Nominating Committee Invites Nominations

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment

Interested in expanding your leadership or project management skills? Want to cultivate connections with other cultural heritage professionals throughout Georgia?
The SGA Nominating Committee invites you to get involved in SGA leadership. We have several open SGA board positions for 2019. You can nominate yourself or a colleague for one of the vacant positions.
More information on serving in a leadership position in SGA and the duties of each position can be found in the Administrative Handbook, as well as in the organization’s Bylaws. Projects and work will be guided by the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.
Nominees should also be aware of SGA’s Statement on Diversity and Inclusion. The recruitment practicesused by SGA’s Nominating Committee will uphold the principles and commitments set forth in this statement.
Here are the vacancies for ELECTED positions for 2019 (these board members vote on official SGA decisions):
Vice President / President-Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Assistant Program Chair
Assistant Local Arrangements Chair
Archivist
Nominating Committee Members (2 positions)
Candidates for elected positions must send a short bio and brief statement of interest addressing SGA’s Core Values, including diversity, to nominating@soga.org. SGA’s Core Values are outlined on page 2 of the Strategic Plan.
——
Here are the vacancies for APPOINTED positions for 2019 (these board members do not vote but do play key leadership roles):
Assistant Communications Director
Provenance Editor
Assistant Website Manager
Assistant Outreach Manager
Assistant RAAC Liaison
Georgia Archives Month Assistant Liaison
Assistant Education Committee Chair
Assistant Mentoring Program Coordinator
Scholarship Committee Chair
If you are interested in an appointed position or have a recommendation, please email nominating@soga.org.
——
The deadline for nominations for either elected or appointed positions is 8/20/2018. Self-nominations are encouraged. If you have any questions, please email nominating@soga.org

Even More Committee Updates!

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment

The Scholarship Committee would like to congratulate Brittany Newberry on being selected to receive the Ed Weldon Scholarship for early-bird registration to the Society of American Archivists Conference.  Good luck in D.C.!

We look forward to hearing about your experience in a future blog post, and congratulations again!!



The Program Committee has been working diligently over the last six months to release the theme and program earlier in the calendar year, allowing attendees more time to determine their travel schedules for the Annual Meeting. 
After extensive review of member feedback in previous Annual Meeting surveys, the Committee chose this year’s theme of Practical Pathways: Applied Tools and Creative Approaches. The selection is in direct response to the expressed need for hands-on, pragmatic suggestions and solutions for the problems archivists are facing in the workplace. A complete description of the theme can be found here.
Additionally, the Program Committee is extremely excited that the 2018 Annual Meeting Program Draft is now available, and believes the quality and diversity of session and poster topics and speakers will be a boon to attendees. Preparations for the final draft of the program–including the popular “At a Glance” schedule debuted last year–are currently underway.

The SGA Nominating Committee — Kevin Fleming, Megan Kerkhoff, and Wendy Hagenmaier — has been working on annual activities related to SGA Fellows and nominations, as well as two important strategic plan goals focused on diversity and communication.
We publicized the call for Fellows nominations (thanks to those of you who submitted nominations!) and will be announcing the results at the 2018 Annual Meeting. We’ll soon be recruiting candidates for open leadership positions. Please consider throwing your hat into the ring.
This year, we’re focusing on two strategic goals:
1) Increasing outreach to students, new members, and those who haven’t considered SGA leadership roles and encouraging them to get involved.
We’re just kicking off this outreach. Please let us know if you have any questions about leadership opportunities, would like us to chat with your class, or want to recommend members for leadership roles.
2) Exploring opportunities to cultivate interaction among the SGA Fellows cohort and the SGA membership.
We’re planning a fun forum for this at the Annual Meeting — stay tuned!
Please feel welcome to reach out to us with any ideas or questions at nominating@soga.org.

Committee Updates!

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment
The Nominating Committee is currently seeking nominations for this year’s Society of Georgia Archivists Fellows Award. Now is your chance to recognize individuals for their outstanding achievements in our profession and for their valuable contributions to SGA!
To be eligible, nominees must have been members of SGA for at least five years and demonstrate dedication to education, leadership, advocacy, and/or scholarly activities that impact the Georgia archival community.
The nomination form and award procedures are available on the SGA Fellows webpage: https://soga.wildapricot.org/membership/fellows
The deadline to submit a nomination is April 30, 2018.
Please contact the Nominating Committee with questions about the program or procedures: nominating@soga.org
Thank you,
2018 SGA Nominating Committee:
Kevin Fleming
Wendy Hagenmaier, Chair
Megan Kerkhoff



The SGA Membership and Outreach and Advocacy Committee hosted a joint tour of “A Fire That No Water Could Put Out”: Civil Rights Photography at the High Museum of Art, March 11, 2018. Six members attended.

