Joe Schill Corning Museum of Glass, archivist. Getting to work with a variety of materials, including design drawings by artists, glass company records, and collections related to the science of how glass products are made.
As a kid, I wanted to be…An explorer
My little known hobby or talent is, collecting old tools and industrial age stuff
I joined and stay with MARAC because It helps me connect with other archivists in my region and helps keep me in the loop
Any position(s) held in MARAC: Virtual LAC for Spring 2021 meeting
Why I chose to volunteer: I wanted to get more involved and help make the spring 2021 a success
My recommendation to anyone interested in getting involved is: If you have time, do it. But think about how much time you have and volunteer accordingly. Some positions require a lot more time than others.
Final words: These are unprecedented times, but life will move on. Stay engaged with colleagues and fellow archivists.
The New England Archivists Inclusion and Diversity Committee is pleased to announce the second iteration of our contingent employment survey. Building on the work of the first NEA contingent employment survey in 2016, we want to further understand contingent employment in the archival field. What has changed in the past five years? What has stayed the same? How can professional organizations like NEA support contingently employed archival workers?
The survey is available here. It will remain open through June 30, 2021. You do not need to be a member of New England Archivists to participate in the study.
You are eligible to participate in this study if you are an archival worker or former archival worker and:
you have been contingently employed in New England in the past ten years (2011-2021)
OR
you have been contingently employed anywhere in the United Statesin the last ten years (2011-2021) AND…
Man standing on a cannon. Special Collections and College Archives, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College
The Gettysburg 2021 conference is bookended by seven tours to local sites of memory. Come early or stay late to catch at least one of these unique local attractions!
Thursday October 7, 2021
9am-2pm: National Seton Shrine and National Shrine Grotto, $5
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and National Shrine Grotto is just miles from Gettysburg in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint, lived and worked here. Guests will tour Seton’s home, the beautiful Basilica of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, and the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives.
Following the on-site tours, participants can continue to the National Shrine Grotto on the campus of Mount St. Mary’s. Climb to the top of the mountain to see one of the oldest American replicas of the Lourdes Grotto in France. This is a self-guided tour.
10am-12pm: Evergreen Cemetery Tour, $10
The Evergreen Cemetery is the resting place for many of Gettysburg’s iconic citizens: Jennie Wade, John Burns, Elizabeth Thorn, and James Gettys. Learn their stories from your Licensed Battlefield Tour Guide! (Or perhaps hear the stories first-hand, if the October atmosphere makes those at rest a bit… restless.) In addition, see the actual location of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
1pm-2:30pm: Shriver House and Museum, $10
The Shriver House preserves and shares the civilian experience during the Battle of Gettysburg, focusing on George and Hettie Shriver and their children. Used as a hospital, the Shriver home soon became strewn with men, and Confederate soldiers used the attic as a sharpshooter’s nest. Learn more during the tour about the Shriver family, how their home was used during the Battle, and how the home was preserved after long neglect.
3pm-4:30pm: Adams County Winery, $8
Located outside of Gettysburg, in Orrtanna, is the Adams County Winery. It is the fifth-oldest operating winery in Pennsylvania, dating to 1975. Learn about the different wines produced in the Winery’s historic bank barn during this tour. A wine tasting with cheese and crackers will be provided at the conclusion of the tour.
3pm-4pm: Special Collections and College Archives at Gettysburg College, $5
Get a behind the scenes tour of the Special Collections and College Archives at Musselman Library. The Special Collections and Archives preserves items pertaining to college history, but also has numerous collections from the Civil War Era, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and other noteworthy national and local events and locations.
Saturday October 9, 2021
3pm-4:30pm: Hickory Hollow Horseback Tour, $75
Ride horseback through the Gettysburg National Military Park. No blue or grey uniform worn in this cavalry! A trail guide will escort guests on trails throughout the battlefield. Featured spots include: The Confederate Battle Line, Spangler Farm, panoramic views of Big and Little Round Top, and Pickett’s Charge. Guests will get a group photograph on horseback on the battlefield.
