Every year, our team visits cities all over the United States – and sometimes outside the country! – for conferences and visits to evaluate collections for upcoming projects. This year is no different and the travel season is upon us.
This list is by no means comprehensive – for a more complete overview of our conference schedule, visit our Upcoming Events page.
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 2025 Conference
4/2 – 4/5 in Minneapolis, MN – Learn More
An incredible array of presentations and programs await attendees to the 2025 ACRL conference this year in Minneapolis – one of the all time favorite cities that our VP of Sales and Marketing, Jaye Hess, enjoys visiting. There’s so much to talk about, much of it touching on critical librarianship and the latest technologies, thoughts, and workflows in libraries today.
In between sessions, feel welcome to stop by our booth and share what you’ve heard at your last session, or what your library is planning to accomplish in the months to come.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) Spring Conference
5/1 to 5/3 in Harrisburg, PA – Learn More
MARAC typically hosts two conferences annually, one in the Spring and Fall, with a focus on archives and preservation practices. In addition to presentations and speaking opportunities, MARAC always has excellent paid workshops to attend. This year, the focus is Harrisburg: Crossroads and Bridges in Archival Practice.
“I’ve only attended MARAC one other year,” says Annemarie Hartzell, Mid-Atlantic Sales Account Manager, “but I really enjoy seeing all of our current and past clients there, and hearing about what they’re doing with their finished projects now. It’s nice to catch up with them – I often work with their team to get the project off the ground, but it’s awesome to see it come full circle.” With Harrisburg just a hop, skip, and jump away, Annemarie looks forward to attending.
Ex Libris Users of North America (ELUNA)
6/16 to 6/20 in Atlanta, GA – Learn More
ELUNA finds itself in Georgia this year with a focus on “adapting, advancing, and advocating for all.” This user group conference is filled with educational resources on Ex Libris products, and it’s not uncommon for conversations at our booth to become “shop talks” about the current state of authority control, the process involved with bibliographic updates, and incorporating inclusive terminology in the catalog through local headings.
Casey Cheney, VP of Automation Services, will be flying out from Utah to attend this conference. “I appreciate the opportunity to talk about authority control and automation, but I enjoy, above all, catching up with our library partners.”
ALA 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibition
6/26 to 7/1 in Philadelphia, PA – Learn More
The biggest library conference of the year, ALA typically sees about 25,000 attendees with an incredible selection of presentations, speakers, exhibitors, vendors, distributors, and more. The conference returns to Philadelphia this summer and many members of our team will be making the short trip over to get in on the action.
Librarians, archivists, and technicians will all have the opportunity to meet with an expert in the subject of their interest at our booth.
We welcome anyone who wants to talk about the latest news in digitization; their passion for preservation microfilm; the current state of authority control in libraries; how to handle world language cataloging; the coolest new collections being archived in your library.
2025 Annual NAGARA Conference
7/15 to 7/18 in Oklahoma City, OK – Learn More
NAGARA is known for its support of over 2,200 government records managers, archivists, and information professionals, and the annual conference is a great opportunity to network and learn by taking advantage of the learning sessions, workshops, and social opportunities.
Thomas Forsythe, Senior Sales Account Manager for Washington, DC and the New England area, has been a multi-time attendee and enjoys everything the conference has to offer. “Last year, Meredith R. Evans, Ph. D., Director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum spoke during the Annual Awards Luncheon and her presentation really stood out to me. It was comforting to think back on all of the wonderful things she had to say about Carter in light of his recent passing.” As with previous years, Thomas is making plans to attend.
ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2025
8/24 to 8/27 in Anaheim, CA – Learn More
The theme this year is “Making it Count” and, in 2024, SAA encouraged proposal submissions that “demonstrate the impacts of our work and even expand our understanding of what counts in our profession. The Committee recognizes that part of making our work count for others means making sure it counts for us as well, and we invite proposals that challenge what counts as success in our work.”
Backstage has always taken a keen focus on preservation and, in more recent years, archiving itself. Our Digitization and Microfilming divisions were founded on the principles of proper stewardship of heritage materials, our staff driven with their eyes on the impact and importance of this work. We look forward to seeing more about the programs and workshops that will be available at ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2025.
Additional Visits Throughout the Year
If we’re still traveling a bit too far outside of your hometown and you would like to have a meeting, our Sales Management team is always available, either for virtual calls or in-person trips. We travel to discuss our services, but also to hear more about your collection needs, to tour the stacks – and lunch is always on us. If you’re not sure who your sales manager is, send us a short note via our contact us page.
