Monthly Archives: March 2026

Event: Spring Members Meeting

We invite all AHA! members and friends to attend our spring members meeting next Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CDT. AHA! board members will share updates on ongoing initiatives and upcoming programming. AHA! members will also have the opportunity to vote in a special election for a new AHA! Vice President. Finally, we are excited to welcome Miguell Ceasar, Division Manager of Special Collections at the Houston Public Library, as our guest speaker!

At HPL, Miguell oversees four key collections: the African American History Research Center, Hispanic History Research Center, Houston History Research Center, and Family History Research Center. With 21 years of experience in archives and libraries, he is dedicated to preserving Houston’s diverse histories through a variety of materials, including books, photographs, and oral histories.

A significant aspect of Miguell’s role involves leading digitization efforts to enhance accessibility and preservation. He also ensures the preservation of historic buildings and archival storage, implementing tailored measures for various formats. In addition to his management duties, he regularly presents to stakeholders, including executive leaders and City Council Members, showcasing recent acquisitions and the ongoing needs of the collections. Miguell holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, a Master of Community Development from Prairie View A&M University, and a Master of Library Science & Information from Texas Woman’s University.

During our meeting, Miguell will present on his experiences with community-centered archival approaches and the post-custodial model within Houston’s Black community.

We hope you’ll make plans to join us and look forward to seeing you online!

Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88363665225?pwd=xRw1ZqbbPydMcRNIpQfXu8pKhrOiYa.1
Meeting ID: 883 6366 5225 Passcode: 555475

Announcement: Old Weird Houston Raffle!

Old Weird Houston is only a week away and we are excited to share that we will be having a raffle! Donate $5 or more and get an AHA! Zine plus a FREE raffle entry! Raffle prizes include: a $100 Phoenicia Gift Card, an Astros backpack, a MFAH art book, weird cat cards, Cruiser Coffee, Archival Starter Kit!! Raffle entries will run from 12-3PM and drawings begin 3PM. Cash needed to participate! Additional pictures of the prizes are below!

Professional Development: SSA Virtual Webinar – Centering Sustainability: A New Model for Digital Stewardship 4/1

EVENT DETAILS: 

Title: Centering Sustainability: A New Model for Digital Stewardship

Presenter: Keith Pendergrass, Digital Archivist at Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School, and co-author of “Toward Environmentally Sustainable Digital Preservation.”

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Time: 10:00am CST

Duration Length: 60 minutes

Description: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure is the backbone of all our digital stewardship initiatives. However, negative impacts across the lifecycles of these technology components harm the natural environment, humans, and other species. As we continue to lean into digital developments in archival and library science, thus making greater and more intensive use of ICT infrastructure, our collective contribution to these harms grows. Additionally, the negative impacts of ICT infrastructure are not evenly distributed, disproportionately affecting marginalized, rural, and low-income communities around the world. This presentation will explore how archivists and digital stewards can learn from environmental and ecological justice principles to expand how we define the communities that we serve. By doing so, we can create a new, more sustainable model for digital stewardship that maintains value for our communities through the materials we steward while reducing the harm that our stewardship activities cause.

This program is coordinated by the Society of Southwest Archivists Ad Hoc Committee on Sustainability and sponsored by the Professional Development Committee.

Registrtation: Registration can be done here. If you are an SSA member be sure to log in to get the members’ rate.

Note: Zoom link will be provided via email one day before the event. For questions or if you encounter any registration difficulties, please contact pdc@southwestarchivists.org.