My Reflections on IDCC, from attendee to Programme Chair

Laurence Horton, Research Data Specialist and IDCC Programme Chair, DCC

The International Digital Curation Conference (IDCC) has played a significant role in my digital curation career. To me, it’s more than just another conference in the calendar. Instead, I see it as a space for connection, learning, and strengthening our community. Over the years, it has shaped both how I view my work and how I engage with others in the field.

My personal reflections

Personally, IDCC provided a welcome into the digital curation community. Before I started working at the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), attending my first IDCC in Amsterdam, 2013, gave me a space to introduce myself, make connections, and build a sense of belonging in a field that can often feel quite broad and complex. In Amsterdam, I found a conference that provided the opportunity not just to meet people, but to listen and learn, understand what others were working on and get a sense of where digital curation as a practice was heading.

Now, in my current role as programme chair for the conference, IDCC has taken on a slightly different but equally meaningful role. Each year we organise this event, it offers a chance to renew those connections and strengthen relationships with colleagues and collaborators. But it’s also a chance to welcome newcomers. Around half of people at recent conferences were attending an IDCC for the first time, and we want to help them feel part of this community. And, just as importantly, it is still a space for listening and learning, keeping up with emerging challenges, ideas, and innovations.

For the community

For the community, IDCC continues to be essential. The conference is now into its twenties as an annual event, and we are over a decade on from the introduction of the FAIR principles. Yet, IDCC is still a gathering point for those tasked with managing data for long-term preservation and reuse. We continue to provide a platform to share not only successes, but also the realities of what doesn’t work.

Most importantly, I hope that IDCC in my time reflects the culture of the digital curation community itself: kind, generous, and collaborative. That is something I’m reminded of every year through both organising and taking part. See you in Lisbon next year for IDCC27!

Join us for IDCC27 in Lisbon

Find out the latest conference updates, from submissions opening to registration and programme announcements on our IDCC27 event page.