New York State & Archives Blog

NYS Archives hosting SAA Arrangement and Description Course

The New York State Archives will be hosting Society of American Archivists’ Arrangement and Description workshop on May 1-2. 

Register through SAA  here! Early registration is in place until April 1^st. 

This two-day course introduces the basic principles, concepts, and tools that archivists use to establish both physical and intellectual control over archival records. These include developing accession records and processing work plans; identifying common arrangement schemes for certain types of collections, as well as various formats; and how to physically organize materials during processing. You will also learn the essential elements of a finding aid and the major descriptive standards that support these elements. Particular emphasis will be placed on the day-to-day decisions made in arranging and describing archival materials. You’ll also participate in a set of exercises designed to emphasize the principles and concepts of arrangement and description.

Don’t miss your chance to register for NEA’s 50th Anniversary Meeting, Past. Present. Possibilities! This meeting will give archivists from New England and beyond a chance to reflect on the history and ponder the future of archival practices. 

Registration is now open: https://bit.ly/NEA50thRegistration

Make sure to check out the detailed meeting schedule – more events are being added weekly! https://bit.ly/NEA50thSched

Our workshops have separate registration rates! We’re holding both virtual and in-person workshops this year – all the information on workshops can be found on the Current Workshops page: ​​https://newenglandarchivists.org/Current-Workshops

MAC (Midwestern Archives Conference) is soliciting applications for the 2023 Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Students of Color (http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley). The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival administration and to encourage ethnic diversification of the MAC membership and of the archival profession. Two $1,500 scholarships, accompanied by one-year memberships to MAC, will be awarded. 

To be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must be of African, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Latinx descent; must be a student currently enrolled in or accepted in a graduate, multicourse program in archival administration; and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their academic program. If the program is not listed in the SAA Directory of Archival Education, http://www2.archivists.org/dae, the applicant must provide proof of the multicourse standard by submitting copies of course descriptions from the institution’s current departmental catalog.

Applications are due March 1, 2023 and must include the following documents:

• Completed application form, available at http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley
• Transcript from the applicant’s most recent academic program (unofficial transcript is acceptable)
• Essay of not more than 500 words outlining the applicant’s interests and future goals in archival administration
• Two letters of recommendation.

Completed applications should be sent to:

Jolie Braun
Curator of Modern Literature & Manuscripts
The Ohio State University
braun.338@osu.edu

Applications must be emailed by March 1, 2023. 
Awards will be announced no later than June 1, 2023. 

This program is brought to you by the Capital New York Alliance for Response, co-sponsored by the Capital District Library Council.

Wednesday May 19, 2022, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. EDT

Guest Speaker: Frances Maloy, College Librarian/Schaffer Library, Union College

This workshop is designed to help smaller libraries, archives and museums respond to a variety of insurance claims post-disaster for both books and works of art. Our speaker, Frances Maloy, will share three stories from her ten years working at a small college library, during which time she has worked with a variety of experts to maintain and preserve collections. All are welcome!

This program is free, and online, but advance registration is required. Click here to register!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

About our speaker: Frances Maloy is the College Librarian for Union College in Schenectady, New York. She has oversight for the Schaffer Library, the Adirondack Research Library, the Mandeville Art Gallery, and the permanent art collection. Frances started working at Union in August, 2012 after working at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. She holds a B.A. from St. Lawrence University, and an M.L.S., State University of New York at Albany.

University Archivist 

Binghamton University Libraries invite applications from experienced, motivated, skilled, imaginative and highly organized archives professionals for a full-time University Archivist position.  The University Archivist will be responsible for providing collection management, reference, instruction and outreach services for the University Archives and associated collections, and serve as an advisor on the University’s history.  The archivist will liaise with administrative departments, student groups, alumni, and faculty, facilitate the acquisition, arrangement, and description of collections, and ensure their discoverability and access. They will support teaching and research using these materials. The successful candidate will oversee and coordinate the processing work of staff, students, and interns. The position is an SL-3 professional line working within the Special Collections Department.

For the full description of position responsibilities and requirements and to apply, visit: 

https://binghamton.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=136620

Salary: $55,000 minimum or commensurate with experience

The New York State Archives is pleased to announce its Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) grants for 2021-2022. The new DHP Grant Guidelines and Application are now available on the NYS Archives website http://www.archives.nysed.gov/grants/documentary-heritage-program-grants.

DHP grants provide financial support to not-for-profit community organizations including archives, libraries, historical societies, colleges and universities, and similar institutions that hold, collect, and make available historical records.

New in 2021-2022, DHP will fund projects that improve access to historical records including but not limited to digitization, conversion of descriptive tools for online access, community archiving, documentation planning, and arrangement & description. Also new for this cycle, DHP will prioritize projects that fit within one of the following topical areas: September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center; COVID-19 Pandemic; Social Reform and Activism; and Under-Documented Topics in New York State History.

