News

  • 28 Feb 2019 12:45 PM | Deleted user

    During CAA’s Steering Committee election, we will share comments from current Steering Committee members about their work with CAA. Today we hear from Nathalie Wheaton. Nathalie was elected to a 2018-2019 term and currently serves on the Steering Committee as the Special Events Committee Liaison.

    After serving on the Chicago local arrangements committee for last year’s Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting, I welcomed the opportunity to keep that camaraderie going by serving on CAA’s Steering Committee. Serving on the Steering Committee has been especially rewarding for me as a lone arranger because I have enjoyed being part of a team of archivists making important decisions and plans. Whether you join the Steering Committee with years of archives or CAA experience, or you are just getting your feet wet, there is room at the table for a variety of perspectives and viewpoints and ideas.

    The deadline to submit your Statement is Friday, March 1.

    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 prior to the Members Meeting on March 13 and candidates will also have an opportunity to introduce themselves in person at the meeting. Candidates for the 2019-21 term will be elected by a vote of CAA members cast electronically after March 13.


  • 27 Feb 2019 3:59 PM | Jerice Barrios

    Thanks to the support and generosity of the Chicago Area Archivists community, the Archives and Archivists of Color Interest Group raised $1600 and are able to support the travel and participation of two early career colleagues to this year's MAC conference in Detroit.

    The winners of this year's Archives and Archivists of Color Travel Fund Awards are Kheir Fakhreldin and Rebekah McFarland:

    Kheir Fakhreldin - Kheir is a 2011 graduate of the University of Michigan's School of Information program. He currently works at the Newberry Library and at WBEZ. Kheir has found the CAA community helpful as he pursues his career in archives and hopes that "...by attending the Midwest Archives Conference, I will be able to meet more archivists of color as well as non-minority archivist allies who are working toward making our historical record reflect American cultural diversity."

    Rebekah McFarland - Rebekah is a 2014 MLIS graduate of Dominican University. She is currently archivist for Sisters of the Living Word. This will be her first MAC conference and already she has jumped in with both feet! Look for her among the panelists on the Imposter Syndrome session.

    Thanks again to everyone who contributed towards this award. Your generosity and participation has supported five colleagues' attendance of MAC's annual conference in the last two years. If you're headed to MAC in Detroit, please be sure to say hello to Kheir and Rebekah.

  • 25 Feb 2019 3:04 PM | Deleted user

    During CAA’s Steering Committee election, we will share comments from current Steering Committee members about their work with CAA. Today we hear from Andrew Bullen. Andy was elected for a 2017-2019 term and currently serves on the Steering Committee as the Treasurer.

    Being a part of CAA's Steering Committee has vastly expanded my horizons. I have worked closely with professionals whose collections and work histories are completely different from my own as well as professionals whose responsibilities closely mirror mine. In its own way, Steering has allowed me to simultaneously broaden and focus my professional contacts and experiences. This is a valuable community and helping to steer it has been a rewarding experience. Being a part of the Steering Committee has rewarded me ten fold

    To volunteer, submit a brief (1-2 paragraphs) Statement of Interest outlining your background and motivation for serving on the Steering Committee toinfo@chicagoarchivists.org. Please include your full name, title, place of work (if applicable), and preferred contact phone and email address.

    The deadline to submit your Statement is Friday, March 1 at 5:00 pm


  • 20 Feb 2019 12:33 PM | Deleted user

    During CAA’s Steering Committee election, we will share comments from current Steering Committee members about their work with CAA. Today we hear from Ashley Gosselar. Ashley was elected for a 2018-2020 term and currently serves on the Steering Committee as the Outreach Liaison and as a member of the Strategic Plan Working Group.

    My CAA story is probably similar to many others. I began as an out-of-town listserv lurker then officially joined the organization when I moved to Chicago. I soon volunteered for a subcommittee and have happily served on various working groups. The comradery among members and the chance to use my professional skills to give back to my community have continually prompted me to say yes to CAA. Does this sound like you, too? If so, I encourage you to think seriously about serving on CAA's Steering Committee. The opportunity to see, understand, and influence the big picture of a professional association I care about is very rewarding. It is a pleasure to serve alongside archivists who also care deeply about CAA, and I often have the privilege of saying yes to CAA members who bring creative and thoughtful ideas to the organization. Supporting what works in our organization while grappling with our growing edges is humbling and exciting. Serving on CAA's Steering Committee is a wonderful opportunity to think and talk deeply about our mission and to guide our strategic directions. I invite you to say a big, hopeful yes to CAA's future by joining the Steering Committee.

    To volunteer, submit a brief (1-2 paragraphs) Statement of Interest outlining your background and motivation for serving on the Steering Committee toinfo@chicagoarchivists.org. Please include your full name, title, place of work (if applicable), and preferred contact phone and email address.

    The deadline to submit your Statement is Friday, March 1 at 5:00 pm.


  • 13 Feb 2019 11:06 AM | Deleted user

    During CAA’s Steering Committee election, we will share comments from current Steering Committee members about their work with CAA. Today we hear from Megan Keller Young. Megan was elected for a 2017-2019 term and currently serves on the Steering Committee as the Vice-Chair.

    When I first moved to Chicago right after finishing library school, I wasn’t sure how to get my foot in the door. Luckily I managed to find the Chicago Area Archivists and have been gaining knowledge and experience ever since, whether through listserv posts, professional development events, or simply meeting people at the Holiday Party. Being around so many other passionate archivists convinced me to pitch in to help keep CAA going. After a few years on Outreach, I was elected to the Steering Committee, where I have been lucky to work on a variety of projects with my colleagues around the city. The time commitment is minimal (a few hours a month), especially compared to the opportunities CAA offers as a result of all of our hard work. I urge all CAA members to consider serving on the Steering Committee. Joining CAA is a great way to get your foot in the door, but by serving on Steering, you can help hold it open for others.