Flexible
Seminary Ridge Museum Passes: Good from Thursday through Sunday for one visit/person, $8
The Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center is located in the historic Schumucker Hall, once part of the Lutheran Theological Seminary. The museum focuses on the first day’s events during the Battle of Gettysburg and explains the building’s use as a field hospital. Videos and hands-on exhibits enhance the experience. In addition, guests may purchase a Cupola Tour, if available, during their visit. The Cupola is well known for panoramic views of the battlefield, and its historical significance as General John Buford’s place to survey the first day’s battle.
Valerie A. Metzler After working in the field since 1976, in 1985 I became the first full-time freelance archivist in the United States by starting my private practice, Valerie Metzler Archivist/Historian. It fascinates me to this day. Especially in 2020, this year of years, I am grateful and kind of amazed that I have thrived as an archivist in private practice. A what?!
As a kid, I wanted to be…archaeologist
My little known hobby or talent is, I sing tenor and am a student of West African drum and dance.
I joined and stay with MARAC because It’s essential to expanding my education and my business.
Any position(s) held in MARAC: Steering Committee, LAC, Program, Meetings Coordinating
Why I chose to volunteer: …the benefits I receive, in return.
My recommendation to anyone interested in getting involved is: Choose something that interests you whether you are experienced in it or want to learn about it.
The summer 2021 issue of the Mid-Atlantic Archivist is now available. Meet new MARAC Chair Tara Wink, break down conference budgets with Treasurer Amanda May, see what’s planned for the Gettysburg meeting next fall, congratulate Distinguished Service Award Recipient Jim Gerencser, and more.
The 2021 Distinguished Award recipient Jim Gerencser. Image courtesy of Gerencser.
75th Anniversary, Battle of Gettysburg – Army Band Rounding Gettysburg Square. 1938 July. Photograph. Special Collections and College Archives, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College.
The Arline Custer Memorial Award is 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 Arline Custer Memorial 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.
Individuals or institutions may submit up to two works published between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
Evaluation Works must be relevant to the general public as well as the archival community. They also should be original and well researched using available sources. In addition, they should be clearly presented, well written and organized. Visual materials, if used, should be appropriate to the text.
Preference will be given to works by archivists.
Award Up to three awards may be given, with a maximum value of $200.00 for books and $100.00 for articles. The 2021 award(s) may be announced at a fall 2021 MARAC business meeting or shared with MARAC members via another means.
Electronic Submission Instructions Please send a PDF of the entirety of the work along with a PDF of a letter of nomination to the Senior Co-Chair of the Arline Custer Memorial Award Committee:
Brigette Kamsler University Archivist George Washington University Email: bckamsler@gwu.edu
Physical Submission Instructions Please send two physical copies of each submission with a letter of nomination to the Senior Co-Chair of the Arline Custer Memorial Award Committee. Please email the Sr. Co-Chair to request the mailing address.
The MARAC Finding Aid Awards Committee welcomes submissions for the 2021 C. Herbert Finch Online Publication Award. This award recognizes online publications, including virtual exhibitions, web sites, web pages and other digital tools that promote the use of archival materials. To be eligible for the award, an online publication must have a stable internet address and must have been published between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. The award is only open to repositories in the MARAC region and all submissions must be received by July 31, 2021.
The MARAC Mentoring Program is seeking participants for the 2021 cycle! The year long program will begin in July 2021. All interested mentors and mentees should sign up by Friday, June 18th. 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 on this exciting program is available on MARAC’s Mentoring Program webpage.
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 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 Submit the application available at https://forms.gle/XL3FBvcghN4E7RNJ8 by Friday, June 18, 2021. Applicants will receive placement information by July 1, 2021. Remember that this is group mentoring, so if you wish to bring together a cohort, you can indicate that in the form
If you have any questions about the program, please contact the MARAC Mentoring Subcommittee: mentoring@marac.info.
The MARAC Blog 