Author Archives: jlueck1

AHA! Hosts Archival Certification Panel

By Joe Lueck, AHA! Secretary

On September 22, 2020, the members of AHA! convened virtually for the second general meeting of the year. The AHA! board overviewed ongoing and future initiatives, including a slate of exciting Archives Month programming for October. Watch your inbox for more information in the coming weeks! If you’re not on the AHA! listserv and are interested in becoming a member, contact the board at houstonarchivists@gmail.com.  

Following the business meeting, archivists and AHA! members John Rovell, Sandra Yates, and Amanda Focke shared their experiences and thoughts on the Certified Archivist (CA) and Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) certification programs. The panelists discussed skills and lessons learned, the costs and benefits of each certification program, and answered questions from the group, offering advice to prospective certificate seekers. 

The Certified Archivist certification is offered by the Academy of Certified Archivists, an independent organization made up of professional archivists. Obtaining this certification involves coursework, professional service, and passage of an exam covering all aspects of archival enterprise.

The Digital Archives Specialist certification is offered by the Society of American Archivists. This certification pertains specifically to working with born-digital records, involving a customizable curriculum of coursework and a cumulative final exam. 

Thank you again to our panelists! If you are interested in viewing a recording of the meeting and panel, contact the AHA! board at houstonarchivists@gmail.com.

 

TLA Call for Program Proposals for 2021 Annual Conference

TLA is currently accepting program proposals for their 2021 annual conference being held in San Antonio, April 20-23.   

The Texas Library Association (TLA) is the largest state library association in the U.S. It’s 6,000+ members represent all library types: academic, public, school and special. The TLA Annual Conference features hundreds of sessions and events each year. We welcome and encourage program proposals from individuals, both TLA members and non-members, and from other organizations. The 2021 conference theme is Celebrate Differences, Empower Voices, and TLA invites you to submit your program proposals. 

TLA accepts program proposals from May 1 to July 15, 2020 to be considered for the 2021 conference. 

2021 TLA Program Proposals Form

 

AHA! Statement in Support of Protests and Anti-Racist Practices

Today is filled with sadness and heartbreak for the family and friends of George Floyd, the City of Houston, and communities around the world.

We join the Society of Southwest Archivists and the Society of American Archivists in “condemning the continued racist acts of violence committed against members of our Black communities across the country.” We acknowledge the “systemic racism and white supremacy that has been a part of United States government since its founding, and as archivists, we know the historical evidence bears witness to the legacy of oppression, violence, and death that structural racism has imposed on Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other communities of color. When it comes to perpetuating institutional racism and white supremacist culture, archives are no exception.”(1, 2)

We understand “no one owes their trauma to archivists,”(3) and we urge ethical documentation in times of crisis.(4, 5)

We support Houstonians’ right to peacefully protest and demand policy reform, justice, and equal treatment under the law; and we believe Black Lives Matter.

Please consider attending SAA Community Reflection on Black Lives and Archives this Friday, June 12 at 2:00 pm CST. Documenting the Now is looking for archivists and other memory workers who are willing to share their time, resources, and expertise to help activists document police violence. You may volunteer here.

We invite you to share any words of solace and healing by replying individually to houstonarchives@gmail.com and we will compile them to send a card to the family of George Floyd.

Archivists of the Houston Area Board

—
References:
1-SOCIETY OF SOUTHWEST ARCHIVISTS STATEMENT CONDEMNING RACIAL VIOLENCE
2- SAA Council Statement on Black Lives and Archives
3-No one owes their trauma to archivists, or, the commodification of contemporaneous collecting
4-Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit
5-The Blackivists’ Five Tips for Organizers, Protestors, and Anyone Documenting Movements

 

AHA! Recommends Closure of Houston Libraries and Archives

Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!) recommends that libraries and archival institutions in the Houston area cease public operations in adherence with national and local guidelines regarding the spread of COVID-19 and in solidarity with national, regional, and local professional organizations and ensure fair compensation for staff during the ongoing situation.

We commend the libraries and archival institutions that have closed in order to protect our communities from the spread of COVID-19, follow social distancing guidelines intended to “flatten the curve,” and, we hope, save lives.

Nationally, the United States Government and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommend social distancing measures and working from home whenever possible. Locally, the City of Houston also recommends working from home whenever possible, avoiding gatherings of over 10 people, and avoiding discretionary travel. The Society of American Archivists also urges leaders and administrators to act swiftly to close archival institutions and support employees in work from home plans stating, “the valued labor of archivists is not more important than the health of the people doing that work.”

