Category Archives: Workshops

AHA! Hosts Archival Certification Panel

By Joe Lueck, AHA! Secretary

On September 22, 2020, the members of AHA! convened virtually for the second general meeting of the year. The AHA! board overviewed ongoing and future initiatives, including a slate of exciting Archives Month programming for October. Watch your inbox for more information in the coming weeks! If you’re not on the AHA! listserv and are interested in becoming a member, contact the board at houstonarchivists@gmail.com.  

Following the business meeting, archivists and AHA! members John Rovell, Sandra Yates, and Amanda Focke shared their experiences and thoughts on the Certified Archivist (CA) and Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) certification programs. The panelists discussed skills and lessons learned, the costs and benefits of each certification program, and answered questions from the group, offering advice to prospective certificate seekers. 

The Certified Archivist certification is offered by the Academy of Certified Archivists, an independent organization made up of professional archivists. Obtaining this certification involves coursework, professional service, and passage of an exam covering all aspects of archival enterprise.

The Digital Archives Specialist certification is offered by the Society of American Archivists. This certification pertains specifically to working with born-digital records, involving a customizable curriculum of coursework and a cumulative final exam. 

Thank you again to our panelists! If you are interested in viewing a recording of the meeting and panel, contact the AHA! board at houstonarchivists@gmail.com.

 

SSA Education Coming Near You!

Do you steward digital archives and electronic manuscripts through the digital curation life cycle?

SAA is offering the following DAS course at Rice University in the Fondren Library:

Tool Integration: From Pre-SIP to DIP #1962
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Friday, May 3, 2019
Collaboration Space, Fondren Library
Rice University

Instructor: Max Eckard

REGISTER NOW!
Early-Bird Deadline: April 3, 2019

Description:
The digital curation “ecosystem” is large and complex. Made up of tools that perform small, discrete tasks, to those that cover particular format groups or functional areas of models (such as OAIS), and even those that claim to be more or less comprehensive, this ecosystem is in a constant state of flux. In this course, you’ll explore options for suites of tools that can work together to steward digital archives and electronic manuscripts through the digital curation life cycle. 

Who should attend? Archivists, records managers, special collections curators ,and other practitioners or managers responsible for stewarding digital archives and electronic manuscripts through the digital curation life cycle

Additional information on the course can be found here.

Information on visiting Rice, including campus maps, can be found here.

SAA Education coming to San Antonio, TX!

A&D Bootcamp 
San Antonio, TX | March 11-15, 2019

Join us at the University of Texas at San Antonio for our four day A&D Bootcamp! Complete two of your required foundational courses in the A&D program and get a jump start on your certificate path today! 
Encoded Archival Description 

March 11-12, 2019 | REGISTER NOW!
Instructors: Michael Rush & Dr. Kathy Wisser
Early-Bird Deadline: February 12, 2019

Here’s your chance to receive the instruction and hands-on practice you need to bridge the digital divide. Get acquainted with the language of XML and practice with XML authoring software. This two-day course covers the most up-to-date EAD version.

In this course, you will:

  • Discuss an overview of Extensible Markup Language (XML)
  • Examine the structure of EAD (the SAA-endorsed standard for archival finding aids)
  • Mark up a finding aid
  • Explore style sheets and implementation strategies
  • Practice encoding a finding aid using EAD

Who should attend? Archivists and others who are charged with exploring and/or implementing EAD at their institution or who want to enhance their résumé

What Should You Know? Participants should have arrangement and description practice and familiarity with finding aids
Arrangement and Description: Fundamentals

March 14-15, 2019 | REGISTER NOW!
Instructors: Pam Hackbart-Dean & Anne Ostendarp
Early-Bird Deadline: February 15, 2019
 This two-day course introduces the basic principles, concepts, and tools that archivists use to establish both physical and intellectual control over archival records. These include: developing accession records and processing work plans; identifying common arrangement schemes for collections with varying formats; and how to physically organize materials during processing. You will learn the essential elements of a finding aid and the major descriptive standards that support these elements, as well as the day-to-day decisions made in arranging and describing archival materials. You’ll also participate in a set of exercises designed to emphasize the principles and concepts of arrangement and description.

Who Should Attend? New archives professionals and graduate students in archival programs who have little or no experience in the arrangement and description of archival records;

What Should You Know? Participants are expected to have basic archival training and education.

Click the blue Register links above to register for these courses!

Archives Month 2018

For Archives Month 2018, AHA! members came together for two events:

On October 15th members gathered at the Julia Ideson Building to view the Society of American Archivists (SAA) webinar, Introduction to Processing Digital Records and Manuscripts. This class is one of the core classes for both the DAS and Arrangement and Description (A&D) Certificate programs.

On October 26th , archivists got a behind the scenes tour of the Menil Library and Archives.

Thanks to all who came out, and to our host institutions!

