8:00–9:00 AM	Registration and breakfast, in front of the Rasmuson Theater (ground floor)
9:00 AM	Program begins
12:00–1:00 PM	Lunch, Patrons Lounge (4th floor)
2:30–3:00 PM	Coffee break
4:30 PM	Program concludes

The museum does not open to the public until 10:00 AM, and our program starts at 9:00 AM.

• Arriving BEFORE 10:00 AM (registration and morning sessions): enter through the STAFF ENTRANCE at the corner of Independence Ave and Maryland Ave SW. Look for the doors labeled “Staff Entrance.”
• Arriving AFTER 10:00 AM: enter through the MAIN ENTRANCE at Third St and Maryland Ave SW, facing the U.S. Capitol. After 10:00 AM the staff entrance is exit-only.
• Everyone goes through security screening on arrival and on any re-entry, so please allow a few extra minutes and be ready to open bags. Review the Smithsonian’s security policy (https://www.si.edu/visit/guidelines) for the list of prohibited items before you come.

Members Day sessions (Welcome, Strategic Forum Topics 1–3, and the sponsor presentation) are all in the Rasmuson Theater on the ground floor.

• Workshops 1–9 are in the meeting rooms on the 4th floor. Elevators are located near the theater.
• Please note: food and drink (other than bottled water) are not permitted in the Rasmuson Theater. Breakfast items must be finished by 10:00 AM, when the museum opens to the public.

Tours that were fully booked during registration may now have additional openings and times! If there was a tour you were excited about but couldn’t register for, stop by the information desk to see if any spots have opened up, first come, first served. More details on available tours are available in this spreadsheet which will be updated as necessary / we are able.  

• Metro: The nearest stations are L’Enfant Plaza (use Exit A: Maryland Ave) and Federal Center SW. Several bus lines stop in front of the museum or across Independence Ave. See WMATA.com for current service information.
• Rideshare: Enter “National Museum of the American Indian” as your destination. Drop-off and pick-up is on the westbound side of Maryland Ave SW, the curb closest to the building.
• Driving: NMAI has no on-site parking. Street parking is metered (first-come, first-served, paid via the Park Mobile app), and there are several parking garages within walking distance. We recommend public transit or rideshare if you can.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the museum. Network: si-visitor (no password). You’ll be asked to accept the museum’s usage agreement when you connect.

All museum entrances have ramps and all floors are accessible by elevator. A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available free of charge at the security desks near both entrances. Two accessible parking spaces are located at the northeast corner of Jefferson Drive and 4th Street SW for vehicles displaying an accessibility placard. The museum is an Aira Access location for visitors who are blind or have low vision – download the free Aira app and connect to the museum Wi-Fi to use it. Service dogs are welcome; emotional support and therapy animals are not permitted under Smithsonian policy. Please note the museum has no storage space, so keep any medical equipment or personal items with you throughout the day.

The museum closes at 5:30 PM and all guests must have left the building by then.

The 2026 AI4LAM Fantastic Futures: Trust in the Loop conference will take place on the 5th floor of the John Adams Building of the Library of Congress. It is located on 2nd Street SE, between Independence Ave and East Capitol Street SE, directly to the east of the Library of Congress Jefferson Building, directly south of the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Enter the Ground Floor off 2nd Street SE (Washington DC 20540), go through security, take elevators up to the 5th floor. 

Tracked sessions will be in the Madison Building of the LIbrary of Congress, all buildings are connected via tunnels. Volunteers and signage will help attendees find their way. 

Library of Congress Maps & Floor Plans: https://www.loc.gov/visit/maps-and-floor-plans/.

• Security: All visitors and attendees must navigate “airport-like” security to enter the Library of Congress. We encourage you to limit the number of personal belongings and bags you bring into our facilities as they will be subject to a thorough search. Limiting the items you bring will increase your speed through security checkpoints.
• Personal Belongings: There is a coat check station available on the Ground Floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Backpacks, bags, coats, strollers, and other personal items may be checked at no cost to the visitor.
• Prohibited Items at Library of Congress Entry: Ammunition, Animals (other than service animals) Aerosol containers, Bags (larger than 18” x 14” x 8.5”), Balloons, Bicycles, Ballistic items, Chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear substances, Chemicals (or other damaging liquids) Destructive devices, Disabling chemicals, Drones, Firearms, Handcuffs (or any items that can be used as restraints), Impact weapons (such as batons blackjacks or clubs laser pointers), Mace or pepper spray, Noise amplification devices, Knives or sharp pointed objects, Realistic replicas of explosives or firearms, Sealed envelopes and packages, Signs or structures that support signs, Tasers / Stun guns, any other weapon designated a hazard by USCP.
• ALLOWED ITEMS: Battery operated electronic devices, Bottles/cans; Creams, lotions or perfumes (no larger than 3.4 oz.), Containers (open, empty and clear/translucent) Food or beverage (in original packaging).

