Category Archives: Meetings
The Year Ahead for AHA!
Dear AHA! Members,
Thanks to all who joined us recently for the inaugural monthly AHA! Happy Hour—it was a great evening of discussion and socializing. We had a productive executive meeting and brainstormed ideas for an exciting upcoming year.
One thing that came out of this gathering was a thoughtful review of AHA’s mission statement. Reflecting on the organization’s stated mission energized board members and others present. It also provided guidance as we seek to align AHA’s activities with this 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.
As we craft programming and communications for the year, we’ll seek to ensure that all three of these pieces are actively cultivated. Improved communication, increased fellowship, and opportunities for training and knowledge-sharing all seem like areas ripe for connecting and developing our membership. The big-ticket item—the Houston Archives Bazaar—naturally fits the focus of promoting our work within and beyond Houston. By deliberately aligning our activities with the stated mission, it is our hope that we can better serve and connect Houston’s archival community—that’s you!—as well as the communities we serve.
As we look ahead to the year, we’d like to begin by getting your input on what you’d like to see from AHA! Please take a moment to fill out this member survey.
We hope that you’re as excited as we are about the upcoming year!
Sincerely,
AHA! Executive Board
Emily Vinson, President
Matt Richardson, Vice-President
Lisa Cruces, Secretary
Sandra Yates, Treasurer
Updated Bylaws Now Available
The approved updates to the AHA! Bylaws are now available for viewing.
Upcoming Board Meeting and Happy Hour!
We’d like to invite you all out to a happy hour Tuesday, March 14 at 6pm at 8th Wonder Brewery. We hope you’re able to drop by and socialize with friends and colleagues.
The board will have a short meeting at 5:30 to discuss plans for the year, including the Archives Bazaar. Anyone interested in joining those conversations is welcome to come early!
2016 Holiday Party
AHA! Holiday Party and Meeting
December 15, 2016 at 6:00 pm
McGovern Historical Center
8272 El Rio St. Suite 190
Houston, TX 77054
Our special guest speakers will be Jennifer Hecker, Daniel Alonzo, and Madeline Moya who will discuss their experience with the Austin Archives Bazaar!
AHA! will supply Tamales, drinks, and tableware for the Holiday Party and Election so please bring you favorite side dish or dessert to share. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.Thanks – the Hospitality Committee.
CALL FOR CANDIDATES!
Those interested in serving as an AHA! officer as Secretary, Treasurer, or Vice-President should contact Emily Vinson evinson@uh.edu and Matt Richardson rmrichar@uh.edu ASAP. Election will take place during the meeting.
We will also be voting on the by-laws amendment proposed on Nov. 1. See more here: https://houstonarchivists.org/2016/11/01/proposed-bylaw-changes/
DUES!
Remember to bring your Hamiltons! Sandra Yates, AHA! Treasurer, will be collecting membership dues for next year (and beyond). Dues are $10 and can be paid by cash or check. Make checks payable to AHA! or Archivists of the Houston Area. If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can mail checks to:
Sandra Yates
Texas Medical Center Library
1133 John Freeman Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030
Grab your copy of the flyer here!
Proposed Bylaw Changes
This post serves as the official notice to members of the proposed changes to the Archivists of the Houston Area! bylaws. These changes will be voted on in the December 2016 meeting.
Read the proposed changes here.
Send comments or suggestions to Emily Vinson or Matt Richardson.
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!
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