The Society of American Archivists is pleased to announce the launch of the SAA Dataverse: a repository for sharing and reusing archives-related datasets. Check out this article to learn more about the Dataverse and how to submit your own qualitative or quantitative data. If you don’t currently have materials to deposit, keep the SAA Dataverse in mind for your future research and data management plans. You do not need to be an SAA member to submit to or use the SAA Dataverse.
Contact corda@archivists.org if you have any questions or would like assistance with submitting your data.
New Jersey Caucus Innovative Archives Award Winner Announced
THE 2022 MARAC NJ CAUCUS’ INNOVATIVE ARCHIVES AWARD IS PRESENTED TO THE UKRAINIAN HISTORY AND EDUCATION CENTER.
As the war in Ukraine began, Michael Andrec quickly shifted his primary archival duties of arrangement and description to one of education and advocacy. Speaking to groups such as the joint New Jersey Library Association’s History and Preservation Section, College and Universities Section, and MARAC NJ caucus about the Historical and Cultural Context of the War in Ukraine on May 3 and to MARAC mentoring groups about being a lone arranger in a cultural heritage archive, Mr. Andrec has brought his work as an archivist to the forefront while also educating us all about Ukraine’s history. This award recognizes archival organizations that have developed innovative educational or outreach models utilizing archival sources, provided leadership during a time of emergency or crisis, demonstrated new thinking in finding a solution to an issue or problem, and exhibited creativity in increasing awareness of local history resources among New Jersey residents and visitors, or otherwise provided exemplary service to the archives and history communities. The committee, consisting of Caryn Radick (Committee chair), Laura M. Poll, and Donald Cornelius, as well as the current Caucus chair, Tara Maharjan in an ex-officio capacity, felt that the Ukrainian History and Education Center deserves recognition for showing how an archive functions in a time of crisis for the community they represent.
Congratulations to Michael and the Ukrainian History and Education Center (www.ukrhec.org).
MARAC Mentoring Program Seeking Participants
Dear MARAC colleagues,
The MARAC Mentoring Program is seeking participants for the 2022 cycle! The year-long program will begin in Summer 2022. All interested mentors and mentees are encouraged to sign up by the end of May. We also encourage folks interested in being mentors to consider self-selecting a co-mentor to work with. Is there a colleague you’d like to partner with? Encourage them to sign up with you!
More information about this exciting program is available here.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
The MARAC Mentoring Program offers members an opportunity to participate in Mentoring Circles, small groups that typically consist of four to five mentees and two mentors. Diverging from the traditional one-on-one mentoring model, the circle fosters mentoring relationships between mentors and mentees, but also peer mentoring relationships and can help you network with new colleagues and gain new useful skills for your archives career.
Mentoring Circles are designed to:
- Encourage the exchange of experiences, challenges, and opportunities to facilitate goal-setting for career and personal development.
- Build competence and character to reach those goals.
- Foster self-confidence, communication skills, and collective growth.
Mentors and Mentees are matched to a circle depending on their interests, goals, availability, and/or geographic location. Circles typically meet in a combination of virtual and in-person meetings. The application process includes an initial survey to determine everyone’s interests and support the initial grouping. All participants should be current MARAC members, able to commit to a full cycle of the program, and be ready to actively participate in every meeting.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Please visit the MARAC Mentoring page to learn more about the program. Applications may be submitted through this form. Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2022. Applicants will receive placement information in Summer 2022.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact the MARAC Mentoring Subcommittee: mentoring@marac.info.
MARAC Member Minute: Meet Jodi Boyle!
Jodi Boyle
Supervisory Archivist, University at Albany
As a kid, I wanted to be… A pediatrician, but my love of reading and history did not quite align with the math and science requirements for the medical profession.
My little known hobby or talent is, I love trivia, logic problems, and the spelling bee from The New York Times.
I joined and stay with MARAC because MARAC has great people! I joined MARAC for the networking opportunities for a new archivist. I stay with MARAC because of the ongoing opportunities to work with smart, talented archivists from different repositories and different caucuses. No matter how long you’ve been an archivist, there’s always more to learn.
Any position(s) held in MARAC: Current editor of the Mid-Atlantic Archivist, current member of the Communications Committee, past member of the Distinguished Service Award Committee, past member of Local Arrangement and Program Committees
Why I chose to volunteer: As the editor of MARAC’s quarterly newsletter for more than five years, I have had the opportunity to work with many members from across the region. I truly appreciate members who take the time to submit news articles, case studies, book reviews or story ideas. It’s always fun to recognize a name and think, “Oh, I know them because they wrote a book review for the MAA a few years ago!”
