Participate in the Timeline Survey 2026!

Media archives worldwide are in constant transformation. To help monitor this transformation, the FIAT/IFTA Media Management Commission invites you to take part in the Timeline Survey: 7 short multiple-choice questions covering preservation formats, content management systems, access, metadata creation, and your archive’s connection to the public. Since 2023, the survey also includes a more in-depth section on the use of AI.

The Media Management Commission uses the survey data to track the challenges archives are facing today. This allows FIAT/IFTA to share relevant information on our website and organise lectures on relevant topics at FIAT/IFTA conferences and seminars.

The anonymised results will be presented at the FIAT/IFTA World Conference in São Paulo, Brazil (6–9 October 2026), and published on the website afterwards. They’ll help answer two key questions: Where is our archive on the timeline? and Where are we with using Artificial Intelligence?

For the first time, the survey is open not only to FIAT/IFTA members but to archives worldwide. Whether or not you are a member, your input helps build a fuller picture of the field.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Don’t worry about who in your organisation should fill it out. If several people respond, we can easily filter out duplicates.

The survey is available in both English and Portuguese. Please answer in whichever language you feel most comfortable in.