The committee also organized a joint SGA/Special Libraries Association-Atlanta Chapter Networking Night and Tour of the Breman Museum’s new exhibition on display from the National Archives and Records Administration, “Discovery and Recovery: Preserving Iraqi Jewish Heritage,” April 10, 2018. Jeremy Katz, Director of the Cuba Family Archives also led a tour of the archives. Twenty-seven members of both organizations attended.










Georgia Archives Month Spotlight Grant

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment

We are now accepting applications for the Georgia Archives Months Spotlight Grant. 
The Georgia Archives Month Spotlight on Archives Grant is intended to help archives, museums, or heritage institutions in Georgia promote public awareness of their archives and manuscript collections during Georgia Archives Month in October. This year, there will be one award of $500; award monies are intended to be used by the selected institution to fund an event to be held during Georgia Archives Month in October 2018 and the money can be used for the event’s expenses. Our 2018 theme is “Faces and Places: Documenting Diversity during Georgia Archives Month”
You can get your application and specific details HERE:
Find the link for the GAM 2018 Spotlight on Archives Grant Application, and apply today. The deadline is June 15. 
While you are there, check out events hosted by 2017’s winners!  Good luck!
Georgia Archives Month Committee

Catherine Hendricks has joined the University of West Georgia’s Special Collections as Processing Archivist.

SGA Communications Director1 Comment

Catherine Hendricks has joined the University of West Georgia’s Special Collections as Processing Archivist. She earned the M.A. in History and a Graduate Certificate in Public History from the University of West Georgia in 2008, and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Georgia in 1991.  In addition, she holds undergraduate degrees in English and sociology and journalism. Catherine’s previous work at the University of West Georgia has included serving as project director for the Thomas B. Murphy State Capitol Office Replication Project, co-director of the Powder Springs Project, and as coordinator of numerous programs and travelling exhibits.  Prior to her employment at the University of West Georgia, Catherine worked for ten years as Academic Assistant to the Provost at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia, and, previous to that, was assistant director of the Savannah Science Museum, Savannah, Georgia, for six years, also serving for a year as the acting director. 

Georgia Archives Month!

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment

HAPPY GEORGIA ARCHIVES MONTH!

Georgia Archives Month (GAM) is an exciting and important month for archivists and archival institutions in Georgia. GAM was officially recognized in 2000 thanks to a proclamation made by Governor Roy Barnes. GAM is sponsored by the Society of Georgia Archivists. For the first six years, GAM events took place during the course of one week in October, but in 2007, these events began to extend throughout the course of the entire month.

This year’s theme for GAM is “Come on in Y’all: Accessible Archives in Georgia.” There are so many great ways that Georgia archival institutions are making their collections accessible to the public, and the SGA Outreach Team wants to highlight these awesome ideas all month. Whether it’s processing a new collection, advocating for your repository, or developing new outreach tools – we want to hear about it! Email outreach@soga.org to share your GAM announcements and experiences.

To learn more about the history of the Society of Georgia Archivists and Georgia Archives Month, visit http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/education/society-georgia-archivists.

Let’s Advocate!

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment
As archivists, we know that advocating for our profession is a crucial part of our work. The Academy of Certified Archivists includes advocacy within one of the seven main domains of the archival profession. ACA explains that archivists must “develop an understanding of, and support for, the archival program among resource allocators, key constituents, potential donors, allied professionals, and other internal and external stakeholders to the archives’ parent organization” (ACA Exam Handbook 21). Advocating for our profession can take many forms – public programming, meetings with local and state politicians, donor relations, fundraising, activism, etc. For the Society of Georgia Archivists, activism kicked into high gear roughly five years ago when the future of the Georgia Archives was in danger. Now that this threat has passed, it is time to start thinking about advocacy in a long-term sense. While issue-based advocacy is important, it is also necessary to engage in a steady rhythm of advocacy so that our community understands the value of what we do.
The SGA Outreach Team has made it a point to focus on advocacy for fall 2017. We are excited to see the inroads we can make in Georgia to help inform our community of the archival profession. Here are some ideas we are considering…
–        Developing an advocacy “workflow” for current and future members of the SGA Outreach Team
–        Setting up meetings with our local and state politicians to discuss our purpose as archivists
–        Inviting stakeholders to SGA events
–        Targeting SGA social media to address issues specifically related to advocacy   
SGA Members with Governor Nathan Deal at the 2016 Georgia Archives Month Proclamation Signing

What other ideas do you have for advocacy? Let us know!!

