Category Archives: AHA!

Call for RAO Session Proposals for SAA16

Sell It to Us!

Present at the RAO Annual Meeting!

The 2016 RAO Program Committee seeks Hot Topics and Cool Demonstrations for provocative conversation and deep thinking at the SAA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA.  On Friday, August 5, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, RAO will host its fifth annual Marketplace of Ideas and seeks purveyors of hot topics and cool demonstrations to sell their wares to a savvy audience of RAO archivists. Vendors are asked to present a brief (3-4 minute) infomercial to all meeting attendees, before dividing into separate market stalls—we’ll have 3 rounds of shopping!

The 2016 RAO Program Committee is especially interested in hearing from vendors who’d like to present on the following topics or themes:

  • Access to Born Digital Collections – This could be a policy discussion regarding privacy or confidentiality, as well as access policy and procedural issues, or the technology and manpower needed to make it happen.
  • Assessment – What stats do you keep? What’s important? How do you track these stats? How do you use these at your institution?
  • Archival Outreach on a Shoestring – Do you use any project planning tools for outreach? What do you need to commit to outreach at a minimum level?
  • Designing Assignments – How to design/help design an archival research assignment or program that incorporates faculty and their students?
  • Lone Arrangers and Advocacy 101 – How to educate your host institution or non-archivist colleagues about what an archives is, what you/the archives does, and why it’s so darn important?

To submit an application, simply complete the application at http://bit.ly/1N0UTpr byMay 10th, 2016.

The RAO Program Committee will notify all applicants about the status of their proposal by May 30, 2016.

Thank you, and see you in Atlanta!

AHA! Newsletter: A Proposal

Now that the AHA! Yahoo Listserv has been officially retired due to significant usage drop-off, AHA! is testing a new potential medium for member communication.

The Web Committee has started a newsletter using the distribution service TinyLetter. The overall goal for the newsletter is to allow AHA! members to get help, share information, and have a chance to share accomplishments, big and small.

Things you could share include:

  • a question or request for assistance
  • share an interesting news article or archives-related post
  • brag about an accomplishment at your institution, big or small
  • advertise a new position, internship, or other professional opportunity

You can sign-up for the AHA! TinyLetter newsletter and see the test back issues here: http://tinyletter.com/houstonarchivists.

This newsletter is not self-service like the Yahoo group where you directly post a question or comment, nor is it a listserv like the SAA lists, which allow you to send an email and have it get automatically distributed to members.

To get something on the TinyLetter newsletter, you would communicate with the administrator (currently the Web Committee) and they would post your content to the newsletter.

The newsletter could go out at whatever frequency works best for members. Some options include:

  • Biweekly
  • Monthly
  • Monthly with other editions as-needed by AHA! members

Submit content for the Archiving Houston newsletter by emailing Sarah Gesell or using this form: http://goo.gl/forms/7BG0MGuJKP.

Please use this form to share your thoughts and general feedback concerning the newsletter: http://goo.gl/forms/f6M8498FlQ.

TODAY! AHA! Spring Meeting

April 7, 2016 at 6 p.m.
The African American Library at The Gregory School
1300 Victor St, Houston, TX, 77019

**Parking note**
There is amble parking in the lot behind The Gregory School. The parking lot can be accessed via Cleveland St.
Directions to the Gregory School

The meeting will feature:

  • Billy Glasco, Lead Archivist at The Gregory School, will provide a tour of the library
  • Sarah Gesell has proposed a website redesign. Please take a few moments before the meeting to review the new design here: AHA! Test Site
  • A call for committee members
  • Motion to officially retire the Yahoo! Listserv and to make it part of the AHA! Archives
  • Presentation by Marie Wise about the Astrodome Memories Project

AHA! Spring Meeting, April 7, 2016 at The Gregory School

April 7, 2016 at 6 p.m.
The African American Library at The Gregory School
1300 Victor St, Houston, TX, 77019

Topics will include:

  • Billy Glasco, Lead Archivist at The Gregory School, will provide a tour of the library
  • Sarah Gesell has proposed a website redesign. Please take a few moments before the meeting to review the new design here: AHA! Test Site
  • A call for Hospitality Committee members
  • Tabling opportunity at San Jacinto Symposium, Saturday, April 9, 2016, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Motion to officially retire the Yahoo! Listserv and to make it part of the AHA! Archives

AHA! Executive Meeting

The first Executive Meeting of 2016 will be next week!

February 18, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Black Walnut Cafe, Rice Village Location
5510 Morningside Dr, Houston, TX

Topics will include:

  • Theme for this year — “Archives and Community Outreach”?
  • Archives Month activities
  • Website updates
  • Other organizational activities

AHA! Holiday party and Elections, December 10

The Holiday Party this year will be held at 6:00pm on Thursday, December 10th, 2015 at the Little Art Gallery on the University of St. Thomas campus.

That gallery is housed in the Hughes House on the corner of Yoakum Blvd. and Branard St. and that location does include some parking at the rear of the house.

Feel free to bring your favorite holiday goodies to share.

Mark your calendars and we will see you all then!

AHA! Spring Meeting on Wednesday, April 1, 2015

The AHA! spring meeting will be on Wednesday, April 1 at 6 pm at The Heritage Society. Our guest speaker will be author Louis Aulbach.

Agenda:

  • Introductory remarks
  • Acceptance of Minutes/Secretary’s Report
  • President’s Report
  • Vice President’s Report
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Old Business
  • New Business
  • Presentation – Louis Aulbach, Author and Publisher, Guides to the rivers and parks of West Texas: Rio Grande, Devils River, Pecos River, and others. “Keeping up with the changing nature of archival research — an author’s  perspective.”

Directions to The Heritage Society can be found: http://www.heritagesociety.org/direct.html

Parking Information:

Please park in the Heritage Society’s lot behind the Kellum-Noble House. The best approach to the parking lot is heading east toward downtown on Allen Parkway. Turn right immediately after going under Interstate 45. Be careful not to accidentally turn right onto the interstate just before reaching the parking lot. You can also enter the parking lot from the intersection of Clay and Bagby/West Dallas. Additional parking is available at the Heritage Clay Street Garage for a fee. Tours begin at the Tour Office located in the Museum. The Heritage Society parking lot is open from 8:30 a.m.−5 p.m. Monday−Saturday and for THS special events.