MARAC’s New Jersey Caucus announces 2017 Innovative Archives Award

The New Jersey Caucus of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) is proud to announce the recipient of this year’s Innovative Archives Award is the Morristown National Historical Park, Library and Archives located in Morristown, New Jersey.

MARAC is the regional professional society for archivists and special collections professionals.  It spans from New York to Virginia and includes Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  The New Jersey Caucus comprises those members of MARAC living or working in the state of New Jersey.

The Morristown National Historical Park, Library and Archives, with a staff of three, has made great strides in promoting the history of the site that George Washington chose as his winter encampment for two winters during the Revolutionary War, and making the Library’s collections an active site for research and discovery. In addition to offering a series of lectures, partnerships, and online articles, the curatorial staff collaborates with universities and secondary schools to make historical manuscripts accessible and relevant to young learners.

The Library and Archives has pioneered several programs to reach out to secondary schools in the region and engage those students and teachers in the complex concepts of historic documentation and scholarship that are involved in writing our nation’s history.  Having designed programs which include example lesson plans to help schools to integrate the resources of the Library and Archives into their curriculum needs, they also offer on-site programs to further engage the young students in the joy of historical discovery.

Their partnership with local schools and universities have had a very high impact; most recently displaying information related to the Shakespeare Folio that visited Drew University in the Fall of 2016.   One popular topic was the art of transcription using their own records to discuss and demonstrate the challenges of reading cursive writing.

The staff have developed, with the help of high school and college-age interns, a variety of ways to engage young adults in the research process. This creative thinking along with the shear excitement communicated by the staff for their topics is felt by those who participate in these projects.

For these reasons, MARAC- NJ Caucus is pleased to recognize the Library and Archives of the Morristown National Park as this year’s recipient of the 2017 Innovative Archives Award.

MARAC – New Jersey Caucus Innovative Archives Award Committee

Message from the MARAC Chair regarding Charlottesville

The violent events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11 and 12 were appalling, horrific​,and defy core American values. The entire Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference stands with our colleagues in Charlottesville and all of the archivists within the Commonwealth of Virginia​.
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Over this next year MARAC will strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion. As we foster the discovery and preservation of the historic record in the communities we serve, and, more importantly, the underrepresented communities we need to reach we will work to counter hate with knowledge and openness. We can and will make a meaningful difference.

 

V i n c e n t  J.  N o v a r a

Chair, Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC)

MARAC website face lift

This post was submitted by Liz Caringola on behalf of the MARAC Web Team. The members of the MARAC Web Team are:

Liz Caringola, University of Maryland, College Park
Christy Fic, Shippensburg University
Anastasia Matijkiw, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Don Sailer, Dickinson College

The MARAC website recently underwent a facelift. The Web Team has been working behind the scenes for the last year to make this change possible. We think that the cleaner design and improved features make the website easier to use. We hope you like it and find it easier to use, too.

Besides the design, here are the highlights of what’s new to the website:

Screenshot of the new MARAC website.

Banner image and link to upcoming conferences on the Home page. Did you know that the Upcoming Conferences page is the most visited page on the MARAC website? Now you can get there directly from the Home page. The background banner is an image from our next conference’s host city and will change after every conference.

Streamlined navigation menu. We’ve cut down on the number of links in the navigation menu and reorganized them, so that you can find what you’re looking for faster. But if the navigation menu still doesn’t do it for you, you can use the…

Search box. Yes, we finally have a search box!

The website will look good on any size screen. Try looking at the website on your tablet or phone (or just shrink the size of your browser window if you’re on a desktop or laptop).

Mobile view.

Social media icons. These icons link to MARAC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, so you can easily connect with MARAC on social media.

New social media icons link to MARAC’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

Although the new design is online, our work isn’t finished. Over the next few months, the Web Team will continue to work on cleaning up old pages and outdated content. After the fall conference, we’ll also begin working on some upgrades to the backend of the website, and though you won’t see them, these changes will allow our administrator Sara to do her job more efficiently.

If you have any feedback on the new website design, or notice anything that isn’t working, please contact the MARAC Web Team at maracwebteam@gmail.com.

MARAC Scholarships: Apply now!

The MARAC Scholarship Committee is currently accepting applications for awards to support attendance at the upcoming fall meeting in Buffalo, NY from October 26-28, 2017.

Information about the available awards is included below. Required materials should be sent to Emily Cottle, MARAC Scholarship Committee Chair, emilyrcottle@gmail.com, by September 15, 2017.

There are three awards available for each conference:

1. MARAC Meeting and Travel Awards (2 awards: $400 and $250)
2. Karen A. Stuart Local History Collection Workshop & Conference Attendance Award

Additional information about each award is included below.

APPLICATION: Applicants for either award should submit the following:

1. Cover letter that includes:
   a) Award for which you are applying
   b) Statement of financial need
   c) Expected benefits of attending the conference (citing specific sessions or workshops of interest)
2. Resume
3. Letter of reference from a person with knowledge of the applicant’s work (sent directly to the MARAC Scholarship Committee Chair, Emily Cottle, via email at emilyrcottle@gmail.com)

DEADLINE: Buffalo meeting, September 15, 2017
TO APPLY: Send a single PDF of the cover letter and resume to Emily Cottle, MARAC Scholarship Committee Chair, at emilyrcottle@gmail.com. Letter of recommendation should be sent by the reference as a PDF directly to Emily Cottle, MARAC Scholarship Committee Chair, at emilyrcottle@gmail.com. Please include MARAC Scholarship Application in the subject line. All applicants will receive an email confirming their application has been received.

