Category Archives: Professional development

SSA Newsletter Needs More Submissions!

Hello Southwest Archivists,

Your newsletter needs more submissions! We have not received many articles for the upcoming Southwestern Archivist, so are extending the deadline until Wednesday, April 20. Have a fascinating newly processed collection? A grant project that’s underway? A new outreach program to share? Committee service that affects southwestern archivists? We want to hear from you! Submission guidelines are below. If you have questions about a submission, please contact Amanda Norman, Dara Flinn, or your regional liaison (contacts below). Help us make our next issue a success!


General submission guidelines:

All submissions should be written in a style consistent with inclusion in a professional publication. Submissions should include author contact information immediately following the submitted text: Preferred name, institution, mailing address, phone/fax (optional), and preferred e-mail (optional). Please note that articles may be edited to conform to style conventions and space limitations.

Accompanying photographs are welcome and encouraged. Ideally, at least one (and up to 3) photographs should be submitted with each article contributed (although they are subject to space limitations). Please include appropriate captions and citations as text in the accompanying e-mail.

Requirements for submitting photographs

  • Resolution: 300dpi or greater
  • Size: at least 2″x 2″ – no upper limit on size
  • Format: most any native image format is acceptable, including: tiff, jpg, psd
  • Note: Images sent embedded in Word documents cannot be published in the newsletter, because Word compresses the images and converts them to a proprietary format. Please submit all images in the native image format.

Because some authors have requested word counts for articles, approximate word counts follow:

  • 175 words / 150 words w/photo = 1/2 column (or 1/4 page vertical)
  • 350 words / 275 words w/photo = 1 column (or 1/2 page vertical)
  • 725 words / 600 words w/photo = 2 columns (or full page vertical)

Editorial preference is given to original articles that focus on repository news, that meet the above guidelines, and that arrive prior to the stated deadline. Articles are also evaluated by size; they may be edited to fit within the space available. The editors reserve the right to omit submissions or hold them over for a future issue.


Send all article submissions to your regional liaison:

Arizona: Lindsey Stegemoller at lstegemoller@icloud.com

Arkansas: Stephanie Bayless at sbayless@cals.org

Louisiana: Jennifer “Jenny” Mitchell at jmitc84@lsu.edu

New Mexico: Lynn Gates at legates@nmhu.edu

Oklahoma: Misty D. Smith at misty.d.smith@okstate.edu

Texas–North: Patrizia Nava at patrizia.nava@utdallas.edu
(West Texas, Midland/Odessa, Lubbock, El Paso, Dallas, and all points north)

Texas–South: Phyllis Kinnison at pkinnison@mosthistory.org
(San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and all points south.)

Out-of State Regions: Shelly Croteau at shelly.croteau@sos.mo.gov

Leadership Log: Krishna Shenoy at krishnas@jfk.org


Leadership Log

We know that you have been busy—so tell us what you’ve done! Send a short paragraph to Leadership Log and let your colleagues know about your accomplishments.

Send Krishna Shenoy (krishnas@jfk.org) an email if you have: • Won an award • Published a book or article • Given a talk or presentation • Been promoted • Retired • Started a new job • Elected or appointed to a leadership position in an archival organization • Any other major changes or events that your archival colleagues would find of interest.

~

Amanda Norman
Editor, Southwestern Archivist
email: amanda_norman@baylor.edu

Dara Flinn
Assistant Editor, Southwestern Archivist
email: dflinn@rice.edu

http://southwestarchivists.org/newsletter/

ACA Exam Sites Announced, Pick-Your-Own Still Available

The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) now has 17 exam locations for this year’s August 3rd certification exam. The predetermined locations are Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Little Rock, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh, San Antonio, Seattle, Syracuse, Tampa, and Waco. ACA will also have pick-your-site locations wherever 5 or more applicants want one.

The deadline for applications is May 15 and the exam fee is $50. To learn more about certification, go to http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/get-certified/.

