Do you have a big presentation coming up? Or are you looking for a chance to sharpen your public speaking skills in a fun, supportive space? Join us for our third annual Pitch & Polish PowerPoint Party on Saturday, April 25th at 1:00 pm!
Bring your slides, your notes, or just yourself. You’ll receive constructive feedback, helpful tips, and encouragement in a fun and welcoming environment. Let’s turn those nerves into confidence! Not preparing for a presentation right now, but still want to join the fun? Take a spin with one of our lighthearted, boilerplate PowerPoint decks! They’re short, completely impromptu, and make great icebreakers.
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!
We are pleased to invite you to attend a special tour of Rice University to explore the Woodson Research Center’s new “Athena Press” on Saturday, February 28th at 11 AM, followed by a post-tour lunch. Join us for hands-on experiences with typesetting, printmaking, and bookbinding; you’ll see some prints and books that have been made on the press, and how they were inspired by items in the Woodson Research Center’s rare book collections. You’ll have the opportunity to try your hand at pulling your own print from a movable-type lock-up on Rice’s tabletop letterpress setups. See attachment for more info on the Athena Press and check out @athena.press.htx on Instagram!
This tour is RSVPonly, capacity 15; please bring a valid ID for entry into the library.
Location: Fondren Library 6100 South Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 – Gather at visitor entrance
Parking: Founder’s Court $1 each 10 min., $13 daily maximum for each exit (please see attachment for more parking ingo and walking path to the library’s visitor entrance)
Please join us for the End of Year Potluck and Tour!
We will be hosting our final event of 2025 at the Moore Memorial Public Library. Join us as we tour the historically beautiful library with a potluck afterwards. Bring your Drivers License to get a library card! You are also welcome to bring $10 for annual membership dues.
The end of 2025 is just around the corner, but AHA is here to party! 🕺
Join us for our End of the Year meeting to discuss By-Law changes and elected board positions for 2026! We will vote on amendment changes to the By-Laws as well as voting for open positions within the executive board! Details below.
Join us on Saturday, October 18th for the AHA Annual Archives Month Blitz!
We’ll spend the afternoon transcribing, scanning, rehousing, and working on other archival projects from the L.V. Hull Archive, one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow archivists, community members, and preservation enthusiasts while contributing to this important effort.
Location: The Orange Show (2334 Gulf Terminal Dr, Houston, TX 77023)
Date & Time: Saturday, October 18 | 1:00–5:00 p.m.
AHA is hosting its first free online international digitization game event, facilitated by Sean Macmillan of King’s College London on Friday, August 23rd from 10 am – 11:30 am. The theme for this gaming event is Digital Preservation!
A little bit about our facilitator Sean Macmillan.
“Sean Macmillan is a digital collections manager based in King’s College London. His background is in archives, and has previously worked for the University of London, University of Oxford, Liverpool Hope University, and a family private estate. He has a passion for games and learning, and has organized a number of digital preservation games events in the past two years”
If you are an expert in digital preservation or want to build a better understanding and awareness of best practice in a fun and friendly environment, then please join us! As this is the first time hosting a Digital Preservation Game event, seating is limited. To sign up, use the link below. Deadline to sign up is August 20th.
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.
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.
Back by popular demand! Our “Old, Weird Houston” stickers have been re-issued in a special glitter edition. These went quickly at our event at The Orange Show back in April!
Get yours by donating $3 dollars or more.
Stickers are 3in x 3in, are durable and weather resistant with a glittering look but none of the mess of actual glitter! These will look good on your laptop or even car bumper.
Donate through our Square store. Once your donation has been received, the Treasurer will contact you by Email for your shipping information.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in becoming a member of AHA! That includes library students, recently graduated, professionals, and archives enthusiasts living or working in the Houston area!
We will present opportunities for networking and connecting with peers in our area!
Meet members of the AHA Board!
Have questions on the history and mission of AHA? Interested in upcoming events? Have questions for us? Join us and chat!