Tours that were fully booked during registration may now have additional openings and times! If there was a tour you were excited about but couldn’t register for, stop by the information desk to see if any spots have opened up, first come, first served. More details on available tours are available in this spreadsheet which will be updated as necessary / we are able.  

• Closest Metro stop to the Library of Congress: Capitol South (Orange/Blue/Silver Lines)
  • Exit station using main exit, walk approximately two blocks north on First Street SE, then one block east to Second Street SE to the Adams building.
• Alternative Stop: Union Station (Red Line) – 5 miles walk (10-15 mins)
  • Exit Union station, cut southeast across entrance plaza with fountain, follow Massachusetts Ave SE, walk south on 2nd St SE, pass the Senate buildings, pass the US Supreme Court, arrive at the Adams building. 
• View Campus Map
• Visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) web site for additional information.

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) – 4.4 miles, closest to the Library

• Shuttle service or taxi (~$30)
• Subway (Metro) – blue and yellow lines (~$5)

Dulles International Airport (IAD) – 31.2 miles, most flight options

• Shuttle service or taxi ($70-$100)
• Subway (Metro) – silver line (~$8)

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) – 32.4 miles

• Shuttle service or taxi ($70-$100)
• Amtrak train to Union Station (~$20)
• Maryland Commuter Rail (MARC) to Union Station (~$8)

Information on Wi‑Fi access will be provided at the conference venue on the day of the event.

In-Person Presentation

• Confirm the order of presentations with your Session Chair
• The Zoom volunteer will ask you to double-check that your preloaded slides are correct
• The Zoom volunteer will provide a quick tutorial about sharing your screen
• When it is your turn:
  • Move your slides into presentation mode
  • Share the Application window only of your slides – Do not share your entire desktop
    • How to move into presenter mode in slides
    • Using sound in your presentation: 
      • On the share screen in the right panel, click the Share Sound box before sharing your slide window
  • Advance your slides by clicking on the presentation or selecting the right arrow

Virtual Presentation

• When you enter the main Zoom room
  • Private message Tara Hagan
    • (double click the name on the participants list) 
    • Open chat and send a message that you’ve arrived 
    • Tara will assign co-host privileges
• Enter the breakout room for your presentation
  • How to join a breakout room
• Confirm the order of presentations with your Session Chair
• Keep an eye out for a welcome message in the chat from the Zoom Tech volunteer
• Open your presentation slides
  • Link to presentation slides folder
• When it is your turn:
  • Move your slides into presentation mode
    • How to move into presenter mode in slides
  • Share the Application window only of your slides – Do not share your entire desktop
    • How to share window in Zoom
    • Using sound in your presentation: 
      • On the share screen in the right panel, click the Share Sound box before sharing your slide window
  • Advance your slides by clicking on the presentation or selecting the right arrow

If traveling from outside the United States, you must obtain authorization to enter the country. You may be eligible to apply for an electronic travel authorization. Visit the Electronic System Travel Authorization website to submit travel documents. The application process takes about 30 mins and the approval process can take up to 72 hours. If you need a U.S. point of contact, please reach out the following email address: LC-Labs@loc.gov. 

Almost all sessions and talks of the main event will be livestreamed for registered participants. Livestream links will be sent in advance to all registered attendees. Recordings will also be made available on AI4LAM’s YouTube channel following the conference. Please note that advance registration is required to access the livestream.

Participants can register for guided tours and workshops through ConfTool system. Workshops are only available to full ticket holders.

Official social events include Wednesday AI4LAM Conference Reception and Innovation Awards and Thursday Evening Event: Live @ the Library Reception. Booking is required and will be available at the same time general registration opens in ConfTool. For more information please see the program: Fantastic Futures 2026 – ConfTool Pro – BrowseSessions.

We are also looking into sharing information about restaurants and other venues for self-organised dinners etc.

Unfortunately, as much as we’d like to, we can’t offer travel bursaries or registration fee discounts for presenters.

Lunch will be provided each day, along with catered tea and coffee breaks. Please specify any dietary restrictions in advance during registration in ConfTool.

Once registered on the ConfTool system you will be able to download a letter of invitation, and following the conference attendees can download a certificate of attendance. 

The event hashtag is #FF2026 on whichever platforms you use. You are welcome to tag us on our social media channels: Linkedin, Mastadon, Slask, YouTube.

