What do you think about the 16th ICA Congress being held in Kuala Lumpur, which is only the second time the Congress has been held in Asia?

Petur: Obviously, Malaysia is very willing to have international events, as we could see by the remarks of speakers at the Opening Ceremonies. There is much about Asia that I’m not familiar with, specifically in the field of archives and records, so this is a new experience for myself personally. This is an opportunity for us to learn about what is happening in our field in Asia.

Hrefna: This is also my first time in Asia, and my impression is that having the Congress in Malaysia will have a really positive effect on local archives, archivists and other records professionals because they can take advantage of all the sessions and learning opportunities at the Congress.

What distinguishes this ICA Congress from other archives and records conferences?

Petur: Well, certainly the horizon is much bigger. There are many more people attending the conference, and many more sessions for us to attend. Hrefna: Also, the diversity and areas of specialization represented in the sessions is much greater.

Catherine: It seems that the ICA Congress brings together so many different approaches and traditions to archival work in one place. We can learn from all of these different approaches and traditions, and come to understand the various contexts of records and archives. Although some of our overarching concepts are the same, we can see that archivists from different parts of the world use different practices and methods, and we can learn from this.

What kinds of expectations to do you have of the ICA Congress? What do you want to take back with you to your home country?

Petur: I expect to meet many new people and make new contacts. It’s great to take away new ideas. I think another element I’ll take away from the Congress is a certain level of confidence. What I mean by this is that when we listen to the sessions, we may realize that we are indeed on the right path, and that we have similar challenges as other organizations. We can then go back home to our work and have a certain level of confidence in what we are doing.

Hrefna: I expect the Congress to give me a new and fresh perspective on what is happening in my own country. We can see some of our challenges and work with a new and different point of view.

Catherine: Yes, and I really have an interest in discovering what other institutions are doing, to see if their approaches would work in the context of my organization.

What do you think about the 16th ICA Congress being held in Kuala Lumpur, which is only the second time the Congress has been held in Asia?

Petur: Obviously, Malaysia is very willing to have international events, as we could see by the remarks of speakers at the Opening Ceremonies. There is much about Asia that I’m not familiar with, specifically in the field of archives and records, so this is a new experience for myself personally. This is an opportunity for us to learn about what is happening in our field in Asia.

Hrefna: This is also my first time in Asia, and my impression is that having the Congress in Malaysia will have a really positive effect on local archives, archivists and other records professionals because they can take advantage of all the sessions and learning opportunities at the Congress.

What distinguishes this ICA Congress from other archives and records conferences?

Petur: Well, certainly the horizon is much bigger. There are many more people attending the conference, and many more sessions for us to attend. Hrefna: Also, the diversity and areas of specialization represented in the sessions is much greater.

Catherine: It seems that the ICA Congress brings together so many different approaches and traditions to archival work in one place. We can learn from all of these different approaches and traditions, and come to understand the various contexts of records and archives. Although some of our overarching concepts are the same, we can see that archivists from different parts of the world use different practices and methods, and we can learn from this.

What kinds of expectations to do you have of the ICA Congress? What do you want to take back with you to your home country?

Petur: I expect to meet many new people and make new contacts. It’s great to take away new ideas. I think another element I’ll take away from the Congress is a certain level of confidence. What I mean by this is that when we listen to the sessions, we may realize that we are indeed on the right path, and that we have similar challenges as other organizations. We can then go back home to our work and have a certain level of confidence in what we are doing.

Hrefna: I expect the Congress to give me a new and fresh perspective on what is happening in my own country. We can see some of our challenges and work with a new and different point of view.

Catherine: Yes, and I really have an interest in discovering what other institutions are doing, to see if their approaches would work in the context of my organization.