Samvera Virtual Connect will take place Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from:

• 8:00–11:00 AM PDT

• 11:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT

• 15:00–18:00 UTC

Virtual Connect is a free, informal opportunity to share work, ideas, and experiences with current and potential adopters of Samvera technologies. The event takes place entirely online via Zoom, and presentations will be recorded for asynchronous viewing so the broader community can learn from them.

This year’s Virtual Connect will include two days of programming, with presentations grouped into thematic blocks based on topic, audience, and time.

What the Community Wants to See

Every year, feedback from participants highlights the same request: more real-world stories from repository practitioners.

The community especially values presentations that highlight:

• Local repositories and collections

• Practical challenges and lessons learned

• Innovative tools and integrations

• Experiments, pilots, and works in progress

We strongly encourage repository managers, developers, metadata specialists, and project leads to share their experiences. Whether you are showcasing a successful project, a work in progress, or something that didn’t go as planned but taught valuable lessons, your perspective helps the entire community grow.

Presentation Types

Repository Showcase

One of the most popular parts of Virtual Connect is seeing repositories in action.

Whether you're running a full Samvera-based repository such as Hyku, building with components like ServerlessIIIF, or experimenting with new approaches, we want to see what you’re building.

Repository Showcases are 5–7 minute “show and tell” presentations highlighting a repository in production or development.

Examples of what you might share:

• A unique or innovative repository implementation

• A particularly interesting collection

• New features or user experience improvements

• Integrations with other tools or services

• Lessons learned from building or managing a repository

Short, practical demonstrations are especially welcome.

Presentations

You can propose 5, 10, or 20 minute presentations.

We welcome submissions from across the entire Samvera ecosystem, including topics directly related to Samvera as well as broader work with open repository technologies.

Below are some themes to inspire proposals, but feel free to submit other ideas.

Accessibility and access How are you making collections more accessible, equitable, or inclusive? What accessibility challenges could benefit from community collaboration?

“New to Samvera” experiences If your institution recently adopted Samvera technologies, what has the journey looked like so far?

Adaptation and reuse Have you implemented or adapted something originally developed by another organization in the community?

Challenges and lessons learned We learn just as much from difficulties as successes. Share experiences with pilot projects, performance tuning, migrations, or integrations that didn’t go exactly as planned.

Integration How are you connecting your digital repository with other institutional systems or services?

Ways we work together Ideas for improving collaboration, processes, staffing models, or workflows across teams.

New ideas and pilot projects Have a new concept or experiment you’d like feedback on? This is a great space to say: “Hear me out—here’s something we should try and why.”

Breakout Sessions

Breakout sessions are 45-minute virtual roundtables, scheduled before or after the main Virtual Connect programming.

These sessions are designed for interactive discussion rather than formal presentations. Topics can be very focused or broadly exploratory, and they provide a valuable opportunity to connect with others across the Samvera Community.

If you propose a breakout session, you will be responsible for:

• Facilitating the discussion

• Bringing a few guiding questions or prompts to get the conversation started

Submit Your Proposal

We welcome proposals from across the Samvera community and beyond, including people who may be new to Samvera or considering adoption.

Proposal deadline: Friday, April 17, 2026

We look forward to seeing the many ways your repositories, tools, and experiences are helping advance open, community-driven digital repositories.

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