Author Archives: syatestmcl

Front image of color postcard Join Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). Includes our mission statement, what does membership do for you, how to join, how to get involved in AHA!, and contact information. Download and distribute to potential members.

Join AHA! Postcards and Flyers Available

Have you ever been plugging the Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!) to a new hire or graduate student and thought, “Man, I wish I had something tangible to give you with all the information you need to join the Premier Archivist Organization of Southeast Texas?” Well, look no further! AHA! now has postcards and flyers available for download.

We also have 250 postcards printed in vibrant color for area repositories to have on hand for anyone interested in becoming an AHA! member, like staff, interns, volunteers, and researchers.

Sign-up to receive your tangible postcards today (while supplies last): Signup-Distribute_Postcards

Sign-up for Postcards

Download

Preview Gallery

Image of flyer Join Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). Includes our mission statement, what does membership do for you, how to join, how to get involved in AHA!, and contact information.
Front Image of postcard (color) Join Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). Includes our mission statement, what does membership do for you, how to join, how to get involved in AHA!, and contact information.
Back Image of postcard (color) Join Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). Includes our mission statement, what does membership do for you, how to join, how to get involved in AHA!, and contact information.
Front Image of postcard (black and white) Join Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). Includes our mission statement, what does membership do for you, how to join, how to get involved in AHA!, and contact information.
Back Image of postcard (black and white) Join Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). Includes our mission statement, what does membership do for you, how to join, how to get involved in AHA!, and contact information.

Join AHA! Today

Archivists of the Houston Area! (AHA!) is the premiere archivists organization of Southeast Texas.

Our Mission

AHA! exists to increase contact and communication between archivists and those working with records, to provide opportunities for professional development, and to promote archival repositories and activities in the greater Houston, Texas area.

What does membership do for you? It’s an opportunity to…

  • Get involved and collaborate with 100s of other archivists in the area.
  • Attend meetings and events throughout the year, virtually and in-person.
  • Share experiences and skills.
  • Receive alerts to events, meetings, professional opportunities, and job announcements through our email list.
  • Step into a leadership role right away.
  • Count credits toward ACA recertification.

How to join AHA!

You can join AHA! In 3 easy steps:

  1. Fill out Membership Application, https://houstonarchivists.org/membership/ 
  2. Pay Membership Dues, only $10 (cash, check) $11 (credit) per calendar year, https://houstonarchivists.square.site/ 
  3. We’ll add you to the AHA! Google Group, and you can start contributing, impacting, and changing AHA! for the future right away.

Get involved in AHA!

  • Contribute by posting to the email group.
  • Join the programming committee at any time and help plan meetings and events.
  • Step into a leadership role right away; the executive board is made up of elected officers, a programming committee, and social media coordinators.
  • President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer are elected every year.
  • Present at a meeting. Suggestions for educational programming are always welcome.
Collage of screenshots from the Summer Meeting of the Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!) August 10, 2023

AHA! Summer Meeting 2023

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our Summer Meeting, August 10, 2023 at 12pm. A huge THANK YOU to Adrian Melissinos and Amanda Focke for your poster presentations! It was our first poster session of what I hope will be many more.

Adrian Melissinos is an adjunct faculty member at TWU related to nursing history and a Post-Doctoral Fellow on a research grant examining simulation in nursing education. She has been a member of numerous boards including the Cizik School of Nursing Advisory Board and the Friends of Women’s Studies at the University of Houston. She is vice-president of the Friends of the Texas Medical Center Library and has served as chairman for the Texas Medical Center Women’s History Project. She pursues her interest in research with an emphasis on nursing history. Experiences of an end-user of archives utilizing both in-person and digital access of materials.

Amanda Focke, Head of Special Collections for Rice University’s Fondren Library
“Impossible Archives – ethical access to very sensitive records of the paranormal”
the challenges of providing broad access to collections with personally identifying information of experiencers of alien abduction. While the topic is specific, the archival challenges could apply broadly.

Video of the meeting is available online for a limited time.

