News & announcements

Get your questions ready for #AskAnArchivist Day, happening October 13th on Twitter! Archivists from all over the country will be providing answers and insights.

October's Archives Month is right around the corner - have you checked out what's in store?

The new Washington State Archives Month Website is now live with everything you need to know, including event listings, a poster gallery and more: https://wastarchivesmonth.com/

Washington State Archives Month (WSAM) is an annual statewide opportunity each October to engage a range of audiences by communicating the value of our historical records, to publicize and raise awareness of the many ways these collections enrich our lives, and to recognize those who preserve and manage our communities' historical records, whether at archives repositories, museums, libraries, within companies, or at non-profit institutions.

This year’s theme is “Reconnect, Converge, Rediscover” and organizations across the state are invited to participate. Suggestions for activities, whether virtually or in-person, include:

Open houses, exhibitions with archives, panel discussions, film screenings, walking tours, and partnering with other institutions and archives for collaborative events. Check out the WSAM website to see previous programs and events.

If you would like for your activity to be further promoted by the Archives Month Committee, please complete the form.

Washington State Archives Month Activity Form:

https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdwI.../viewform

Questions Or Comments? Contact Us:

Archives Month Committee of Washington State (AMCW)

washingtonstatearchivesmonth@gmail.com

Be Kind, Please Rewind: Creating an Oral History of the Local Video Store – Northwest Archivists (wordpress.com)

The Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA) is hosting an online SAA workshop prior to our annual meeting next month, and we wanted to let you know that anyone is invited to register.  The workshop is “Intro to PREMIS” and it counts toward both the Arrangement & Description (A&D) and Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) certifications offered through SAA.  It is planned to take place on Wednesday, April 28, and will be all day.

For information on cost and a link to registration, as well as a summary of the workshop, please visit the following website:

https://cima.wildapricot.org/event-4128619

Registration is due by Friday, April 9.

NWA Native American Collections Roundtable Conference Scholarship 2021

Intent

One of the main goals for the Native American Collections Roundtable [NACR] is to bridge access for individuals working with, or aspiring to work with Native American collections with the Northwest Archivists [NWA] Annual conference, as participant or presenter. To support this effort, the NACR is offering 25 scholarships to cover conference registration as well as an annual membership to Northwest Archivists as an opportunity for continued professional development of award recipients.

Information professionals working within, affiliated with, or interested in working for tribal information institutions with Native American collections located in one of the five member states (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) are encouraged to apply.

Due to COVID-19, the meeting will be held virtually from May 10th – May 14th. Past scholarship recipients are welcome to apply, however, priority will be given to new applicants.

Guidelines

Eligible applicants will meet at least one of the following criteria and reside in one of the five member states: 

A. Tribal member working with Native American collection(s);

B. Individual working for tribal information program;

C. Individual working with Native American collection(s);

D. Tribal member interested in working with Native American collection(s).  

All awardees are expected to write a short report (example) by June 30, 2021, about their conference experience to be published on the NWA and NWA-NACR blogs.

Selection

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by current members of the NWA NACR Scholarship Committee based upon the answers provided to the required questions in their application. Considerations will be made to provide geographic representation in the awards. The application is available at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSZioMmhqH26iyaGO-HKwte_EIRQuGlIekfzEewLO-gp7Dmg/viewform?usp=sf_link

The application deadline is Monday April 5, 2021. All applicants will be notified within three weeks of the application deadline.

The committee may contact you for additional information post-application submission.

Please direct any questions about the scholarship and application process to:

nwanac@gmail.com with the subject line: “NACR Scholarship”.

Last month the Northwest Archivists Continuing Education Fund sponsored a two-part miniseries created for archivists and collection managers titled: Digital Collection Essentials. These webinars are now available on YouTube and can be accessed freely at your leisure. They also serve as a great complement to the presentation I delivered to ARCS on November 4, 2020: Database Blues – An action plan for selection and implementation of a new CMS; a version of which can be found here.

Link: youtu.be/lHoCZgqBhFM

Abstract: Over the years digital collections have steadily increased in their importance to how archivists and other collection workers serve up collections. And COVID-19 has shown us just how critically important it is for archives and museums to provide a public way to access digital collections. But what if you have little to no collections online? What if they're online, but they're failing to engage the community by any meaningful metric? If your collections aren't online and in front of people, then they don't exist. This webinar will define what an engaging point of access is, outline creative ways to deliver collections online with or without a Collections Management System (CMS), and review strategies for how to create meaningful digital collection experiences with non-traditional (read: not CMS) platforms.

