Monthly Archives: January 2015

Documenting the history of The Meridian Highway across Texas, February 18

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to attend a public outreach meeting to share information and visual items related to the Meridian Highway for use in a public project. Texas Historical Commission (THC) staff and representatives of the preservation planning firm Hardy-Heck-Moore, Inc. (HHM) will introduce the project and involve community members through discussion, question-and-answer session, and displays of maps and historical Meridian images. Please bring historical photos, postcards, maps, and other Meridian-related items to the meeting. With your consent, HHM staff will scan or photograph materials to be included in the project. The meeting is open to the public and will be held Wednesday, February 18, 5:30-7:00 p.m. For more information visit: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/news-events/events/meridian-highway-across-texas-houston-public-outreach-meeting

WHO: Hosted by Preservation Houston, Hardy-Heck-Moore, Inc., and THC staff. The public is invited.

WHAT: Meridian Highway Public Outreach Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, February 18, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Parador
2021 Binz Street
Houston, Texas 77004

BACKGROUND: The THC is undertaking a two-year study to document the history of the Meridian Highway. The THC has awarded the contract to complete the study to Hardy-Heck-Moore, Inc., an Austin-based historic preservation planning and management firm. The project will result in a written history of the Texas section of the Meridian Highway, and a survey of the Texas Meridian route, including associated historic resources: auto repair garages, gas stations, diners, tourist camps, auto courts, motels, road markers, paving, and traffic signs. This effort is funded by the Texas Legislature and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through the Transportation Enhancement Program. For more information, contact the THC’s History Programs Division at 512.463.5853 or visit www.thc.state.tx.us.

Free Webinar on Project Management

Project Management 101: Planning Your Project

Two-part webinar

February 5 and 19, 2015 (1 hour each afternoon)

11 am PST / 2 pm EST

Produced by the Coalition to Advance Learning in Archives, Libraries, and Museums

Join your colleagues from archives, libraries and museums for a two-part, interactive learning webinar that will introduce the fundamentals of project management: planning a project. All of our fields struggle with unstable budgets and dynamic technology, so learning to think and act in terms of projects is critical—it can be the difference between turning an idea into a successful, resourced initiative or not. Led by representatives from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the webinars will focus on the key elements of a project plan: the idea, the audiences, funding options, a work plan, an evaluation, and more. We will also discuss how to critically examine your project ideas, asking, Is it fundable? Valuable? Sustainable? And if not, what could you do differently? While learning these fundamentals, you will also benefit from the insights and experiences shared by your fellow participants from across archives, library, and museum institutions.

February 5 Key Elements of a Project Plan (1 hour)

This session will describe how careful planning leads to more successful projects.. We will cover how to develop an idea, define your audience, look at funding options, do an environmental scan, assess your resource capacity and needs, and develop a project scope and schedule for implementation. Attendees will be invited to use the two weeks between webinars to outline a project idea based on these key principles. Submitted project plans will be reviewed by webinar moderators with individual feedback provided for each submission.

February 19 Evaluating Your Project Plan (1 hour)

In this highly interactive second session, we will use sample project ideas and case studies to look at how we can assess the strength of a project plan before it is implemented. We will also discuss other project management resources and where to learn more about the topic.

How Will I Benefit?

After participating in this two-part webinar, attendees will be better able to:

Why project management is a critical skill
What it takes to turn an idea into a fundable project
Where to learn more about project management
How to evaluate staff and institutional capacities to manage a project

Who Should Attend

This topic is relevant to all organizational roles: you may be currently managing or soon will be managing a project, or you may be a contributor to a current or future project.

Presenters and Moderators

Robert Horton, Associate deputy director, IMLS
Sarah Fuller, Program specialist, IMLS

Register Now

Registration Info

About the Coalition to Advance Learning in Archives, Libraries and Museums

This is the inaugural project from the Coalition to Advance Learning in Archives, Libraries and Museums, which is supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The purpose of the Coalition is to work in deliberate coordination across organizational boundaries to devise and strengthen sustainable continuing education and professional development (CE/PD) programs that will transform the library, archives, and museum workforce in ways that lead to measurable impact on our nation’s communities. Look online for a complete list of Coalition members.

SAA Call for award nominations due February 28!

The Society of American Archivists is in search of excellence!

Do you know of an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the archives profession? Or promoted greater public awareness of archives? Have you published a groundbreaking book, written an outstanding article, or developed an innovative finding aid? Do you need financial assistance to attend graduate school or a professional conference?

SAA offers a variety of opportunities for professional recognition and financial assistance through the naming of Fellows, an awards competition, and scholarships. To learn more about these recognitions, click on the links below. Nominate* a deserving colleague — or yourself!

More information on all fellows, awards, and scholarship and how to submit to nominations/applications can be found online: http://www2.archivists.org/recognition

The deadline for nominations/applications is February 28. In the most recent Archival Outlook, Steven D. Booth provides “6 steps for crafting an awards nomination” to help the process!