Chat: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cf6buyKr2rI5W1VyHfjuqmKq7C934q9E/view?usp=sharing

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DPK9Glt4vnTtg995LwWhRM2678OWrovc/view?usp=sharing

We ran a little past 1pm, so if you missed the Business Meeting portion, you can catch up by watching the video online (start at 28:46)

Amanda Focke, Head of Special Collections for Rice University's Fondren Library presents during the Summer Meeting of Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!), August 10, 2023. "Impossible Archives - ethical access to very sensitive records of the paranormal" the challenges of providing broad access to collections with personally identifying information of experiencers of alien abduction. While the topic is specific, the archival challenges could apply broadly.
Amanda Focke, Head of Special Collections for Rice University’s Fondren Library presents during the Summer Meeting of Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!), August 10, 2023. “Impossible Archives – ethical access to very sensitive records of the paranormal” the challenges of providing broad access to collections with personally identifying information of experiencers of alien abduction. While the topic is specific, the archival challenges could apply broadly.
Alana Inman, AHA! Secretary and Manager at the Sam Houston Regional Library & Research Center, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, talks about the the plans for the AHA! Holiday Meeting in Liberty, TX this December.
Alana Inman, AHA! Secretary and Manager at the Sam Houston Regional Library & Research Center, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, talks about the the plans for the AHA! Holiday Meeting in Liberty, TX this December.
Social media graphic for "Old, Weird Houston" presented by the Orange Show & AHA! Ten archives from the Houston & Southeast Texas region with their weirdest stuff! Show & Tell. Ask an Archivist. Music & Talks. Swag, Food & Drinks. When: April 1, 2023, 10am-4pm. Where: 2334 Gulf Terminal Dr. Houston, TX 77023.

Old, Weird, Houston! @ The Orange Show

Come all you local weirdos, geeks, and history nerds and join us on Saturday, April 1st  from 10:00am – 4:00am as Archivists of the Houston Area partners with The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, for Old, Weird, Houston! Archival repositories and private collectors from around the greater Houston and Southeast Texas region have scoured their collections and will be bringing their weirdest, funkiest, rarest, and in some cases ugliest items in an all-day grown-up show and tell! 

Exclusive sticker for "Old, Weird Houston" for the Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). houstonarchivists.org. Designed by Laura Ramirez
Exclusive sticker for “Old, Weird Houston” for the Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA!). houstonarchivists.org. Designed by Laura Ramirez

There will be vendors with Houston swag, food, and drinks as well as panel discussions and presentations on topics such as hardboiled newspaper columnist Sig Byrd; the rise and fall of counterculture rag Space City News; the rescue and conservation of the Hyde Park Miniature Museum; the original story behind the Art Car Parade; and  the Orange Show’s history and its upcoming exciting restoration project. Stay after the talks for a performance from legendary Houston punk band Mydolls.

Participating AHA! Repositories

Besides being the welcome wagon at the event, AHA! will be hosting an Ask the Archivist booth where the public can get advice on their own preservation and archiving needs. We will also have a booth that will feature some cool event swag, including an exclusive sticker commemorating the event. You can also find copies of the AHA! Repository Directory (and pay your membership dues? Only $11 for a year). If you feel like manning any of these booths,we are still looking for volunteers! You can let us know by filling out this form. 

Where

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
2334 Gulf Terminal Dr., Houston, TX 77023

Gulf Terminal Drive is one street past Munger off the southbound Gulf Freeway feeder approaching Telephone Road. Plenty of parking available in the lot behind HQ dock.

When

Saturday, April 1st, 2023 10:00am – 4:00pm

Program Schedule

10 aEvent Begins
10:15 am: Welcome & Sig Byrd by Robert Kimberley
11:30 am:   Space City News by Thorne Dreyer
12:30 noon:The History of the Art Car Parade
1:30 pm:   Hyde Park Miniature Museum by Pete Gershon
2:30 pm:    Orange Show history and conservation panel
4:00 pm:     Performance by Mydolls at Orange Show monument
Social media graphic for "Old, Weird Houston" presented by the Orange Show & AHA! Ten archives from the Houston & Southeast Texas region with their weirdest stuff! Show & Tell. Ask an Archivist. Music & Talks. Swag, Food & Drinks. When: April 1, 2023, 10am-4pm. Where: 2334 Gulf Terminal Dr. Houston, TX 77023.
Social media graphic for “Old, Weird Houston” presented by the Orange Show & AHA! Ten archives from the Houston & Southeast Texas region with their weirdest stuff! Show & Tell. Ask an Archivist. Music & Talks. Swag, Food & Drinks. When: April 1, 2023, 10am-4pm. Where: 2334 Gulf Terminal Dr. Houston, TX 77023.
Social media graphic for "Old, Weird Houston" presented by the Orange Show with the Archivists of the Houston Area. Saturday, April 1st 10am - 4pm at Orange Show World HQ 2334 Gulf Terminal Dr. Houston, TX 77023. A Local history fair showcasing oddball ephemera from collections both public and private.
Social media graphic for “Old, Weird Houston” presented by the Orange Show with the Archivists of the Houston Area. Saturday, April 1st 10am – 4pm at Orange Show World HQ 2334 Gulf Terminal Dr. Houston, TX 77023. A Local history fair showcasing oddball ephemera from collections both public and private.

