Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Announcing the Everyday Digital Archives Outreach Campaign

What comes to mind when you think about digital archives?

Sounds like something I’d rather do tomorrow
Sounds confusing, please explain
Sounds intriguing, but I’m not sure where to start
Sounds like a piece of cake, bring it on!
Sounds expensive, ain’t nobody got time for that
Sounds scary, no thank you


The SGA Outreach Managers are excited to launch a new themed campaign for 2014...


Everyday Digital Archives


...and you’re invited to join in the fun.


We’re planning several activities focused on demystifying digital archives stewardship and using personal digital archives as a way to connect with the public about the importance of archives. The overarching idea is that the digital is everyday. Archivists and non-archivists alike all create, use, and preserve digital records in their everyday lives, so why can’t digital stewardship feel more everyday--more casual, more friendly, more do-able?


Let’s work together to make it that way.


Every few weeks, we’ll be posting Q&As on the SGA blog with digital archives stewards from across Georgia, who will offer approachable insights and digestable tips for preserving and providing access to digital records.


We’ll be forwarding digital archives-related news to the SGA membership via our social media channels, using the hashtag #everydaydigitalarchives.


And we’ll also be partnering with like-minded information professionals to organize a train-the-trainer workshop on personal digital archiving, which archivists, librarians, records managers, genealogists, etc. could then offer to the public at their own institutions.


The Everyday Digital Archives theme offers a way to empower archivists around the state to do outreach at the individual level about the valuable services archivists offer. Individuals everywhere are concerned about the future preservation of their personal, everyday digital archives (their email accounts, the digital photos they want to pass on to future generations, their Facebook accounts and tweets). Archivists can support the public by offering advice about how to take care of and preserve these digital records. Everyday Digital Archives thus becomes a topic that connects archivists and the public and reinforces the value of archives and archivists. Archives aren’t just about dusty old shelves--they’re about what’s important right now, they’re about the everyday, they’re about the future.


Have ideas? Want to volunteer to be interviewed for our Q&A blog posts? Let us know: outreach [at] soga [dot] org.


To learn more about personal digital archiving:

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Apply Now for Spotlight on Archives Grant

The Georgia Archives Month Committee wants to help shine a “spotlight” on our fellow archives. To help promote your programs for Georgia Archives Month, apply for the 2014 Spotlight on Archives Grant. Applications will be accepted through June 1. Apply now: http://ow.ly/vzWEC

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Call for 2014 SGA Annual Meeting Session Proposals: Plans and Strategies for the Future of Archives

The Society of Georgia Archivists' Program Committee proudly announces the theme for the 2014 annual meeting: Plans and Strategies for the Future of Archives.

The Committee invites you to attend the meeting, to be held at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, November 5-7, 2014.

Plans and Strategies for the Future of Archives pushes archives professionals to reflect on the various theories, strategies, and the preparations that go into the new and innovative approaches we take in conducting our work. For the 2014 annual meeting, the Program Committee is seeking presentations on the following topics:
  • Unfinished projects or those still in the planning stages, discussing ideas and theories that were or are being discussed, or completed projects in which there was a significant  and interesting strategies and paths that were pursued.
  • Plans and ideas on how best to tackle issues that face archives and archivists, thoughts on best practices and reviewing standards whether it be new approaches to processing, offering access, or advocacy. How are archivists being innovative and are there better ways to use our resources.
  • Digital projects, virtual reference, changes to meet user needs, new considerations, and thoughts on how to create better ways to interact with users. How are archivists molding technology to our own needs and to those of our users?
This year's theme, Plans and Strategies for the Future of Archives, reflects the primary steps and considerations that face archivists when proposing new projects and programs.

Click here for SGA Session Proposal Form

Proposals must be submitted no later than Friday, May 2, 2014. Email proposals to: lstarratt [at] gmail.com.

National History Day Needs You! Submit Your Topic Ideas and Host a Round Up

National History Day (NHD) engages K-12 students in history through hands-on experiences, project-based learning activities, presentations, and competitions.

