make the event accessible to everyone.
Opportunities to participate in iPRES 2025 Committees are detailed below. Use this form to express your interest and indicate the committees you'd like to volunteer for.
Overview of Committees
Attendee Experience he Attendee Experience Committee ensures that iPRES participants, whether attending in person or virtually, enjoy a rewarding, engaging, and inclusive conference, in keeping with cultural principles (Tikanga Māori). The committee is dedicated to improving accessibility to accommodate diverse needs and advancing environmental sustainability to minimise the event’s ecological impact.
Communications Team The Communications Team works closely with other committees to create official communications for the conference, and prepare materials for the website. The Communications Team reviews communications to ensure that they are clear and appropriate for a global audience, including translation to other languages as needed. The Team plays a key role in raising global awareness of the conference by promoting it through local and regional networks and supporting the creation and distribution of social media content.
Professional Visits The Professional Visits committee plans and arranges visits to local organisations of interest to the digital preservation community, in-person and potentially virtually. While primarily coordinated by the Wellington-based Local Organising Committee, membership is open to the global iPRES community.
Programme Committee The Programme Committee oversees the selection, organisation and scheduling of content for iPRES, to ensure that it meets the expectations of attendees and relates to the conference themes - Haerenga (Journey), Tūtaki (Encounter), and Tūhono (Connect).
Regional Impact The purpose of this committee is to ensure that hosting iPRES in Aotearoa New Zealand leaves a lasting legacy of digital preservation knowledge and expertise within the region. The committee aims to bring together a diverse group of professionals from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific and Asia to foster strong connections, share resources, develop skills and expand knowledge. Additionally, the committee is dedicated to supporting regional attendance and active participation at iPRES 2025. By doing so, we hope to elevate local digital preservation efforts while showcasing the unique perspectives of our region to a global audience.
To volunteer for one of these Committees or become a reviewer, please complete and submit this form by 31 January 2025, End of Day, Anywhere on Earth. While we welcome your enthusiasm, please note that submitting this form does not guarantee placement on a committee.