    To volunteer, submit a brief (1-2 paragraphs) Statement of Interest outlining your background and motivation for serving on the Steering Committee toinfo@chicagoarchivists.orgPlease include your full name, title, place of work (if applicable), and preferred contact phone and email address.

    The deadline to submit your Statement is Friday, March 1 at 5:00 pm.


  • 06 Feb 2019 8:30 AM | Deleted user

    During CAA’s Steering Committee election, we will share comments from current Steering Committee members about their work with CAA. Today we hear from Jerice Barrios. Jerice was elected for a 2018-2020 term and currently serves on the Steering Committee as the Programming Liaison, Interest Group Liaison, and will be taking on the role of Treasurer following the 2019 election.

    What I love about being a member of the CAA Steering Committee is the collaborative spirit found in this group. Committee members come from different settings and have different skill sets, but we are all passionate about serving the Chicago archives community. It is extremely rewarding to work with a group of dedicated, creative professionals and know that your ideas are welcomed and that your perspective is appreciated. Volunteering for the Steering Committee is an enriching experience as well as a chance to give back to an organization that I admire.

    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.orgPlease include your full name, title, place of work (if applicable), and preferred contact phone and email address.

    The deadline to submit your statement is Friday, March 1 at 5:00 pm.
  • 05 Feb 2019 12:07 PM | Brittan Nannenga

    CAA is pleased like to announce the return of the membership referral incentive for 2019! When you refer a friend or colleague to join CAA, you will be entered into a drawing with a chance to win a $15 gift card to Starbucks.

    Any member who refers a friend or colleague to join CAA between January 1 and March 12 of this year will be added to the pool. We will pick 3 winners at random at the members meeting in March. Can't make it to the Members Meeting? Don't worry, we will work with you to make sure you get your reward!

    When new members sign up, they can simply add your name to the Referring Member field. This field is completely private and so it will not show up on the new member's public profile. Please note, at this time this initiative only applies to new members who join online, not those who send in the new member registration in the mail.  

    Not sure who to refer? CAA is not strictly for archivists! Consider colleagues who may work with archives in some way but do not consider themselves archivists: students, records managers, rights and images staff, librarians, historians, or others who simply have an interest in archives and want to learn more. CAA's workshops and behind the scenes tours offer insight into the Chicago archives world which may be of interest to a broader audience. Just don't forget to ask them to put you down as their referring member!


  • 30 Jan 2019 11:35 AM | Deleted user

    New to CAA? Longtime member? Consider running for Steering Committee election!

    During CAA’s Steering Committee election, we will share comments from current Steering Committee members about their work with CAA. Kara Jefts was elected for a 2017-2019 term and currently serves on the Steering Committee as the Chair.

    I remember the enthusiasm I felt from CAA members at the first event I attended in the fall of 2016. I was excited find a group of archivists to learn from, as my training comes from an adjacent field. A short time later I found myself serving on the Steering Committee. At first uncertain about the value of my contributions, the experience of serving on Steering has shown me that CAA is truly built to support member growth, and I’ve benefited so much through participation. I encourage anyone who joined our membership with a an eagerness to learn to seek a leadership role. Diversity of experience is one of the things that makes Chicago Area Archivists strong as an organization, so don’t hesitate, volunteer!

    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.

    The deadline to submit your Statement is Friday, March 1 at 5:00 pm.


  • 17 Jan 2019 2:52 PM | Jerice Barrios

    CAA’s new Curating & Exhibitions Interest Group is looking for members! The group is open to anyone who is interested in sharing and learning about best practices, emerging trends, and resources in curating and exhibiting archives and special collections in libraries.

    Topics for future discussion include, but are not limited to: Teaching and learning exhibition development for archivists (and librarians), curating exhibitions in academic libraries, exhibition policies, digital exhibitions, diversity and inclusion in exhibition design, interpretive planning, and community-curated projects.

    If you are interested in joining the group and staying connected with the updates, please email Carol Ng-He at carolnghe@gmail.com and indicate your interest.

  • 08 Jan 2019 2:14 PM | Jerice Barrios

    The Archives and Archivists of Color Travel Fund Award seeks to increase the networks and professional opportunities of minority graduate students and early career professionals by sponsoring attendance at the Midwest Archives Conference, to be held this year on April 3-6 in Detroit, MI.

    Last year, thanks to the kind generosity of the CAA community and friends, the AAC Travel Fund Award sent three people to MAC 2018 in Chicago. Here is a testimonial from one of the winners, Maira Herrera. She was a graduate student at the time that she received the travel fund award and has since taken the position of Archivist with the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL.

    What I loved about going to MAC was seeing different archivists interact and hearing their perspectives. I spoke to a seasoned archivist who encouraged me to branch out of Chicago and see how different archives function. She spoke of her experiences and how that has changed her moving forward. It made me understand just how big this community is, and how it will continue to grow.

    This experience has taught me the importance of diversity in archives and how we can improve to make this field more accessible to minorities. One panel that I attended, "De-Centering Whiteness in the Archive", discussed this exactly. It was a great way to address the lack of inclusion in archives and understand that there can be room for improvement.

    Attending MAC taught me that there is a community out there for novice archivists. It really helped me understand why I wanted to become an archivist and how I can contribute in the future.
    --Maira Herrera

    Fundraising for the AAC Travel Fund Award continues through January, and the deadline for applications for the award is January 31, 2019. All who qualify are encouraged to apply.

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