News & announcements

If your library houses special collections or archives, we need your help.

The "Streamlining Work Flows" subgroup of the RLG Sharing Special Collections Advisory Group seeks to identify best practices in processing requests for special collections and archival materials received from external organizations and users. Please take 15-20 minutes to share your experiences and opinions with us by taking a short survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JTRSBMG

Please complete your response by Thursday, June 3. Ideally, interlibrary loan and special collections staff will work together in responding.

You can learn more about our working group by visiting our project Web site:

http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/sharing/default.htm

Thanks in advance for your help!

--The "Streamlining" subgroup

Greetings fellow archivists!

Each year, more than half a million elementary and secondary students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide participate in the National History Day contest. Students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews, and historic sites. This year's theme is Innovation in History: Impact and Change.

The archival community can serve a vital function in National History Day by working with local teachers and state National History Day coordinators to make them aware of the possibility of conducting research at nearby archival institutions. In addition to proving support to the National History Day program, participation in NHD is a great way for archives to reach out to nearby community members.

The amount of participation your archive chooses is completely up to you and can range from posting a NHD poster in your reading room to actively working with local teachers and students. You choose the amount of time you would like to invest in NHD involvement.

Regardless of the resources you choose to invest, involvement in NHD is a great way to increase the exposure of your repository and to highlight the vital task that archivists all over America perform.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact your state NHD coordinator (NHD Affiliate Coordinators: http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/Coordinators.htm) or consult the National History Day web page at http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/  

Alaska: http://ak.nhd.org/

Idaho: http://www.idahohistory.net/historyday.html

Montana: http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/Montanapage.htm

Oregon: http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/Oregonpage.htm

Washington: http://www.washingtonhistory.org/historyday/sponsors.aspx

NHD resources on the Society of American Archivists can be found at this web page: http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/rao/hday.asp?

Thank you.

Polina E. Ilieva

Reference, Access, and Outreach Section

National History Day Committee Member

The Society of California Archivists, the Northwest Archivists, the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists, and the Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists invite paper submissions for the inaugural issue of The Journal of Western Archives.  Submissions received before June 1st, 2010, will be considered for publication in the first issue.

JWA, a peer reviewed, open access, online journal, will give archivists, manuscript curators, and graduate students in the American West a place to publish on topics of particular interest and relevance to them. The journal will consider for publication:

 *   Research articles;
 *   Case studies;
 *   Work-in-progress articles; and
 *   Book, exhibit, Web, and film review essays.

Articles should pertain to one the following categories:

 *   Important Western regional issues in archives and manuscript repositories;
 *   Unique archival developments in the western United States;
 *   Technological innovations and their effect on archival theory and practice;
 *   The history and development of the archival and curatorial professions in the American West;
 *   Collaborative efforts and projects between various cultural institutions.

Please take a moment and visit the JWA website at:  http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/westernarchives, and if you are interested in contributing to the journal please contact the managing editor, John Murphy john_m_murphy@byu.edu.

Via Kit Leary, Archivist, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Here in southern Oregon the Southern Oregon Historical Society is in a crisis situation. The city of Jacksonville is on the National Register of Historic Places. Below you will find links to four articles describing the current situation. There are no archivists, librarians, or curator of collections on staff anymore. I attended the public meeting last night and learned that they intend to reopen the Research Library in May with all volunteers, though one of the volunteers who staff the library most often has worked there for a number of years. The Executive Director told me that she is seeking a grant for a part-time archivist.  Below the main article are some reader comments. 

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100116/NEWS/1160305

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100119/NEWS/1190319

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100127/NEWS/1270312

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100128/NEWS/1280329

The NWA nominations committee is seeking eager volunteers to run for Northwest Archivist board positions. If your interest has been piqued, please contact a member of the committee:

Trevor Bond; tjbond@wsu.edu
Donna McCrea; donna.mccrea@mso.umt.edu
Linda Long; llong@uoregon.edu

For additional information on NWA offices and their duties see: http://northwestarchivistsinc.wildapricot.org/Default.aspx?pageId=388749

At-Large Student Scholarship information:
http://northwestarchivistsinc.wildapricot.org/studentscholarship

Profession Development Scholarship:
http://northwestarchivistsinc.wildapricot.org/profdevscholarship

You are encouraged to participate in a 2010 Oregon Heritage Assessment Survey that assesses the status of heritage and archives in Oregon, including the threats they face. The surveys will be compiled and analyzed, then used to provide a fact-based foundation for statewide planning and advocacy.
 
 "Many heritage organizations and archives are under stress," said Oregon Heritage Commission Chair George Kramer of Ashland. "In order to develop successful strategies that address their needs, we need to first discover the many challenges they face. We expect that some of the challenges are nationwide in scope, while others are unique to Oregon."
 
A survey has been developed especially for archives. The deadline for completing the survey is Feb. 12.

The Commission is recommending that archives first take a look at the printable PDF version of the survey and use it as a worksheet.  When the worksheet is complete, enter your information in the online survey. You must finish your online survey in one session; you will not be allowed to save your answers and return to your session, or to retake the survey. If you prefer submitting the printed worksheet, you may do that.

For more information about the assessment and to complete a survey, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/OHC/assess_main.shtml  For other information, contact Aili Schreiner at 503-986-0805 or aili.schreiner@state.or.us 

SW Washington Regional National History Day Competition is scheduled for February 27, 2010, at WSUV. Once again, students in this area have been hard at work learning and preparing their materials for this big day and in order for it to happen we need judges. Can you help?

As in the past, the day will start with a light breakfast, training and then more great experiences supporting the students who have turned out to compete. Lunch will be provided along with snacks and lots of assistance. The day will be divided in half and you can volunteer to work the morning, the afternoon, or both.

Demands on teachers and students are heavy and it's hard to find time for these kinds of very special learning experiences - kids really do have amazing learning experiences at History Day. Please join us, your efforts make the difference.

Please respond to this email:

1. If you are available
2. What category you would like to judge if you have a preference
3. Your phone number
4. Names/emails of others you know who might be judges
5. We particularly need judges for papers and websites that occurs BEFORE the contest.  Please call Rene 360-977-2371, if you are so inclined to help with these categories. 


THANK YOU!

Rene Soohoo, Regional Coordinator
Walter & Jodene Cook, Judge Coordinators

Check out The Oregonian article!