The CMS: What's Essential, What's Hackable, and What Does it Cost?

Link: youtu.be/Mn9WdGRF1i4

Abstract: The Pacific Northwest is home to a wide array of cultural heritage organizations with varying budget sizes to accomplish the Sisyphean task of digital collections management. For those who have no Collections Management System (CMS), have cobbled together CMS tools, or are looking for a new CMS; there are questions that require answering:

1. What is “essential” when it comes to serving up digital collections via a CMS?
2. How can I hack various digital collection tools to accomplish my goals?
3. What costs do I need to be aware of when considering my options?

Whether you’re a large and well-funded organization, or a lone-arranger at a modest shop, the truth is we could all use more information to evaluate our digital collections management options. There’s no one-size fits all CMS option, so instead this webinar will provide strategies for how to critically evaluate the essential (to you) functions of a CMS, how the CMS can be flexed to creatively fit needs, and review *all* of the costs to consider when considering digital collection management.

The NWA Continuing Education Fund is Sponsoring a Miniseries on Digital Collection Essentials -- Free to NWA Membership. Presented by Rachael Woody of Rachael Cristine Consulting LLC.

COVID-19 has highlighted the essential role digital collection tools play in the day-to-day access of collection holdings. Due to the pandemic many archives have shuttered or are open for limited hours and access. And yet, archives and museum staff are still trying to meet their mission to facilitate access to their collections. Some are lucky and already have a robust CMS in place. Many more are struggling with a lack of staff, knowledge, tools, or all of the above. This two-part miniseries will support all NWA members who find themselves consumed with trying to deliver their collections online in an easier and more engaging way. Digital collections work and the tools we use are more essential now than ever, and will likely remain so long after the pandemic is over.

Date: February 23 (Tuesday) @1pm Pacific. Can't make it? Register anyway and you'll receive a link to the recording.

Registration Link: https://rachaelcristine.mykajabi.com/discoverable-digital-collection-registration-page

Webinar #1 Abstract: Over the years digital collections have steadily increased in their importance to how archivists and other collection workers serve up collections. And COVID-19 has shown us just how critically important it is for archives and museums to provide a public way to access digital collections. But what if you have little to no collections online? What if they’re online, but they’re failing to engage the community by any meaningful metric? If your collections aren’t online and in front of people, then they don’t exist. This webinar will define what an engaging point of access is, outline creative ways to deliver collections online with or without a Collections Management System (CMS), and review strategies for how to create meaningful digital collection experiences with non-traditional (read: not CMS) platforms.

Webinar #2 Title: The CMS: What’s Essential, What’s Hackable, and What Does it Cost?

Date: February 25 (Thursday) @1pm Pacific. Can't make it? Register anyway and you'll receive a link to the recording.

Registration Link: https://rachaelcristine.mykajabi.com/the-cms-essentials-registration-page

Webinar #2 Abstract: The Pacific Northwest is home to a wide array of cultural heritage organizations with varying budget sizes to accomplish the Sisyphean task of digital collections management. For those who have no Collections Management System (CMS), have cobbled together CMS tools, or are looking for a new CMS; there are questions that require answering:

1. What is “essential” when it comes to serving up digital collections via a CMS?
2. How can I hack various digital collection tools to accomplish my goals?
3. What costs do I need to be aware of when considering my options?

Whether you’re a large and well-funded organization, or a lone-arranger at a modest shop, the truth is we could all use more information to evaluate our digital collections management options. There’s no one-size fits all CMS option, so instead this webinar will provide strategies for how to critically evaluate the essential (to you) functions of a CMS, how the CMS can be flexed to creatively fit needs, and review *all* of the costs to consider when considering digital collection management.

To solve for these LAM grant resource gaps Rachael Woody of Rachael Cristine Consulting LLC has teamed up with Lucidea to provide a one-stop-shop to get the majority of your grant needs met. To supplement Woody's book published by Lucidea Press, A Survivor’s Guide to Museum Grant Writing, Lucidea’s Think Clearly Blog posts, and suite of webinars, we’ve created a LAM grant toolkit. It provides a comprehensive grant database spanning Libraries, Archives, and Museums with opportunities in the United States and Canada. The database allows users to quickly drill-down to see the opportunities that best match their needs for specifications such as: deadline, award range, and grant project theme—the three most important things you need to know to determine if the grant opportunity is a good fit for you. The goal of this database is to give you all the basic information you need up front without wasting time going to each grant website and searching out the fractured information.

