News

The December newsletter from the Robert M. Myers Archives and SVD Resource Center is now available. Check out their latest archives news!

● Archives Salon - May


Have an idea for a CAA event? Contact the CAA Events Subcommitee at heatherlanctot@gmail.com or info@chicagoarchivists.org with your suggestions.

If you didn’t RSVP to the CAA Holiday Party in time to get a free t-shirt, fret not! The Outreach Committee is pleased to present a CafePress site for CAA swag! Enjoy your coffee in a travel mug emblazoned with the fabulous new CAA logo, or tell the world you’re an archivist with one of the many tote bag options.

If you’d like an item that isn’t available at the store, contact msmegankeller@gmail.com or gretchenneidhardt@gmail.com with your suggestions. And feel free to pass along a photo of yourself with your new purchase for possible inclusion on the CAA website!

On Thursday, November 20^th, the Chicago Area Archivists Professional Development Committee sponsored a panel discussion entitled “Archive Professionals in Non-Traditional Archival Settings” with panelists Laura Fu, who is the Digital Content Manager at Sears Holdings Corporation; Lauren Breyer, who is the Archivist at State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company; Allan Berry, who is the Web Application Developer at the UIC Library with the Chicago Collections Consortium; Andrew Altepeter, who is the Information Governance Analyst at Motorola Solutions, Inc.; and was moderated very well by Drew Davis, who is the Historical Resources Specialist at Motorola Solutions Heritage Services & Archives as well as a CAA steering committee and professional development subcommittee member.

Each panelist provided a description of their career paths, discussed what they do in their current positions, and tips for individuals who are looking to either change careers or entering the job market. Some of the important tips from the panel included

For Job Seekers

• Job applicants need to able to translate their skills
• Be brave and take risks. Andrew talked about this in relation to moving from an public history background to information governance position. 
• Don’t be afraid to create your own position. An institution may not even know they need an archivist or a records manager until you point it out to them. Therefore, you have to package your skill set and tell a story about how your skills will fit in with their business.
• Call and/or contact people who have positions that you want. This means that if you are traveling to a new city, reach out the library, museum, or archives there to schedule a visit.

For All Employees

• Advocate for your users to the administrative stakeholders in doing so you create advocates for your unit, which is useful when there are issues or budgetary cuts.
• The parent institution/company drives the nature of your own business therefore, see how your unit can benefit the overall mission of the institution and look for ways you can add value to another unit (two examples provided by the panelists were: The old Sears catalog photos or the old State Farm photos)
• “Always be kind, be gracious.  Never burn your bridges.” This will refers to the fact that the profession is small and you never know when you may need to call upon someone for assistance. These can be people who are your personal advocates or may be the housekeeping staff of your institution who know where the clean-up supplies are when you have a disaster.
• Don’t doubt the role of soft skills in the hiring process, one can teach technical skills, but soft skills are to teach. These soft skills include: writing, communication, research, learning agility, accountability, critical thinking skills, building relationships, openness, friendliness, etc. (see here for a longer list https://bemycareercoach.com/soft-skills/list-soft-skills.html)
• Understand the lens that you view through and then look at your work critically through your lens.  Look at it like a camp site: you leave it better than you found it. 
• Challenge your own perspective and understand the difference between the ideal and the reality. 
• Be sure to keep current by reading professional journals, attend conferences, take courses/workshops either online or in person. A couple of good online possibilities include Lynda.com and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Places to look for positions

• Check professional organizations such as Chicago Area Archivists (CAA), Special Library Association (SLA), American Library Association (ALA), Society of American Archivists (SAA), ARMA International (records management), I Need a Library Job (INALJ) list serv, Archives Gig blog, Digital Asset Management (DAM) Guru
• Use social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to make connections or to look up job titles. This is important because not all job titles will have the word "archivist” or “librarian."

I am pleased to announce that Anita Mechler has joined the Chicago Area Archivists Steering Committee. Anita responded to our call for volunteers to fill the open seat for the 2014-16 term created when our colleague Lisa Calahan resigned to take a new job as Head of Archival Processing at the University of Minnesota.