AHA! Spring Meeting 2023

Monday, February 13, Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom

Thanks to everyone who attended our Spring Meeting! It was a packed zoom. It’s always great to see everyone. We covered a lot in our first meeting of the year. The agenda, slides, and chat are available at the end of the post. The presentation slides link out to important information and planning documents.

Special thanks to our guest speakers of from the City of San Antonio, Office of Historic Preservation

  • Jessica Anderson, Senior Historic Preservation Specialist
  • Rachel Rettaliata, Senior Historic Preservation Specialist
  • Jenny Hay, ScoutSA Program Manager

There’s a Story Here

Using ArcGIS and maps that allows community members to share historically relevant stories that are interesting and relevant to the space or location. For more information, https://www.sanantonio.gov/historic/Local-Historical-Markers/Story-Here.

Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YJnPYNqcWNBDsRMmXw7LLatZSUUPRzzK/view?usp=sharing

Zoom Chat: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1abJEKFc8Fde0DnLL-WoB1DwtIfGCYYXf/view?usp=sharing

Video: https://youtu.be/BXHhg7sMqn4

Screenshot from the AHA! Spring Meeting 2023-02-13, showing There's a Story Here program, City of San Antonio, Office of Historic Preservation.
Screenshot from the AHA! Spring Meeting 2023-02-13, showing There’s a Story Here program, City of San Antonio, Office of Historic Preservation.

Agenda

  • Welcome & Introductions
    • Guest Speakers: There’s a Story Here, City of San Antonio, Office of Historic Preservation
    • President’s Report
    • Vice President’s Report
    • Treasurer’s Report
    • Programming Committee Report
    • Social Media Report
    • The Orange Show presents Old, Weird Houston
    • Old Business
    • New Business
    Slide from Spring Meeting of Archivists of the Houston Area (AHA)

    AHA! Spring 2022 Meeting

    Time: Apr 14, 2022 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (Virtual)

    Thank you to all who made it to our Spring 2022 meeting! For those of you that missed it, the Spring Meeting Program included:

    1. SSA Scholarship Recipients Announcement.
    2. Speaker, Matt Richardson, will talked about SSA Local Arrangements and how AHA! members can help. Matt is the Registration chair for SSA 2022 Houston. It’s a great opportunity to hear how we can contribute to the annual meeting.
    3. AHA! Social Media Action! Tips for submitting content and engaging more people through the AHA! social media accounts.

    A link to the video of the meeting will be sent to the membership email list. See below for the slides from the presentation and the Zoom chat.

    Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wQ7Q8kV_sybxbyziM8hFTeq3OXjdT7-_/view?usp=sharing

    Zoom Chat for links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15zcmC0ZoIi3kPuAnlSqJgBwMZBvNZpsd/view?usp=sharing

    2019 AHA! Happy Hour Schedule

    Below are the dates, times, and locations for all the AHA! Happy Hour for the year (and then some). Please join us every 3rd Tuesday* when you can!

    Public House
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 2802 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
    Dates*: April 16, May 21

    Rudyard’s
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 2010 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77006
    Dates*: June 18, July 16

    East End Hardware
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 3005 Leeland St, Houston, TX 77003
    Dates*: August 20 August 27, September 17

    Java Lava Brew
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 1201 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004
    Dates*: October 15, November 19

    Kelvin Highlander
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 2424 Dunstan Rd, Houston, TX 77005
    Dates*: December 17, January 21

    Bohemeos
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 708 Telephone Rd, Houston, TX 77023
    Dates*: February 18, March 17

    * Dates could change due to conflicts or popular demand. If locations or dates change, an announcement will be made on the website, email list, and social media.

    2018 AHA! Happy Hour Schedule!

    The results are in from our Happy Hour surveys! Below are the dates, times, and locations for all the AHA! Happy Hour for the year (and then some). Please join us every 3rd Tuesday* when you can!

    East End Hardware
    8th Wonder Brewery
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 3005 Leeland St, Houston, TX 77003
    Dates*: November 20, December 18 December 11, January 15

    Java Lava Brew
    Time: 6pm
    Address: 1201 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004
    Dates*: February 19, March 19

    * Dates could change due to conflicts or popular demand. If locations or dates change, an announcement will be made on the website, email list, and social media.