AHA! recommends the SAA Accessibility & Disability section’s “Archivists at Home” document to assist in devising work from home plans and tasks for archivists and staff. If you are concerned about the effect of COVID-19 on your workplace status, income, or access to sick time and family leave time, please consider filling out the Contingent Archival Workers and COVID-19  anonymous survey. SAA has also created a resource page to help the archives community navigate this global health crisis.

Stay safe and healthy,

AHA! Board

AHA! visits the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston!

Stacks area at MFAH Archives. Photo by Joe Lueck.

By Joe Lueck, AHA! Secretary

On March 12th, 2020, the members of AHA! held their first general meeting of the year at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. MFAH archivists Marie Wise and Stratton Meyer graciously hosted the event, and offered a tour of the MFAH archives’ new space in the institution’s administration building at 5100 Montrose Boulevard.

Reading Room at MFAH Archives. Photo by Lilly Carrel.

Under the care of Wise and Meyer, the MFAH archives have reopened for research following a three year closure. The collections include institutional records and manuscript collections from affiliated and local artists, documenting over one hundred years of institutional and local history. Traffic in the reading room has been consistent since reopening, as researchers from inside and outside the MFAH dig into the archives’ rich historical and cultural resources.

Stacks area at MFAH Archives. Photo by Lilly Carrel.

Wise and Meyer worked creatively to configure shelving in the new space, making the most of the former studio spaces now available for archival storage. Using a color coordination system, the archivists deftly managed the move of collection material from two offsite storage locations outside the 610 loop to the museum’s main campus.

Thanks again to the MFAH, Marie, and Stratton for hosting! Visit the MFAH Archives website for more information about hours, available resources, and collections.

AHA! General Meeting – Thursday, March 12, 2020 @ MFAH!

The first general meeting of 2020 will be hosted by our colleagues Marie Wise and Stratton Meyer at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Administration Building (5100 Montrose Boulevard) on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 6:30 pm! After the AHA! business meeting, Marie and Stratton will lead us on a tour of their recently renovated archives space and share with us their experience of moving the archives to their new location.

Parking & Logistics: MFAH Archives are located in the museum’s Administration Building at 5100 Montrose Boulevard. An uncovered carpark is located behind the building. The Archives are on the 2nd floor and signs will be posted to assist AHA folks getting to the right place! Additional details on parking forthcoming.

Job Opportunity: Digital Archivist at Rice University

https://library.rice.edu/digital-archivist

Fondren Library seeks a service-oriented, well-organized, technically savvy, and self-motivated digital archivist. This position will work to update, expand, and maintain the digital preservation program in the library’s special collections department, the Woodson Research Center. This position will report to the head of special collections and collaborate closely with professional archivist staff.

Archival Advocacy Opportunity- Contact the House in Support of Increased Funding for NARA and NHPRC

RAAC is seeking individuals to contact their Member of Congress in the House of Representatives in support of increased funding for NARA and NHPRC by signing on to a Dear Colleague letter to the House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees NARA.  

As seen below, the National Coalition for History has a thorough explanation about the “ask” and the process.   

Please note that the deadline to sign on to the letter is March 13.

Dear NCH member representative,

The National Coalition for History (NCH) has worked with Congressmen John Larson (D-CT), Don Young (R-AK), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) to seek support for additional funding in the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

They recently circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter to their fellow representatives urging them to show their support. The letter will be sent to the chair and ranking member of the House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over NARA and the NHPRC’s budgets. 

We need the members of your organization to contact their representatives and ask them to sign on to the letter in support of additional funding for NARA and the NHPRC. We have prepared a one-page briefing paper that summarizes the funding challenges facing these two agencies that are so vital to historians, archivists and other stakeholders. Click here to access an on-line version. 

More detailed instructions on contacting your Member of Congress and background information are available from the NCH website by clicking here.Our colleagues at the National Humanities Alliance have prepared an email that you can send directly to your representative. To send a letter, click here.

Please contact me if you have any questions. The deadline for representatives to sign on is March 13 so please don’t delay in sharing this information with your members!

Thanks in advance for your assistance in getting the word out. Please note that I am back in AHA’s renovated headquarters so you can once again contact me on my office phone.

Finally, be aware that if you reply to this email, everyone on the mailing list will see it. Please contact me separately via email if it is something you don’t want to share with everyone else.

—

Lee White
Executive Director

National Coalition for History
400 A St. SE
Washington DC 20003
(202)544-2422 x-116