The NHD Mentoring Program at LaGrange College, in association with the Georgia Humanities Council, is organizing the first ever NHD Round Up in the state of Georgia. They are encouraging archives, museums, local historical societies, and libraries to open their doors to local NHD students during Saturdays in October. On "Round Up Saturdays," these institutions will introduce NHD students to their facilities and holdings and assist them as they engage in research.

How your archives can get involved:

1) To help students develop topics, the NHD Mentoring Program is asking participating institutions to prepare a list of local and regional history topics relevant to their collections. The 2015 NHD theme, "Leadership and Legacy in History," is particularly well suited to local and regional history topics. Your list should include both topics and the collections that address those topics.

2) Consider whether, in addition to providing a topic/collection list, your institution would be willing to host a Round Up day for NHD student researchers during the month of October. Saturdays are best, but if your institution isn't open on Saturdays, you can designate a regular business day for the Round Up.

3) Email your institution's topic/collections list and chosen Round Up date by July 15 to NHD Mentoring Program coordinator Dr. Kevin Shirley (kshirley [at] lagrange.edu), who will post them on the program's website: http://www.lagrange.edu/nhd.

___________________________________________________________________________


About the NHD Mentoring Program at LaGrange College:
The NHD Mentoring Program at LaGrange College exists to promote the power and value of historical study, education and research through National History Day.  Our program provides support to students and teachers throughout the process, from topic selection to competition preparation.  We offer teacher and student workshops, serve as a web based clearinghouse for information, resources and ongoing education, answer research and project development queries from students and teachers, host the West Georgia Regional NHD Competition and provide support at the Georgia NHD State and National Competitions.  Our goals are simple:  (1) Help Georgia's students experience as positive and powerful an experience through NHD as possible, (2) Help Georgia's Teachers enjoy as much NHD success as possible, and (3) help Georgia become nationally known for the strength of it's NHD program.  Please visit the program's website at www.lagrange.edu/nhd. If you have any questions about the program or would like to learn more about NHD and the ways in which you can help, please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Kevin Shirley at kshirley [at] lagrange.edu or by phone at (706) 880-8033.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

WORKSHOP FULL: A Guerrilla Approach to Digital Archives workshop - March 14

A Guerrilla Approach to Digital Archives
March 14, 2014
Georgia Archives
Morrow, GA
10:00 - 4:30 p.m.

This workshop has reached participant capacity; registration is now closed. Thank you for your interest in SGA's continuing education opportunities. 

This one day workshop will introduce archivists to digital archives, explaining the basic concepts of curating and preserving electronic records in terms of traditional archival practice. Participants will learn practical things they can do to acquire, preserve, and provide access to electronic records with limited resources and technical expertise.

Creating and sustaining a robust, trustworthy digital archives is hard work. The problems are complex, and even more perplexing as technology evolves and presents new problems. At the same time, archivists don’t have to build an ideal system. Instead, a “guerrilla approach” looks for short-term tactics – inexpensive, simple steps that can help archivists move in the direction of the strategic ideal. Breaking digital archives into smaller pieces makes the problem manageable.

In this workshop, participants will discuss the core functions of digital archives and how they parallel traditional archives. Which records should be selected and acquired? How should those records be arranged and described? How should they be housed and preserved? And what about access? Participants will learn how their existing knowledge can be adapted to digital archives.

The facilitator, Richard Pearce-Moses, will lead participants through a series of questions, call for possible solutions, and suggest some of his own.

To get the most from the workshop, participants should understand the fundamentals of archival practice – appraisal and selection, arrangement and description, housing and preservation, reference and access. They should have a good computers skills – word processing, browsing the web, email, copying and renaming files, and creating folders. They do not need more advanced knowledge, such as programming, database design, programming, or web design. (Individuals with experience in digital archives or advanced skills are welcome to come and contribute to the conversation!)

Lunch will be provided for all participants!

Registration fee: $25.

Register here.

If you have any questions please contact Education Committee Chair Heather Oswald at hoswald@kennesaw.edu.
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