The ARA Conference 2026, returning to a fully in-person format in Glasgow, will explore the theme of authenticity - a concept that has become increasingly complex in today’s Recordkeeping landscape.

In an era marked by disinformation, contested histories, and rapid technological change, recordkeepers face critical questions about truth, ethics, and professional integrity. How do we safeguard balanced narratives when power dynamics influence documentation? What happens when digitisation and legal frameworks can elevate digital surrogates over original records? Does accessibility compromise authenticity, or can both coexist? How often do we consider authenticity when displaying items in exhibitions? Emerging technologies such as AI promise efficiency but raise concerns about data quality, bias, and the de-skilling of professionals. In education, are we properly preparing the next generations of professionals for the realities of working in the sector? Conservation practices, too, challenge notions of authenticity: how well do we balance interventions to preserve items with altering their essence? Beyond technical considerations, do we authentically embody evolving cultural perspectives and ethical imperatives such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, are we still just paying these concepts lip service?

This conference aims to explore and interrogate these tensions - between preservation and destruction, authenticity and interpretation, and professional values and practical realities - while considering how authenticity can be meaningfully embedded in theory, practice, and education. Authenticity remains critical yet contested - how should we define and uphold it in a post-truth world?