The Academy of Certified Archivists, which the Society of American Archivists founded in 1989, is an independent, nonprofit certifying organization of professional archivists. Individual members qualify for certification by meeting a series of defined professional standards and must demonstrate continuing professional commitment to remain certified.  The Academy identifies and promotes understanding of archival goals, ethics, and standards. To learn more about the ACA visit http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/.

SAA Spotlight Award 2016 Announcement

Dear Colleagues,

The SAA Spotlight Award Subcommittee invites nominations for the 2016 Spotlight Award.  This award “recognizes the contributions of individuals who work for the good of the archives profession and of archival collections, and whose work would not typically receive public recognition.”  Nominees do not have to be members of SAA.  Please share this message as you think appropriate.  I hope you will consider recognizing a colleague (or yourself!) in this way.  Additional information about the criteria and process is found below.

Purpose and Criteria for Selection: Established in 2005, the Spotlight Award recognizes the contributions of individuals who work for the good of the archives profession and of archival collections, and whose work would not typically receive public recognition. The nominee(s) should have achieved distinction in one or more of the following ways:

*   Participating in special projects.
*   Exhibiting tireless committee or advocacy work.
*   Responding effectively to an unforeseen or pressing need or emergency.
*   Contributing innovative or creative ideas to the profession.
*   Performing extraordinary volunteerism.
*   Quietly but effectively promoting the profession.

Eligibility:  Awarded to an individual archivist or a group of up to five archivists who have collaborated on a project. Preference is given to archivists working in smaller repositories, especially those without institutional support for professional activities.

Nomination Requirements:  A completed nomination form, downloadable at http://www2.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-spotlight.

Sponsor and Funding:  The Society of American Archivists Foundation.

Prize:  A certificate and complimentary registration for the individual recipient or group (of up to five individuals) to the SAA Annual Meeting occurring in the year in which the award is presented.

Submission Deadline and Nomination Form:  Deadline: February 28, 2015.  Please complete the nomination form (http://www2.archivists.org/sites/all/files/Spotlight-Award-Form-093015.docx) and email it along with any applicable supporting documentation to awards[at]archivists.org with the subject line “Spotlight Award.”  Attachments should not exceed 5MB.

Alternatively, nominations may be mailed.  Materials must be postmarked by February 28, 2015, and should be sent to:

Spotlight Award Committee
Society of American Archivists
17 North State Street, Suite 1425
Chicago, IL 60602-3315

Please visit http://www2.archivists.org/recognition for a list and explanation of all of the awards offered by SAA.  The above information and a list of past recipients is available at http://www2.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-spotlight.

SSA 2016 Registration is Live!

Register now for the Society of Southwest Archivists 2016 Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, OK, May 18-21, 2016! The meeting’s theme is Native Routes and promises to be one of our best. In addition to the repository tours, receptions, and stellar educational sessions, we also have a wonderful plenary speaker and special Saturday afternoon programming sure to reinvigorate your mission.

Info about the meeting:  http://societyofsouthwestarchivists.wildapricot.org/annualmeeting

Or go directly to the registration page: http://societyofsouthwestarchivists.wildapricot.org/event-2019063

Questions? Contact Christina Wolf <cwolf@okcu.edu>

Texas Digital Library Award Nominations Deadline EXTENDED

Texas Digital Library (TDL) Awards acknowledge outstanding digital library work at academic libraries in Texas. The TDL Awards Committee encourages individuals to nominate themselves, as well as other individuals and groups, for recognition of the innovative and important work happening across the state in digital libraries.

Award recipients will receive one complimentary registration per group/awardee for the 2016 Texas Conference on Digital Libraries (TCDL) in Austin, May 24-26, 2016, and be honored at the TCDL Conference Reception.

Please review the full set of criteria for each award before submitting. For questions about the criteria or processes for awards selection, please email: info@tdl.org.

To learn more about the different awards and nomination process, check out the Texas Digital Library website here: http://tdl.org/awards.

