News

  • 04 Feb 2016 1:12 PM | Megan Keller Young

    For those who are interested, NHPRC recently scheduled three webinars in February to talk with prospective applicants about the National Archives' Access to Historical Records grant program. These webinars are very helpful for anyone considering a grant application.

    Webinars will be held on the following dates and times:

    Thursday, 11 February @ 3:30 p.m. Eastern

    Wednesday, 17 February @ 3:30 p.m. Eastern

    Monday, 22 February @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern

    Here is the link to the blog announcing the webinars: http://annotation.blogs.archives.gov/2016/01/27/access-to-historical-records-webinars-announced-2/.

  • 26 Jan 2016 9:28 AM | Gretchen Neidhardt (Administrator)

    Here's the latest news from the Regional Archival Associations Consortium!


    Updating the Directory of Archival Organizations in the United States and Canada (via RAAC Membership Committee)

    The RAAC Membership Committee is working on updating the Directory of Archival Organizations in the United States and Canada.

    Anita Mechler, the CAA-RAAC liaison made sure to complete the 2016 SAA Regional Archival Associations Survey in order to ensure that CAA is accurately represented on the Directory.


    U.S. Congressional Omnibus Appropriations Bill

    On December 18, Congress approved a $1.15 trillion omnibus appropriations bill that will fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2016. The vote in the House was 316-113 and the vote in the Senate was 65-33. President Obama has indicated he will sign the bill.


    Of particular note is level funding for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The original appropriations bill considered in the House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee would have cut NHPRC’s FY’ 16 budget by 40 percent from the FY’ 15 level of $5 million to $3 million. The situation allowed NCH to use the contacts gained from the History Caucus, and the cut was rescinded at the House Appropriations Committee markup. The NHPRC was only program in the entire bill to have funding restored.


    Thank you to everyone who responded to our legislative alerts throughout this year asking you to contact Congress on funding issues.


    Call out for Digital Preservation Training at the RAAC Symposium (via RAAC Education Committee)

    The Education Subcommittee of RAAC is hoping to offer a session about digital preservation training at the RAAC Symposium next fall.  We are looking for someone who can talk about digital preservation, available resources, and how to offer training  to regional archival groups.  If you’ve had experience with offering training to regional groups…even better!!


    If you are interested in speaking or know someone who may be, please contact Jennifer Brannock at Jennifer.Brannock@usm.edu or 601.266.4347.


  • 21 Dec 2015 11:23 AM | Megan Keller Young

    As a result of the discussion at Regional Archival Associations Consortium's (RAAC) annual meeting at SAA and the previously outlined goals in RAAC's 3-year plan, this year the Grant Development Committee will be working on the following:

    • Foster collaborative grant writing projects among RAAC participants. Projects could include multi-regional programming grants; preservation grants focused on public awareness or digitization; regional hubs for cold storage, digital storage, or film preservation.
    • Continue to add data to the Grant Resource Guide, especially for states that are not represented. Establish a schedule for verifying that information and links for existing resources are current. 

    In addition, there will be a RAAC Symposium held the Tuesday of SAA week. Each subcommittee will be required to put together one panel for the symposium - more details on that as they develop. 

  • 09 Dec 2015 7:37 PM | Megan Keller Young

    Thank you to all who were able to attend last night's annual CAA Holiday Party! As always, it was wonderful to see our colleagues and friends, and make some great new connections with local archivists and librarians. 76 partygoers showed up and enjoyed pizza and the open bar. Some raffle prizes were given away; if you didn't win, visit our CafePress store to treat yourself to some lovely swag.

    As mentioned last night, please keep an eye out for a membership survey. We'd appreciate your participation in our ongoing efforts to make CAA valuable for all of our members.

    CAA wishes you a restful and relaxing holiday season, and a Happy New Year!

    CAA Steering Committee member Andy Steadham handing out raffle prizes. Photo credit: Alison Hinderliter

    There will be more events throughout the year at a variety of dates, times, and locations. Coming soon:

    ·          Archives Salon – February 2016. More details TBA.

    ·          CAA Annual Members Meeting – March 2016. More details TBA.

    Have an idea for a CAA event? Contact the CAA Events Subcommittee at info@chicagoarchivists.org with your suggestions.

  • 08 Dec 2015 1:59 PM | Megan Keller Young

    For those who may be interested in forming a Chicago-area study group for the 2016 Certified Archivist exam, CAA has created a sign up sheet for members to connect with each other. Sign up here


    Please note that Chicago is already selected as one of the exam sites for 2016.  Some interest has been expressed in petitioning the ACA to offer another exam location in the Chicago area, outside of the city - if this is something you're interested in, please indicate this preference on the study group sign up sheet.
    Also, the ACA is offering an early-bird discount for those who register prior to February 15.  Please see below for more details:

    News from the Academy of Certified Archivists

    The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) is making the certification exam more affordable by offering a reduced application fee as part of an early bird special!