Anita is the Director of the Library and Archives at the Union League of Chicago and has expressed a drive to help support the local archives community. Thanks to Anita 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 2015-17 term. Voting for the 2015-17 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.

Andy Steadham, Steering Committee Chair (2013-15)

The minutes from the October 7, 2014 CAA Steering Committee Meeting have been approved and are available to view online here.

The minutes from the August 26, 2014 CAA Meeting have been approved and are available to view online here.

Roosevelt University is proud to announce the release of Roosevelt University, The Campus History Series published by Arcadia Publishing. The book includes over 200 still images from the Roosevelt University Archives’ collection and tells the story of Roosevelt’s groundbreaking founding and historical influence on racial and religious inclusivity, support of teaching and learning on equal-terms, equal-opportunity, and its pioneering mission of social justice across the curriculum.

 

The Regional History Center and University Archives at Northern Illinois University will have on display historical cookbooks, recipes, and ephemera from its collection for its exhibit: “You Are What You Eat: Cookbooks as ingredients to shape identity and community.” Cookbooks and recipes often reveal more than just a list of ingredients. Ethnic recipes help preserve a cultural heritage and demonstrate different cultures that exist in an area. Passing along a favorite family recipe helps keep the memory of family members alive. We will explore how cookbooks have created a sense of identity in the northern Illinois region. The exhibit, which is being curated in conjunction with American Archives Month and the 50^th anniversary of the University Archives, will be on display through November 15^th on the first floor of Founders Memorial Library.

 

To celebrate these events and make the exhibit more interactive, the Center will be hosting an exhibit grand opening and reception on October 16th for NIU staff, faculty, students, and the public. 

·         Thursday, October 16, 2014

·         4:30 to 6:30 PM

·         Exhibit in Founders Memorial Library foyer

·         Reception in the Regional History Center, room 400

·         Light refreshments will be served

 

Parking is available in the NIU visitor’s lot located to the west of the library, off of Carroll Avenue.

 

The staff will be re-creating a few of the recipes featured in the exhibit, and copies of these recipes will be available for guests to take home. We will encourage visitors to make these recipes, share photos and stories, or share their own favorite recipes on our Facebook page throughout the month of October. We will also have a photo gallery on our Flickr site. For more information, links to our social media sites, and to view our digital exhibit, visit: http://libguides.niu.edu/cookbooks

From the National Archives at Chicago September 2014 Newsletter:

American Indian Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Saturday, November 8, 9:30 – 11:00 AM

Learn about Native Americans through the Bureau of Indian Affairs records with National Archives at Chicago archivist Katie Dishman. The National Archives has many government documents related to how American Indians were educated and housed from the late 19th through the early 20th century. This workshop will tap into the wealth of genealogical information about the students and their families and provide insights into the operations of the schools.

Treats, Treasures, and the Gift of History

Saturday, January 10, 9:30 – 11:00 AM

Discover rarely seen treasures of the National Archives at Chicago and gain tips for accessing these textual records with an insightful presentation from Director of NARA-Chicago, Doug Bicknese. Ideas for sharing your genealogical research with your loved ones also will be discussed.

Ancestry Presents Ancestry

Saturday, May 9, 9:30 – 11:00 AM

It’s a family affair! Loretto “Lou” Szucs and her daughter Juliana Smith will provide an overview and strategies for searching the world’s largest online family history resource.

BAMM! Business, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Mortality Census Schedules

Saturday, June 13, 9:30 – 11:00 AM

BAMM! Add “explosive” details to your genealogy by utilizing non-population Census schedules of Business, Agriculture, Manufacturing and Mortality. Authorized by Congress, these records cover very specific time periods and locations during the 19th and 20th centuries and provide unique insights into the communities where our ancestors lived and worked. Kris Maldre Jarosik, Education Specialist at NARA-Chicago, will help you learn about these records.

Sign Up!

Each workshop is free and will be held at our facility near Ford City Mall at 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL. Space is limited, so please RSVP to save a seat by sending an e-mail to kristina.jarosik@nara.gov . Please indicate in your e-mail which workshop you are interested in attending.