LAM Grant Directory
We invite you to check out our brand new grant directory here: https://lucidea.com/grants-directory/. This directory will be periodically updated so please feel free to send in any national grant opportunities we may have missed, as well as share any feedback to help us make this an even better resource for everyone.

And That’s Not All…
The LAM Grant Workbook

We’ve crafted a LAM grant workbook that introduces you to every typical grant application field and provides four grant application templates. The workbook is designed to guide you through each area of the application, outline what content is needed in order to be successful, and inspire you with four plug-and-play project frameworks.

You can view and download a copy of the grant workbook here: https://lucidea.com/grants-directory/grants-workbook-and-templates/

Ask Me Anything About Grants Webinar

To celebrate the launch of this new resource, Woody is hosting a free Ask Me Anything event with Lucidea on January 27, 2021 @11:00AM Pacific. Details can be found via the registration page: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8180471375768487184

There are two upcoming webinars hosted by Rachael Woody of Rachael Cristine Consulting. The webinar back catalog is available via her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachaelCristineConsulting. Recordings include: 

• Archives Are Always Essential
• Ask Me Anything: Career Edition for Librarians, Archivists, and Museum Professionals
• Ask Me Anything: Grants Edition for Librarians, Archivists, and Museum Professionals
• Breaking With Tradition: Creating Connections in the Archives with New Types of Access
• Deriving Value from Collections in the Time of Corona (COVID-19)
• Strategies for How to Attract and Train the Best Volunteers
• Strategies for How to Capture and Communicate the Value of Collection Work
• Volunteer Activity Ideas for Libraries, Archives, and Museums

NEW Webinar: How Much am I Worth?

Date: January 7, 2021 @11:00AM Pacific. Can't make it? Register anyway and you'll receive a link to the recording.

Registration Link: https://rachaelcristine.mykajabi.com/worth-registration-page

Archivists and Museum Professionals have noticed a steady decline in the value they’re being paid to do collection work. Even pre-COVID the availability of mid-career, well paying jobs (equivalent to professional work that requires a masters), and paying entry work were scarce. And now that COVID has happened the cultural heritage field is experiencing an economic collapse the likes of which we have never seen. So where does that leave us? How do we continue to protect the value of our work and advocate for our worth in the profession? And how can we translate that message into one that convincingly advocates for compensation that not only pays a living wage, but adequately matches the level of knowledge, skills, and experience required? Rachael Woody has studied the value of collection workers for several years, conducted a literature review and study in 2019, and is well versed in salary information and resources. This webinar will review what our collective value is, teach you how to calculate your own worth, and offer guidance on how to effectively advocate for yourself and your colleagues.

NEW Webinar: CMS 101: Searching, Procuring, and Implementing

Date: January 21, 2021 @11:00AM Pacific. Can't make it? Register anyway and you'll receive a link to the recording.

Registration Link: https://rachaelcristine.mykajabi.com/cms101-registration-page

Abstract: A Collections Management System (CMS) is a long-term investment in staff time, collections care, and money. This means the CMS in place needs to be purposefully selected based off a vetted list of specifications that meet every user need. Once a CMS is selected, staff need to be prepared for the realities of what implementation and collections migration will entail. The process is long and often complicated due to the heavy technical and process knowledge required. To help collection workers through this process, this webinar will guide you through how to search for, select, buy, implement, migrate to, and maximize the value of the CMS. Each section will review the important elements of the process, will highlight areas you should be particularly aware of, and will offer tips to help you navigate the process successfully.

Ryan Anthony Donaldson and Rachael Cristine Woody (myself) are presenting Archives are Always Essential, a webinar that will premiere on October 22 @11AM Pacific.

Register to Attend: https://members.rachaelcristine.com/archives-essential-registration-page

Can't make it? No problem. Register (with the link above) to receive access to the recording.

Webinar abstract: Many of us in the field know that archives are essential, but sometimes it feels like a best-kept secret. It's challenging to convey the true value of our collections despite our best efforts with digital content, social media, and other outreach and awareness activities. It's time to unleash the full potential of heritage collections and archives and we'll show you how. This webinar will review historic outreach challenges, and how they've been compounded and complicated by larger global events in 2020. And in honor of Archives Month, we will explore proactive and actionable responses to these challenges--including relevant examples and additional voices.