Grants will be made in amounts up to $25,000. Application deadline is Tuesday, March 30, 2021 for projects to be carried out from July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022.

For additional information and complete application guidelines, please contact the DHP office at dhs@nysed.gov, (518) 474-5393, or visit http://www.archives.nysed.gov/grants/documentary-heritage-program-grants.

Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship Applications Solicited 

MAC is soliciting applications for the 2021 Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Students of Color (http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley). The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival administration and to encourage ethnic diversification of the MAC membership and of the archival profession as a whole. Two $750 scholarships, accompanied by one-year memberships to MAC, will be awarded. 

In order to be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must be of African, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Latinx decent; must be a student currently enrolled in or accepted in a graduate, multicourse program in archival administration; and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their academic program. If the program is not listed in the SAA Directory of Archival Education, http://www2.archivists.org/dae, the applicant must provide proof of the multicourse standard by submitting copies of course descriptions from the 

institution’s current departmental catalog. The applicant must also be either a resident of the 

MAC region or registered in a qualified program, onsite or online, that is based in the MAC 

region. 

Applications are due March 1, 2021 and must include the following documents: 

• Completed Application Form, available at http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley 
• Transcript from the applicant’s most recent academic program (unofficial transcript is acceptable) 
• Essay of not more than 500 words outlining the applicant’s interests and future goals in archival administration 
• Two letters of recommendation. 

Completed applications should be sent to: 

Rebekah McFarland 

Certified Archivist 

Sisters of the Living Word 

rmcfarland@slw.org 

Applications must be emailed by March 1, 2021. 

Awards will be announced no later than June 1, 2021. 

The J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award Subcommittee of the Society of American Archivists is asking you to submit a nomination for the 2021 J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award.

https://www2.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-jameson

Established in 1989, this award honors an individual, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs. The individual’s or institution’s contributions may take the form of advocacy, publicity, legislation, financial support, or a similar action that fosters archival work or raises public consciousness of the importance of archival work. Contributions should have broad, long-term impact at the regional level or beyond.

Eligibility: Nominees must be from outside the archives profession. Individuals directly involved in archival work, either as paid or volunteer staff, or institutions or organizations directly responsible for an archival program are not eligible for this award.

Nominations should be sent through the online submission system by February 28, 2021 at https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/45853-Society-Of-American-Archivists.

Recent Winners Include:

2020:   Brad Pomerance, CJ Eastman AND Council of Independent Colleges’ Humanities Research for the Public Good Program
2019:   Tempestt Hazel AND The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva)
2018:  Yvonne Lewis Holley AND Brad Meltzer
2017:   Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI)
2016:  Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ron Chernow
2015:   Adrena Ifill Blagburn
2014:   LGBT Center of Central PA History Project AND National History Day
2013:   AARP Virginia and Dr. Warren Stewart
2012:   Eve Kahn, Bebe Miller, Phillip Stewart
2011:  “Who Do You Think You Are?” (NBC)
2010:  The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
2009:  Ross King (Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board)

http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/new-york-state-covid-19-documentation-initiative

Mission:

The New York State COVID-19 Documentation Initiative is a committee made up of staff members from the State Archives, Library and Museum, as well as the Office of Cultural Education (OCE) Preservation Officer, who will be coordinating the documentation of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Initiative will focus on the following areas in conducting its work:

Psssst…. There is still time to nominate someone for the 2020 SAA Archival Innovator Award!

Know an archivist or institution who is contributing to the profession in creative or innovative ways? Think they should be recognized for their innovative work?

Deadline: February 28, 2020

Purpose and Criteria for Selection:

Created in 2011, this award recognizes an individual archivist, a group of archivists, a repository, or an organization that demonstrates significant impact on the archives profession or within their communities. Nominations will be assessed for the following criteria:

·       Creativity or innovation in approaching professional challenges.

·       Demonstrated ability to think outside of professional or institutional norms.

·       Ability to translate creativity, innovation, and new thinking into working solutions.

·       Development of an archives program or outreach activity that has an extraordinary impact on a community.

·       Commitment to the advancement of professional knowledge through traditional or emerging information-sharing media.

Eligibility:

Presented to an archivist, group of archivists, repository, or organization for work undertaken within the past three years. The work need not be completed, but it must be sufficiently advanced to demonstrate results. Unsuccessful nominations from previous years are welcome!

To make a nomination, complete the form at: https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/45851-Society-Of-American-Archivists. 

            Feel free to contact the subcommittee members with any questions you may have.

Sub-Committee Members

Jillian Ewalt, University of Dayton jewalt1@udayton.edu

Laura Uglean Jackson (chair), University of Northern Colorado laura.ugleanjackson@unco.edu

Déirdre Joyce, Syracuse University dfjoyce@syr.edu