Regional Archival Associations Consortium

Regional Archival Associations Consortium/Society of Georgia Archivists Symposium

August 2, 2016 9:00 - 5:00

Coca-Cola Headquarters, 1 Coca Cola Plaza NW

Atlanta, GA

(Corner of North Avenue & Luckie Street)

Please join the Regional Archival Associations Consortium and the Society of Georgia Archivists for a symposium focusing on the interests of our nation’s regional organizations. Sessions will focus on advocacy, public awareness, education, disaster planning and recovery, and grant development.

9:00 - 9:15: Registration/check-in

9:15 - 9:30 Welcome: Rachel Chatalbash, RAAC Co-Chair

9:30 - 10:15 Lift Where You Stand: The Power of Cooperation

Speaker: J. Gordon Daines III, Brigham Young University

Moderator: Emily Vinson, University of Houston

There is power in cooperation. This presentation will examine two cases where associations partnering together have been able to accomplish more than they could have on their own. It will look at the establishment of the Journal of Western Archives and the creation of the Western Roundup conference concept. Both of these ventures have been successful because of the willingness of regional archival associations to work together and lift where they stand.

10:15 - 11:15  Collaborative Grant Opportunities

Speakers: Kathleen Williams, NHPRC; Ryan Semmes, Mississippi State University

Moderator: Kristen Chinery, Wayne State University

This panel will address ways to foster collaborative grant writing projects among RAAC participants. Ryan Semmes, representing the Society of Mississippi Archivists, will present information about grants SMA received in an effort to help other regionals with their own grant initiatives. Kathleen Williams from NHPRC will discuss what a multi-regional grant project might look like, including requirements and relevant examples.

11:15 - 11:30 Break

11:30 - 12:15 Digital Preservation: What it is and How to Get it

Speaker: Lauren Goodley, MSIS, CA, Texas State University

Moderator: Brittany Parris, Society of Georgia Archivists President

Digital Preservation is an evolving field, and by now most archivists have had to manage at least some digital materials in their collections. This session will go over three training opportunities available to regional archival associations and what to expect from each: DPOE (Digital Preservation Outreach and Education) from the Library of Congress, DAS (Digital Archives Specialist) program from the Society of American Archivists, and POWRR (Preserving Digital Objects with Restricted Resources).

12:15 - 1:45 Lunch

1:45 - 2:45 Who You Gonna Call? Developing a Cultural Heritage Emergency Network

Speakers: Laura Hortz Stanton, Executive Director, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, Pennsylvania Cultural Resilience Network; Jessica Unger, Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation; and Christine Wiseman, Atlanta University Center

Moderator: Daria Labinsky, National Archives of St. Louis

This session will focus on how local, state, and regional groups can work together to facilitate disaster planning and response among libraries, archives, and museums, and how national organizations can help.

2:45 - 3:00 Break

3:00 - 4:15 Cultivating Public Awareness: Connecting Regional Organizations to Communities

Speakers: Caitlin Birch, Dartmouth College; Janet Bunde, New York University; Wendy Hagenmaier, Georgia Institute of Technology; Ashley Gosselar, University of Chicago; and Cathy Miller, CNN Video Archives

Moderator: Jennifer Hecker, University of Texas at Austin

Representatives from the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, the Chicago Area Archivists, the New England Archivists, and the Society of Georgia Archivists will speak about their efforts to connect the public with local archival collections and archivists. Topics will range from the inclusion of outreach in a regional’s strategic plan to the development of programs specifically designed to engage local communities.

4:15 - 4:45: Lessons from the Georgia Archives Budget Crisis

Speaker: Kaye Minchew, Troup County Archives

Moderator: Laura Starratt, Emory University

In 2012, severe budget cuts in the Secretary of State’s Office threatened to close the Georgia Archives.  A coalition of concerned organizations, including the Society of Georgia Archivists, formed to advocate on behalf of the Archives and combat the closure.  This presentation will give a brief overview of the history of the budget crisis and the lessons learned from the advocacy campaign.