News

Headed to the annual MAC conference in Lexington, KY this year? Show off your CAA pride with items from our CafePress store! Coordinate with other CAA-ers to combine on shipping costs. Show off our new logo in style!

If you'd like to order an item you don't see in the store, contact info@chicagoarchivists.org and we will try to get the item added. 

The minutes from the March 20, 2014 CAA Members Meeting have been approved and are available to view online here.

The Chicago Area Archivists Professional Development Subcommittee seeks out volunteers for the 2015-2016 year. Our stated mission is to create and facilitate access to low-cost educational opportunities and to develop new learning opportunities in collaboration with CAA members.

Volunteers are needed to contribute ideas, facilitate programs, and communicate with members. Discussions primarily take place online with very occasional in-person meetings.

If you are interested in volunteering, or if you would like more information, please contact info@chicagoarchivists.org.

We will be discussing Professional Development plans for the upcoming year at the CAA Annual Members Meeting on March 23. Please join us!

The CAA Events Subcommittee is looking for new volunteers! All CAA Members are encouraged to volunteer; including students and archivists that are new to the Chicago area. Serving on the Subcommittee is a great way to get involved with the CAA community and meet some of your archival colleagues in Chicagoland, as well as add a great line to your résumé.

By joining the Events Subcommittee you will help brainstorm and plan social activities and events for the archival community, participate in the subcommittee processes, and share your ideas with other archivists. 

Individuals should be willing to serve at least one year and service commitments are renewable at the Annual CAA Members Meeting. The Events Subcommittee accomplishes most of its work via e-mail, with occasional in-person or virtual meetings. Participation in every planned event is not required.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact info@chicagoarchivists.org. 

To learn more about CAA and/or the Events Subcommittee, come to the CAA Annual Members Meeting on March 23.

The minutes from the January 20, 2015 CAA Steering Committee Meeting have been approved and are available to view online here.

Check out the latest news from the National Archives at Chicago's newsletter!

Are you interested in becoming more involved in the Chicago archives community? Consider volunteering to serve on the Chicago Area Archivists Steering Committee. Not only will you get to work closely with some of your colleagues in the profession, but CAA service is a great way to gain valuable experience in preparation for service in regional and national archival organizations.

Think you aren’t experienced enough to serve on the Steering Committee? Think again: any organization needs fresh viewpoints to remain vibrant. And CAA is meant to serve the needs of all of its members, including those that are new to the profession.

Worried about over-committing yourself? Steering Committee members are elected to two year terms that begin and end at the Members Meeting in March. The time commitment is relatively minimal, consisting of monthly in-person meetings with occasional business conducted by email.

Wonder what the Steering Committee does? The Steering Committee is tasked with:

• Establishing programmatic goals for the organization
• Circulating information to and responding to the needs of CAA members
• Representing CAA within the larger profession and to the general public
• Setting standards to ensure the sustainability of CAA

Curious about how Steering Committee members are elected? Four members of the CAA Steering Committee are nearing the end of their 2013-15 terms:

• Rob DeLand
• Amber Dushman
• Jessica Farrell
• Andy Steadham

Candidates for the four open seats for the 2015-17 term will be elected by a vote of CAA members cast electronically. Election results will be announced at the Members Meeting on Monday, March 23, 2015.

Service on the Steering Committee is open to all CAA members in good standing. To volunteer, submit a brief (1-2 paragraphs) Statement of Interest outlining your background and motivation for serving on the Steering Committee to info@chicagoarchivists.org. Please include your full name, title, place of work (if applicable), and preferred contact phone and email address. Statements of interest will be distributed to CAA members.

The deadline to submit your Statement is Monday, February 9, 2015 at 5:00pm.

Want more information? Contact information for current Steering Committee Members is available on the CAA Website. Please reach out to one of them and ask about his or her service on Steering. 

Please send general questions or comments to info@chicagoarchivists.org.

The minutes from the November 11, 2014 CAA Steering Committee Meeting have been approved and are available to view online here.

On Friday, 16 January 2015, Chicago Area Archivists hosted 18 people for the presentation Managing Digital Content Over Time, led by Andy Steadham, Archives Specialist at Rotary International. Based on curriculum developed by the Library of Congress Digital Preservation Outreach and Education arm, the presentation offered one CAA member’s disclosure of how he is tackling digital preservation in his shop.

Thanks are due to Keith Helt, Archivist at Crown Family Philanthropies, for serving as site host.

As several people asked to be placed on a waiting list for this event, CAA is considering offering the presentation again later this year. Watch for updates via the CAA listserv or on our website at http://chicagoarchivists.org/events.

Questions about CAA? Visit our website or email info@chicagoarchivists.org.

Each year, Chicago Metro History Fair students in grades 6-12 select a topic related to Chicago history, then dive deep into research to develop their own interpretation or argument which they then present for evaluation by community-minded judges. Through this research and evaluation process, students gain important historical and critical thinking skills that will carry them through high school and prepare them for college.

Please consider volunteering as a History Fair judge this year. Many CAA members (and non-members) have volunteered in the past and found it to be a very rewarding experience. This is an excellent opportunity to support Chicago students and see the connections they make between Chicago history and the 2014-2015 National History Day theme, Leadership & Legacy in History.

There are several evening and weekend judging opportunities in February, March, and April. No prior experience is necessary. The Chicago Metro History Education Center provides orientation on the day of the event and pairs new judges with veteran judges.

Visit History Fair’s registration page to learn more and sign up as a volunteer.

President John F. Kennedy meets Rotary members at the White House in 1961. Photo: Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. JFKWHP-AR6919-B.