My recommendation to anyone interested in getting involved is: Don’t hesitate. Run for elected office or simply reach out and get involved with a volunteer position.
MARAC Member Minute: Meet Diane Bockrath!
Diane Bockrath
My title at Hagley Museum and Library is simply Archivist. We document the history of American business and enterprise, which means ENORMOUS collections. I’m currently processing the records of Catalyst, Inc., a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing women in the workplace; at 576 linear feet, it’s actually considered normal-sized for Hagley!
As a kid, I wanted to be..I was so day-dreamy I had no idea! I just knew it was a big world, and I wanted to get out in it.
My little known hobby or talent is, I’ve recently taken hand embroidery! I love it, as it’s so absorbing.
I joined and stay with MARAC because Before Hagley, I was a solo archivist. I quickly realized that MARAC’s conferences offered content that was more relevant to my work and the challenges I was facing than the bigger, national conferences. And the people in MARAC are super great–folks who are willing to share and help, which means a lot when you’re in a small shop.
Any position(s) held in MARAC: Delaware caucus rep
Why I chose to volunteer: I’m a big believer in creating community in one’s profession, and MARAC does that so well. It made sense to become involved and be a part of that.
My recommendation to anyone interested in getting involved is: Just do it! Everyone is so nice and collaborative!
Final words: MARAC is a great organization, and one that I’m proud to be part of!
MARAC Member Minute: Meet Lillian Kinney!
I am the Archivist at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library in Bristol, PA. As a lone arranger, I document the rich history of Bristol Borough and its surrounding towns in lower Bucks County, as well as the history of the Grundy family. One of the most interesting parts of my job is going through our collection related to the Fleetwings Corporation, which was an aircraft company that designed and made planes during World War II. It’s one of my favorite collections to work with–we have some great photographs!
As a kid, I wanted to be either an archaeologist or a professional figure skater–like most kids my hopes and dreams were limitless and changed frequently!
My little known hobby or talent is, I guess it isn’t “little known” to those who do know me, but I am an obsessed knitter/fiber artist. I knit, crochet, embroider–all the things with threads and needles! This hobby has been especially helpful to manage stress during 2020!
I joined and stay with MARAC because it is a great way to network and stay on top of the latest trends in our field.
Any position(s) held in MARAC: Nope.
Nominations sought for ArchivesSpace User Advisory Council
The ArchivesSpace Governance Board is seeking nominations to fill up to five (5) vacancies on the ArchivesSpace User Advisory Council (UAC).
The User Advisory Council (https://archivesspace.org/governance-board-and-councils#UAC) is a critical part of the ArchivesSpace community, serving as a communication conduit between ArchivesSpace governance groups and ArchivesSpace users. UAC members have told us time and again that they find their service to be a fun and valuable way to apply their knowledge of ArchivesSpace and connect with other users around common issues and challenges.
Some of the activities UAC is currently engaged in are:
- Reviewing user-submitted enhancements and priorities for the application, in collaboration with the User Advisory Council. (Development Prioritization)
- Conducting user-centered testing of the application prior to releases, in collaboration with the User Advisory Council. (Testing)
- Maintaining and updating user documentation. (User Documentation)
- Advocating on the usability and functionality of the application. (Usability)
- Coordinating member-centered activities like our peer-to-peer Member Match support program. (Member Engagement)
- Advising the ArchivesSpace Governance Board and the ArchivesSpace Organizational Home on the design and delivery of services, such as community engagement and support services, technical support, and training.
Nominees should be presently employed at an ArchivesSpace member institution (please refer to the categorized member list at: http://archivesspace.org/community/whos-using-archivesspace/). As the community for a software application used in many different settings, we seek diverse voices in working to improve ArchivesSpace and support those who use or may benefit from using it. We especially encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and others currently less represented in our governance groups to consider joining us in these important leadership roles.
The anticipated time commitment for each appointee is expected to be two hours per week on average.
The term of service will be July 1, 2022-June 30, 2025.
To nominate a candidate for the ArchivesSpace User Advisory Council, please submit this form at https://forms.gle/DkDnb2NLRBgy3ecJA. The Nominating Committee will review all nominations and recommend appointments to the Governance Board for approval.
Nominations must be received by 9:00 p.m. EDT on Friday April 29th. Please contact Christine Di Bella, ArchivesSpace Program Manager, at christine.dibella@lyrasis.org or any member of the Nominating Committee with questions.
Thank you for your participation in this important process, which is an essential part of our identity and operations as a community-based software organization.