On LinkedIn:
@AI4LAM – Artificial Intelligence for Libraries, Archives and Museums
@Library of Congress
@Smithsonian Institution
@National Gallery of Art

On Mastadon:
@AI4LAM@glammr.us 

1. Accepted formats: PPT (PowerPoint) or PDF.
2. Upload your file to the folder corresponding to the session in which you are presenting. The session folders can be accessed through the shared Google Drive and are accessible to everyone. The conference schedule is available here.
3. Ensure that Google links are set to “Anyone with the link can view.” 
4. File naming: Use the format AI4LAM-FF2026-Surname_Short title of the contribution to ensure consistent identification. 
5. Publication: All presentations will be published on an open platform. Recorded presentations will also be included in the conference’s on-demand collection, which will be made available after the event.
6. Display at the conference: Presenters are kindly asked to communicate any specific requirements or particular aspects of their presentations that need to be taken into account to the Programme Committee or session chairs prior to the start of the session. 
7. Paper presentations may also be submitted as short recorded presentation (approximately 3 minutes).

• This year, all posters will be presented in digital and/or printed format. Accepted formats: PPT (PowerPoint) or PDF.
• Presenters should prepare a digital poster presentation, which may be displayed on a laptop, screen, or similar device during the poster session.  
• Posters may also be submitted as a short recorded presentation (approximately 3 minutes) which they use as demo.
• File naming: Use the format AI4LAM-FF2026-Surname_Short title of the contribution to ensure consistent identification. 

Slide layout:

• Maximum 1–3 slides for digital posters. 
• Use a 16:9 aspect ratio for optimal display on screens. 
• Ensure all text is readable at a minimum font size of 18 pt. 

Multimedia:

• Embedded images, charts, and short animations are allowed. 
• Audio narration may be included in PPT files. 

Recorded presentations: 

• Duration: up to 3 minutes. 
• Accepted formats: MP4. 
• Recordings must include clear audio and legible slides. 

Submission:

• Upload your file to the folder corresponding to the session in which you are presenting. The session folders can be accessed through the shared Google Drive folder and are accessible to everyone. The conference schedule is available here.

• Ensure that Google links are set to “Anyone with the link can view.” 

Display at the conference: 

• Presenters will display their digital posters on their own laptop or device during the poster sessions. 
• Please bring your charger and ensure your device is fully updated and functional. 
• All presenters are responsible for bringing and operating their own technical equipment and devices. 
• Printed poster, up to A1 in size, in portrait mode. A mounting surface will be provided. A PDF of the poster is required to be submitted by 10 September so it can be shared with virtual attendees during the conference and shared online after. Deliver and set up posters in the Montpelier room (6th floor of Madison building at the Library of Congress) by 9am on Sept 16. Submit the poster to the Google drive by 10 September. Nearby print shops include Minuteman Press of Washington DC, Blue Boy Document Imaging, and Wilson-Epes Printing Col. Inc.

• Publication: All presentations will be published on an open platform. Recorded presentations will also be included in the conference’s on-demand collection, which will be made available after the event.

Panel chairs are kindly asked to ensure that all speakers are fully informed and well prepared for their panel discussion. This includes: 

• Sharing the key questions, themes, and discussion topics well in advance, so that all panellists can prepare their contributions thoughtfully and coherently. 

• Coordinating with panelists prior to the event to confirm their participation, clarify expectations, and ensure alignment on the overall direction of the discussion. 

• Encouraged to organizing the panel as a round‑table discussion. Panels should focus on dialogue, exchange of perspectives, and collective reflection rather than formal presentations. 

• Short introductory presentations are permitted by speakers, but they must be very brief (maximum 3 minutes) and used only to set the context. The primary aim is to encourage an engaging and dynamic debate. 

• Chairs should actively facilitate the conversation, ensuring balanced participation, smooth transitions between speakers, and adherence to the allocated time. 
• If desired, upload your file to the folder corresponding to the session in which you are presenting. The session folders can be accessed through the shared Google Drive and are accessible to everyone. The conference schedule is available here.

Authors of contributions nominated for the Innovation Awards are invited to submit a video presentation of their work. The video will be provided to the Board of Directors, who will review the nominated contributions and select the Innovation Award recipients. Please send your video to Ines Vodopivec, Secretary General, no later than 10 August.

Submission deadline: 10 August
Submission method: Email your video to scretary-general@ai4lam.org.

This year, we received 166 proposal submissions. Due to the exceptionally high number of submissions, it was not possible to include all proposed presentations in the conference programme.

To provide additional opportunities for sharing valuable work with the conference community, authors whose proposals could not be accommodated in the programme are invited to submit a recorded video presentation.

The submitted videos will be published on AI4LAM platforms as part of the conference’s online video collection, allowing participants to explore additional contributions beyond the conference programme.

Upload your file to the Video Submission Opportunity folder. The shared Google Drive folder is publicly accessible to anyone.