Nomination Instructions

You may nominate yourself or someone else for these awards. To submit a nomination, download and complete the appropriate form provided below and email it along with any supporting documentation to: tdlawards@utlists.utexas.edu

Important Dates

February 12, 2016: Deadline for submissions
March 18, 2016: Notification of award recipients
May 24-26, 2016: Dates for the 2016 Texas Conference on Digital Libraries (TCDL), at which awards will be distributed. (Attendance at the conference is not required to receive an award.)

Harold T. Pinkett Minority Student Award Nominations

The application period for the 2016 Harold T. Pinkett Minority Student Award is now open!

The Pinkett Award was established in 1993 and recognizes and acknowledges minority graduate students, such as those of African, Asian, Latino or Native American descent, who, through scholastic and personal achievement, manifest an interest in becoming professional archivists and active members of the Society of American Archivists.

The recipients of the award will receive full complimentary registration to the SAA Annual Meeting and related expenses for hotel and travel for attending the Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists on July 31, 2016 – August 6, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, each recipient receives a complimentary one-year membership in SAA.

Eligibility: The Pinkett is awarded to minority students, with preference given to full-time students possessing a minimum scholastic grade point average of 3.5 while enrolled in a graduate program focusing on archival management during the academic year proceeding the date on which the award is given.

For more details or to download the application form please visit:

http://www2.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-pinkett

The deadline to apply is February 28, 2016.

We wish you the best of luck!

Sincerely,

The Harold T. Pinkett Minority Student Award Committee

News from the Academy of Certified Archivists

News from the Academy of Certified Archivists

The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) is making the certification exam more affordable by offering a reduced application fee as part of an early bird special!

Register for the exam before February 15 and receive half-off regular registration. The rate increases to the standard fee of $50 after February 15.

The early bird deadline also lowers the threshold for selecting pick-your-site locations! Instead of requiring 5 test takers per site, the ACA will only require 3 during the early bird period.  This change makes it easier for many candidates to have an exam site in a more convenient and affordable location.  But, like the test application fee, the required number of test participants will increase to the standard number of 5 after the early bird period ends.

This year’s Certified Archivist exam will be held August 3rd.  The predetermined locations are: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Questions? Contact the ACA Secretariat: secretariat@certifiedarchivists.org

Thanks to Emily Vinson for passing along the news.

DAS course: Arrangement and Description of Electronic Records, 2 day course offered in Houston–CANCELLED

Holocaust Museum Houston is hosting the 2-day DAS course: Arrangement and Description of Electronic Records, June 23-24. Early bird registration ends May 24. This excellent 2-day course fulfills two requirements under Foundational and Tactical and Strategic Courses needed to pursue the DAS Certificate.

For more information visit: http://saa.archivists.org/events/arrangement-and-description-of-electronic-records-part-i-and-ii-15b2/616/

Free Webinar on Project Management

Project Management 101: Planning Your Project

Two-part webinar

February 5 and 19, 2015  (1 hour each afternoon)

11 am PST / 2 pm EST

Produced by the Coalition to Advance Learning in Archives, Libraries, and Museums

Join your colleagues from archives, libraries and museums for a two-part, interactive learning webinar that will introduce the fundamentals of project management: planning a project. All of our fields struggle with unstable budgets and dynamic technology, so learning to think and act in terms of projects is critical—it can be the difference between turning an idea into a successful, resourced initiative or not. Led by representatives from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the webinars will focus on the key elements of a project plan: the idea, the audiences, funding options, a work plan, an evaluation, and more. We will also discuss how to critically examine your project ideas, asking, Is it fundable? Valuable? Sustainable? And if not, what could you do differently? While learning these fundamentals, you will also benefit from the insights and experiences shared by your fellow participants from across archives, library, and museum institutions.

February 5     Key Elements of a Project Plan (1 hour)

This session will describe how careful planning leads to more successful projects.. We will cover how to develop an idea, define your audience, look at funding options, do an environmental scan, assess your resource capacity and needs, and develop a project scope and schedule for implementation. Attendees will be invited to use the two weeks between webinars to outline a project idea based on these key principles. Submitted project plans will be reviewed by webinar moderators with individual feedback provided for each submission.