    Register for the exam before February 15 and receive half-off regular registration. The rate increases to the standard fee of $50 after February 15.

    The early bird deadline also lowers the threshold for selecting pick-your-site locations! Instead of requiring 5 test takers per site, the ACA will only require 3 during the early bird period.  This change makes it easier for many candidates to have an exam site in a more convenient and affordable location.  But, like the test application fee, the required number of test participants will increase to the standard number of 5 after the early bird period ends.

    This year's Certified Archivist exam will be held August 3rd.  The predetermined locations are: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

    Questions? Contact the ACA Secretariat: secretariat@certifiedarchivists.org

  • 08 Dec 2015 12:36 PM | Anonymous member

    Chicago last hosted the Spring Meeting of the Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) in April 2010. At its May 2015 meeting, the MAC Council reviewed a proposal from Vice President David McCartney to hold the 2018 Spring Meeting in Chicago. The CAA Steering Committee wants to hear from CAA members and anyone else in the Chicago area interested in helping to bring MAC back to Chicago in 2018.

    The MAC Council will select a city for the 2018 Spring Meeting in April 2016. CAA would like to submit a proposal to the MAC Council strengthening the case for Chicago as host city before that meeting. And should the MAC Council select Chicago to host its 2018 Spring Meeting, volunteers will be needed to serve on the Local Arrangements Committee. You can read more about the MAC meeting planning process on the MAC website here:

    https://midwestarc.memberclicks.net/meeting-planning--reports.

    Do you have a passion for Chicago and the many fine archival institutions based in the Chicago area? Do you love the idea of attending MAC in your own fair city, or one of its many fine suburbs (we’re looking at you, Evanston)? Then share your passion by contacting info@chicagoarchivists.org and volunteering to help bring MAC back home.


  • 02 Dec 2015 11:57 AM | Gretchen Neidhardt (Administrator)

    Frank Villella discusses the CSO's Rosenthal Archives contribution. See below for an excerpt!

    At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., this giving spirit is the focus of a long-term Philanthropy Initiative announced on #GivingTuesday that includes a new display, “Giving in America” unveiled on December 1, 2015, and on view through November 2016. Included in this display is a very special artifact from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Rosenthal Archives: the oldest of Thomas’s scores for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, a work prominently featured on those inaugural concerts.
  • 19 Nov 2015 9:55 AM | Gretchen Neidhardt (Administrator)

    Check out the latest news from our National Archives neighbors! In this issue:

    • November is Native American Heritage Month
    • NARA Archivist Katie Dishman Returns to Corporate Archives
    • The Gales of November: Edmund Fitzgerald 40th Anniversary
    • National Archives at Chicago Joins Chicagoland Archives Month Event in October
    • Naturalization Petitions from the U.S. District Court for the Chicago Division of the Northern District of Illinois now online
    • Meet Our Newest Interns!
    • Saturday Hours End
    • Bankruptcy Case Files No Longer held at Chicago


  • 15 Nov 2015 4:18 PM | Megan Keller Young

    I am pleased to announce that Gretchen Neidhardt has joined the Chicago Area Archivists Steering Committee. Gretchen responded to our call for volunteers to fill the open seat for the 2015-17 term created when our colleague Jessica Farrell resigned to take a new job as Curator of Digital Collections for Harvard Law School.


    Gretchen is a cataloger at the Chicago History Museum, and has co-chaired the CAA Outreach Subcommittee since 2014. Thanks to Gretchen for joining our team.


    CAA members interested in the Steering Committee should watch for a forthcoming call for volunteers to fill open seats for the 2016-18 term. Voting for the 2016-18 term will be open to CAA members only and will take place online in the month prior to the Annual Meeting in March (exact date, time, and location to be determined).


    Questions or comments can be sent to info@chicagoarchivists.org.

    Amber Dushman, Steering Committee Chair (2015-17)



  • 12 Nov 2015 9:32 AM | Gretchen Neidhardt (Administrator)

    Please check out our colleagues at the American College of Surgeons (ACS), whose Archives Catalog is now available online. Researchers have expressed enthusiasm about their newfound ability to access, not only collection descriptions, but also many of the actual photos, videos, publications, and sound recordings described in the Catalog.

    Planned further enhancements to the ACS Archives Catalog include: improved subject access, versions of the descriptions which will be accessible to Internet search engines such as Google, and the ongoing addition of more digital objects.

    The Archives Catalog is available at: www.facs.org/archivescatalog

    Congratulations!

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