NWA, PAA, and PEA bring to you an opportunity to have a conversation with your colleagues about our collective identity as archivists, curators, and special collections librarians.

 Identity Crisis in the Archives:  We Know Who Your Grandpa Is, But Not Who We Are

 ***Please read the following for important information about the unconference.***

The Portland venue for the unconference is at capacity!  If you are interested in participating but can’t make it in person or didn’t RSVP in time, all is not lost.  NWA has provided funding to test out videoconferencing as a way of extending participation for a variety of events.  If you would like to join the unconference from your office or home, please use the instructions for videoconferencing below. 

Preparation for the discussion:  Even though this is an unstructured discussion among colleagues, we encourage you to read Kate Theimer’s “What is the Professional Archivist’s Role in the Evolving Archival Space?” (A talk given in Christchurch, NZ), which can be found here: http://www.archivesnext.com/? p=3829. 

Some other suggested readings include:

Archival Ideals and the Pursuit of a Moderate Disposition, by Scott Cline (in latest American Archivist, Fall-Winter 2014); and The Discipline of History and The Education of the Archivist, by Hugh Taylor (http://archivists.metapress. com/content/m6n85l340358r788/) .

Please feel free to read other articles or online discussions about professional identity.  But even if you don’t read the articles, be sure you come prepared participate.

 For those attending in person:

         Date: March 27, 2015

         Time: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

         Venue:  Soma Space

4050 NE Broadway Street
Portland, Oregon, USA 97232
http://www.somaspace.us/

         Getting there and parking:

We encourage people to carpool or use transit.  Soma Space does not have a parking lot, but parking is available on the streets surrounding the building.  Depending on other events happening in the neighborhood, you may need to expand your parking radius out by a few blocks. 

If you would like to use transit, the Hollywood Transit Center (HTC) is 0.2 miles from Soma Space – a very short and easy 5 minute walk to the building.  Many buses and the Red, Blue, and Green MAX lines stop at the HTC.   There are several other buses that stop within a couple of blocks of Soma Space, so the transit options are great.  If you have any questions about using transit in Portland, check out the TriMet site http://trimet.org/index.htm.  If you have other questions about getting to the event, please contact Diana Banning (Diana.banning@portlandoregon. gov or 503-865-4110).

          Other information: 

Soma Space is a dance studio with a beautiful floor, meaning this is a no-shoe space.  Light appetizers, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available.  Since this is during the typical dinner hour, please feel free to bring heartier food with you, or to eat before arriving.  If you have dietary restrictions, you are welcome to bring your food and drink.

 For those joining via the web:

         Date: March 27, 2015

         Time: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. PST

• You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone by clicking on the link below and following its instructions.
  
• • https://global.gotomeeting. com/join/446259621
  •  You can listen in with either your computer speakers or telephone. A microphone will not be necessary as we will not be supporting voice chat online.
    

  • • United States (Long distance): +1 (872) 240-3412
      Access Code: 446-259-621
      Some things to note: 

      Please remember that this is the first attempt at videoconferencing for NWA; there will undoubtedly be glitches or failures, but we hope you will give it a try.  It would be helpful to receive feedback from all who join us via the ether so we know what worked and what didn’t.  Please send your feedback to:  johnsmax@ohsu.edu.

      The event begins at 5:30 p.m., but we anticipate the first 20 minutes will consist of getting name tags, food, and small talk.  We will break into small groups for the first portion, which may make it difficult to follow the live conversations online, but the remainder of the evening will be a large group discussion.  People joining us through the web will hopefully be able to see and hear what is going on and can respond via GoToMeeting's IM feature.  We will have someone following the IM thread and incorporating it as much as possible into the conversation.
      

Please contact Diana Banning (Diana.banning@portlandoregon. gov) if you have any questions.