Respectfully,
Nicholas Zmijewski
Industrial Archives & Library
Chair, and Governance Board member
On behalf of Nominating Committee members:
Dan Michelson, Smith College, Chair of User Advisory Council
Randy Kuehn, University of Louisville, Chair of Technical Advisory Council
Julia Tanenbaum, University of Wisconsin, representing very large membership level
Aaisha Haykal, College of Charleston, representing large membership level
Tiffany Cole, James Madison University, representing medium membership level
Corinne Chatnik, New York State Archives, representing small membership level
Sara Butterfass Schliep, Folger Shakespeare Library, representing very small membership level
Christine Di Bella (ArchivesSpace Program Manager), ex officio
MARAC Member Minute: Meet Sara Borden!
I am the Head of Archival Collections and Services in University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) at Rowan University. The most interesting thing about my job is the breadth of our collections. We have recently started a collection on television history to support a new master’s program in the Edelman College of Communications and Creative Arts. I have a lifelong love of television, so I’m really excited that my personal interests and professional duties get to be entwined in this case, purely by happenstance. Another instance in which that has happened in my current job (though I often say that I can find something interesting about literally any topic) is our collection on numismatics. The very first donor to UASC was very interested in minting coins in the United States (he once owned the First US Mint Building in Philadelphia). My grandfather had a coin collection that he passed on to my dad. Collecting coins became his passion and he passed that passion on to me. So again, purely by happenstance (I was not aware that there was an extensive numismatic collection when I took my job), collections at work and my personal interests are well-matched.
As a kid, I wanted to be.. So many things! My most vivid memory of professional aspirations is a desire to be an interior designer. I loved to imagine rooms for me to live in. I loved to rearrange the furniture and things in my room. I have never been very good at science or math, but I briefly wanted to be a veterinarian, a marine biologist, and an astronaut.
My little known hobby or talent is, I mentioned I collect coins, but I also have a “secret” stamp collection. It’s a secret because I don’t really talk about it too much. I had a large stamp collection as a child (clearly collecting has always been my thing!) and I got rid of it in adolescence. A few years ago, I started noticing how many interesting varieties of stamps I was getting in the mail and I started tearing them off and saving them. It isn’t a big collection, but I love to look at the plethora of designs! My current favorites are the lenticular T-Rex stamps the USPS recently issued.
I joined and stay with MARAC because I joined and stay with MARAC because I think there is power in groups. We need advocacy and the voices of many are more powerful than the voices of one. I also believe in MARAC’s vision and mission. I think MARAC can truly help member archivists to be the best they can, to advance in their careers, and to be lifelong learners. My MARAC membership is the most valuable of any of my professional memberships.
Any position(s) held in MARAC: I have served on the Membership Committee since 2010 and served as the Membership Chair 2015 to Spring 2021. Chair- Elect 2021- 2022.
Why I chose to volunteer: I believe very strongly of the importance of the archives profession. As with anything, there are ways we can improve and I want to be a part of making that happen. I think that joining professional associations and working as a group toward change and improvement is a most effective means of achieving my goals.
Being Membership Chair is rewarding because I get to meet so many new professionals who are often just starting out and nervous and watch them grow into themselves and their careers as confident people. I love to encourage people to get involved and to be a friendly face to someone who might be feeling a little unsure.
My recommendation to anyone interested in getting involved is: Just jump in! LACs and PCs are really easy ways to get involved that don’t involve a lot of effort. If there’s a position you’re interested in holding, check that box on your membership renewal form. Get in touch with the Nominations and Elections Committee and say you want to run. You don’t need to have a ton of professional or MARAC experience, just do it! We always benefit from new perspectives. MARAC is a very friendly bunch of people, so don’t hesitate to speak up.
MARAC Spring ’22 Meeting Call for Poster Proposals
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) is seeking poster session proposals for the Spring 2022 “Communities Big and Small” meeting scheduled to be held March 24-26 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. We welcome proposals from both professionals and current students.
The poster proposal submission form and more information are available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-c8l8y1qy1ydac3ecpHkalHNxIR7iq3EcidFKoIWJhY/edit
Proposals will be accepted until March 4, 2022.
MARAC Member Minute: Meet Stephanie Gardner!
Stephanie Gardner
Bridgewater College, Special Collections Librarian. I am working in a beautiful and functional new space, the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, which opened in February 2020!
As a kid, I wanted to be… scientist, actor, museum curator, astronaut, tour guide, anthropologist
My little known hobby or talent is, newest hobby is gardening
I joined and stay with MARAC because As a young archives professional in Western North Carolina, I was taught by my mentors to network, share my knowledge, and to stay up to date on professional trends and standards.
Any position(s) held in MARAC: not yet
My recommendation to anyone interested in getting involved is: Go for it!
Final words: Thank you to MARAC for keeping us connected!
The MARAC Blog 