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MARAC Meeting & Travel Awards
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) offers travel awards of $400 and $250 for attendance at its conferences held twice a year around the region.
Scholarship funds may be used for conference registration, workshops, lodging, conference meals, and other travel expenses. Persons meeting the criteria outlined below are encouraged to apply.

QUALIFICATIONS: For this award, an individual must currently:

• Be employed in the MARAC region in an archival or archives-related position, OR
• Be enrolled as a graduate student in a program that includes courses in archival administration OR
• Be a MARAC member in good standing

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Karen A. Stuart Local History Collection Workshop & Conference Attendance Award
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) offers awards for one full or half-day workshop, and conference registration, including the Friday Luncheon and Saturday Breakfast. Please note this award does not cover any travel expenses, but only the registration costs outlined above.

Named in memory of Karen A. Stuart, a Library of Congress archivist who had been head librarian at the Maryland Historical Society, this award is expressly aimed at those associated with Local History Collections. Active with MARAC on the Publications Committee and also as Maryland Caucus Chair, Karen maintained a life-long interest in local history and genealogy, respecting and encouraging the scholarly practice of each. In her career, she assisted thousands of researchers investigating Maryland local history, and through her guidance she also impacted the careers of local history practitioners throughout the state. Karen loved local history so it is fitting that this award bears her name as MARAC supports the professional growth of others dedicated to the field.

QUALIFICATIONS: Individuals must currently be associated with a local history collection that is open to the public on a regular basis in the MARAC region. Volunteers as well as paid staff are eligible. Priority is given to local history collections located in the meeting’s host city for the purpose of networking opportunities, but will not exclude other applicants.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) Arline Custer Memorial Award Call for Entries

Presented by the MARAC Arline Custer Memorial Award Committee, this award honors the memory of Arline Custer (1909-1975), MARAC member and editor of the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.

Eligibility

The Custer Award recognizes the best books and articles written or compiled by individuals and institutions in the MARAC region: the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Works under consideration include, but are not limited to, monographs, popular narratives, reference works, and exhibition catalogs using archival sources. The committee accepts electronic copies of articles and books but requests print copies when possible for consistency and ease of distribution and review.

Individuals or institutions may submit up to two works published between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017.

Evaluation

Works must be relevant to the general public as well as the archival community. They should be original and well-researched. In addition, they should be clearly presented, well-written, and organized. Visual materials, if present, should be appropriate to the text.

Preference will be given to works by archivists.

Award

Up to two awards may be given, with a maximum value of $200.00 for books and $100.00 for articles. The 2017 awards will be announced at the Fall 2017 MARAC meeting in Buffalo, New York.

How to submit an entry

Please send two copies of each submission with a letter of nomination to the Senior Co-Chair of the Arline Custer Memorial Award Committee:

Elizabeth Surles
Institute of Jazz Studies, Dana Library
Rutgers University-Newark
185 University Ave.
Newark, NJ 07102
elizabeth.surles@rutgers.edu

Entries must be postmarked (and preferably received) by July 31, 2017.

For additional information and list of previous award winners, please see: https://marac.memberclicks.net/arline-custer-memorial-award

Call for Submissions: C. Herbert Finch Online Publication Award

The Finch Award honors online publications, including virtual exhibitions, web sites and web pages devoted to the promotion and use of archival materials, created by individuals or institutions in the MARAC region: the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Call for Submissions
The Finding Aids Award Committee will accept submissions or nominations for the C. Herbert Finch Online Publication Award. To be eligible for the award, an online publication must have a stable internet address and must have been published between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017.

The committee encourages the submission of entries that use a variety of media. Submissions are judged on content, navigability, usability, functionality, and site design. One award will be given with a maximum value of $250.00. The 2017 award will be announced at the Business Meeting of the MARAC Fall 2017 conference in Buffalo, New York.

Please note: An online publication that is primarily a finding aid is not eligible for the Finch Award, but may be nominated for the Finding Aids Award. Stay tuned for the call for submissions later this year.

Submission Deadline 
Entries must be received by July 31, 2017. Please e-mail URLs for each submission with a letter of nomination to the Senior Co-Chair of the Finding Aids Award Committee:

Caitlin Goodman
Senior Co-Chair of the Finding Aids Award Committee

Curator, Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia
goodmanca@freelibrary.org

Get involved in MARAC: Call for Wilmington committee members!

Looking to get involved in MARAC? The Fall 2018 meeting is looking for volunteers to join its Program Committee and the Local Arrangements Committee. Read on for more information about both opportunities!

The conference will be held October 11-13, 2018 at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, DE.

Local Arrangements Committee
We need 12-15 MARAC members to join our Local Arrangements Committee (LAC).

LAC members should be located within the vicinity of the meeting site. Though a lot of things can be done by email, there will be some in-person meetings and logistical requirements.

LAC responsibilities include facilitating the logistics for the meeting, such as arranging tours, staffing the registration desk, chaperoning dine-arounds, meeting promotion, and more.

Please note that LAC members will need to attend the entire meeting and should not plan to participate in any panels as presenters.

Program Committee
We need 12-20 MARAC members to join our Program Committee (PC).

PC members need not be located geographically nearby; all work can be done by email.

PC responsibilities include planning the meeting content, such discussion sessions and lunch/plenary speakers.

Please note that committee members will not be allowed to participate in any sessions as chairs or presenters.

If you’re interested in joining either committee, please fill out this short Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/lAmXFs9fu7Idu1Ev1

The committees will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis and committee members will receive an email confirming their membership.

Have questions about this opportunity or want to learn more? Email us at MARAC.Wilmington@gmail.com

Thanks!
Emily Cottle, Sarah Denison, Kate Fair
Wilmington Program and Local Arrangements Co-Chairs