February 19   Evaluating Your Project Plan (1 hour)

In this highly interactive second session, we will use sample project ideas and case studies to look at how we can assess the strength of a project plan before it is implemented. We will also discuss other project management resources and where to learn more about the topic.

How Will I Benefit?

After participating in this two-part webinar, attendees will be better able to:

  • Why project management is a critical skill
  • What it takes to turn an idea into a fundable project
  • Where to learn more about project management
  • How to evaluate staff and institutional capacities to manage a project

Who Should Attend

This topic is relevant to all organizational roles: you may be currently managing or soon will be managing a project, or you may be a contributor to a current or future project.

Presenters and Moderators

  • Robert Horton, Associate deputy director, IMLS
  • Sarah Fuller, Program specialist, IMLS

Register Now

Registration Info

About the Coalition to Advance Learning in Archives, Libraries and Museums

This is the inaugural project from the Coalition to Advance Learning in Archives, Libraries and Museums, which is supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The purpose of the Coalition is to work in deliberate coordination across organizational boundaries to devise and strengthen sustainable continuing education and professional development (CE/PD) programs that will transform the library, archives, and museum workforce in ways that lead to measurable impact on our nation’s communities. Look online for a complete list of Coalition members.

Reminder – 2015 TCDL Call for Proposals

Help to build the program for the 2015 Texas Conference on Digital Libraries!

The 2015 Texas Conference on Digital Libraries will be held April 27-28 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin. The Texas Conference on Digital Libraries is the premiere gathering of digital library and information professionals across Texas and beyond. This is your opportunity to be part of the program.


Submit a Proposal for 2015!


TCDL addresses a wide range of topics including creation, promotion, preservation and management of digital projects and assets, as well as the software and applications that drive the digital library world.  Through a blend of interactive presentations, engaging speakers and informative workshops, TCDL 2015 will be a great place to network and experience the latest in all things digital.

What kind of broad areas would we hope to see covered at TCDL 2015? Here are some ideas!

  • Unexpected finds:  present new ways to use existing technology or demonstrate a new piece of software that’s really made an impact on your workflow.  Show off a new digital collection or project or present novel uses of your institution’s collection material.
  • Unexplained gaps: present ways the larger digital library community can work together to solve problems; initiate dialogues to answer to difficult questions that have faced your institution and to suggest solutions you’d like to see offered at a state or national level.
  • Unexplored collaborations: discover ways to partner together to address an unmet collecting need, novel partnerships that produced interesting results or ideas for greater exposure for collaborative collections.

Whatever you choose to submit, topics explored can include project management, intellectual property issues, deep explorations of software applications … the sky’s the limit! Need more inspiration? Check out last year’s successful programs to get your creative juices flowing.

How can you make your mark on TCDL 2015? Simple: submit a session proposal today. Sessions can take a number of forms, including:

  • PresentationsGeneral presentations on practical work, theoretical or speculative issues, or ongoing or completed research.
  • Panels:  Panel sessions should address a single topic from multiple perspectives and should engage the audience for a full 80-minute session.
  • 24×7 Presentations (24 slides in 7 minutes): 7-minute presentations comprising no more than 24 slides.
  • Posters: Posters will be featured at the conference reception and through a “Minute Madness” session, during which presenters will give a 60-second summary of each poster.
  • Workshops, Tutorials & Demos, Birds of a Feather SessionsThese events provide venues for in-depth instruction in important areas of digital library practice (workshops), demonstrations of new or useful tools and technologies (tutorials), and gatherings of interested attendees to engage in discussion about a particular topic (birds-of-a-feather sessions). Events in this category can range from 1 to 4 hours.

How to Submit a Proposal

More information and the Proposal Submission link can be found at the conference website.

Important Dates

Be a part of TCDL 2015 by submitting your session proposal now. Deadlines and other key dates are approaching quickly!

  • November 17: Call for Proposals
  • February 9: Deadline for all Conference Proposal Submissions
  • March 16: Notification of acceptance
  • March 31: Early bird registration deadline

Questions? Email us at support@tdl.org.