Texas Historical Records Advisory Board Summer Workshops

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board is sponsoring two free workshops this summer. “Grant Proposal Writing” will be offered at SFA on July 24 and at UTEP on August 21.  Each workshop will cap at 25 participants and THRAB requests only one seat per institution. For more details and to register, please visit: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/workshops

Description:

This course surveys the types of state, federal, and private foundation grants available and provides information about researching and writing grant proposals. Topics include types of grants, types of funders, elements of a grant proposal, the grant review process, managing your grant project, reporting requirements, and funding resources.

Who Should Attend?

Archivists, librarians, and staff members at Texas archival repositories who have a responsibility to explore and an interest in funding resources for preservation, processing, digitization and similar projects. An emphasis on NHPRC and other federal grants is stressed.

 

Introduction to TARO Workshop

Registration is now open for this TARO full or half-day workshop hosted at Rice University on Monday, February 12, 2018.

This workshop will teach the hands-on basic skills needed to participate in TARO, including basic XML familiarity and editing, EAD familiarity, how to upload files to TARO, and troubleshooting. The full day is recommended for those with little or no TARO, EAD, or XML experience. The half-day (afternoon only) is recommended as a refresher for those who might feel rusty and/or have work environment changes which have changed their approach to TARO (such as using collection management software now instead of hand-encoding XML).

This workshop is open to anyone but is focused on TARO guidelines and workflows. This is not an intensive EAD course, which is offered as a two-day workshop by SAA (http://www2.archivists.org/profeducation/course-catalog/encoded-archival-description-ead3) or an intensive XML class, but will show the basics to get you started and share resources to help you once you return to your workplace.

Find out more and register: https://societyofsouthwestarchivists.wildapricot.org/event-2734149

Continuing Education: Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Digital Archives

Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Digital Archives

October 23, 2017
Rice University, Fondren Library

Certificate Eligibility: A&D, DAS
Credits: 5 ARC, 0.75 CEU
Length: 1 day
Format: In-Person
Max Attendees: 35
Tier:  Tactical & Strategic
ACE Category: Ethical and Legal Responsibilities

This course covers privacy and confidentiality legal issues specific to archives of digital material. You’ll examine the intersection of (and the tension between) privacy/confidentiality, free speech, and freedom to research/write, and focus on how electronic records and the digital realm have altered the scene. You’ll look at privacy and confidentiality issues in the context of third-party rights, donors, special situations such as medical and education records, national security legislation, and the overriding impact of the digital world. Through case studies, you will examine specific situations pertinent to the work of archivists.

The focus of the day will be on how to think through and identify options for resolving the most commonly encountered privacy and confidentiality legal issues regarding electronic records.

TX-CERA Sponsored Safety Workshop

TX-CERA is hosting a safety and disaster planning workshop July 24th at the MFAH. The workshop is targeted at cultural heritage staff that may work with mold and soot hazards impacting their collections. Staff so often plunge right into hero mode once a disaster hits their collections and inadvertently put themselves at risk while trying to rescue those collections. We hope to avoid that by this type of workshop.

Learn more about the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safety-training-for-museum-library-and-archives-professionals-tickets-35122002856

Education Opportunities, Texas Historical Records Advisory Board

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board is pleased to announce FREE educational opportunities for Texas archivists, librarians, and staff members.

Thinking Digital webinar
Sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, these 90-minute on demand workshops that provide an introduction to the world of digital records while providing practical examples and workflows to implement a digital preservation system.
September workshops available in Nacogdoches, College Station, and San Marcos, TX.
For more information visit  https://www.tsl.texas.gov/thrabwebinar

Archival Award of Excellence
This award recognized significant achievements of a Texas archival institution and individual achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format.  Deadline for submissions is Friday, September 16, 2016.
For more information visit https://www.tsl.texas.gov/thrabwebinar

Grant Proposal Writing Workshop
This course provides an overview of the types of state, federal, and private foundation grants available and provides information about researching and writing grant proposals. Spaces are limited and available on a first come, first serve. Deadline to register is Monday, October 17, 2016.
For more information visit https://www.tsl.texas.gov/thrabwebinar

Genealogical Research Seminar, Saturday, February 28

Holocaust Museum Houston is pleased to announce its collaboration with Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in bringing Houston a genealogical research seminar. Embarking on a family history research project is a great way to pass down our stories and those of our ancestors’ lives. Sue Kaufman, manager of Houston Public Library’s Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, will present basic steps for getting started on your family history journey with a special emphasis on Jewish genealogical research.  Amanda McKenzie, assistant librarian at Holocaust Museum Houston, will give an introduction to Jewish genealogical tools that will assist researching Holocaust survivors and victims. Join the Museum and the library to learn about the resources available for your search. The program is brought to the public by HMH’s Friends of the Library affinity group.

Admission, which includes entry to the Museum, is $12 for nonmember adults, $8 for seniors and active-duty military, and free for HMH members and students. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested.

Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.