"Tackling the ACA Exam" (written by Tiffany Atwater)

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment
“The best way to finish an unpleasant task is to get started” ~Anonymous
No one likes taking tests! We study, cry, study some more, eat ice cream and then study again,—or maybe this was just my experience in graduate school. Nonetheless, through my matriculation of grad school, there was one nagging thought in my mind. “What if I graduate but can’t pass the Certification Exam?” Scary right, well, not exactly.  Unlike some professions, not passing the exam does not signify a nail in the coffin of my career, — it is nonetheless, a testament to my understanding of the profession and my ability to maintain standards of excellence in historical preservation and access to primary resources. The certification exam, was developed by “the Academy of Certified Archivists, founded in 1989 at the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists.”<!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Aca17 \l 1033 <![endif]–> (Academy of Certified Archivists, 2017)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>The ACA exam was established in conjunction with the Society of American Archivists and the Interim Board for Certification (IBC) in order to promote understanding of archival goals, ethics and standards. The examination is conducted annually in conjunction with the Society of American Archivist’s Annual Meeting. Applicants are able to take the test either at SAA’s annual meeting or request a host city where 3 or more applicants wish to take the test.
I applied for the test last year, and I must say as scared as I was about taking the exam, I was more inspired by the sight of all the other test takers in the room with me. Seeing former classmates and current colleagues take the test was exciting. One of the ways I studied for the exam was by reaching out to colleagues who had taken the test. One of the most surprising pieces of advice I received was to “relax.” The exam is challenging; it’s supposed to be. If everyone could pass, what would make the profession so special? Being an archivist is more than putting old stuff in boxes. It’s someone who preserves, manages, and provides access to the past. We are the gatekeepers to history, but more importantly we are a legitimate profession that requires training and higher education. We are not just a title to be used for the person who keeps all the “old stuff.” The certification exam is the Academy’s effort to help validate what we, as working archivists, already know — our profession takes skill.
I eventually studied hard and passed the exam, and I encourage anyone who has been procrastinating, scared, or even unaware to visit the Academy of Certified Archivists website and learn more about certification. The Academy even provides an exam handbook that serves as a guide for anyone desiring to become certified. It includes an explanation of the Academy’s structure, principles guiding the exam’s creation, sample questions, study guide and bibliography. While it is too late to register for the upcoming 2017 exam, remember that applications for the 2018 exam usually open in February. For those who are taking the exam this year, I will see you July 26th as I am one of the proctors for the Atlanta site.

A wise person once said, “The best way to finish an unpleasant task is to get started.” Who that person is, I don’t know perhaps an archivist will find this quote in an archive somewhere, and when they do, hopefully the archivist will have a CA after their title. 
Written by Tiffany Atwater

We’re Back!

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment

Greetings all!

The  SGA Outreach team is excited to announce that we are officially reviving our blog! Thank you for your patience during our hiatus.

Our first blog post is going to focus on membership. Membership is crucial to the success of SGA because without dedicated members who volunteer their time and resources to serve on the SGA board, attend SGA events and meetings, mentor one another, or even just promote the archival endeavor in Georgia, our Society could not exist. You do not have to be a full-time archivist to be a member of SGA. Anyone can join. We welcome a diverse group of members who are committed to working together for the betterment of archives in our state. In fact, the SGA Diversity Initiative Task Force just completed the first statement on diversity and inclusion for SGA. Check it out here.

The SGA Membership Committee specifically works toward meeting the needs of current SGA members as well as recruiting new members. The Outreach Committee works closely with the Membership Committee to plan events and campaigns to encourage membership participation. Take a look at the latest update from Sarah Tanner, the 2017 SGA Membership Chair:

Dear SGA Members,
The Membership Committee, in 2016, began working closely with the Outreach Committee to combine our efforts to help support current SGA membership and expand our reach in recruiting new members. We have had three joint meetings to plan and promote SGA activities for the 2017 year. The Membership Committee has several ongoing tasks, including welcoming new members, planning tours of Georgia repositories, connecting members through social and networking events, and partnering with the Mentoring Committee to identify ways to connect new members with the Mentoring Program. This year the Membership Committee planned a joint Lego+Local Brew networking event with the Special Libraries Association and other professional organizations at the Museum of Modern Design, sent informational emails to historical societies, faculty, and students in archival programs, and is working on several upcoming events for the summer. The Membership Committee, along with the Outreach Committee is working with the Georgia Archives Institute to plan a repository tour of the Auburn Avenue Research Center in June and an SGA member happy hour at the Brick Store Pub this summer. Stay tuned for more information about these upcoming events.
In addition to these events, committee members have been working on a variety of tasks from SGA’s Strategic Timetable, including drafting and submitting a Diversity Statement for the SGA Board, and reaching out to members in other areas of Georgia to plan casual meet-ups in cities beyond Atlanta. If you or anyone you know is interested in working with the Membership Committee to plan an event in your area, please contact me!

The Membership Committee is designed to work on programs to recruit and retain members, as well as develop membership benefits. If you have any feedback, comments, or concerns, I would love to hear from you.  

Thanks for the update, Sarah! And to all of our SGA members, thank you for making us the incredible Society that we are!



Call for session/poster proposals for SFA/SGA Joint Meeting this October

SGA Communications DirectorLeave a comment


The 2016 Society of Georgia Archivists/Society of Florida Archivists Programming Committee proudly announces the theme for the 2016 Joint Conference:
Defining Archives: Ingenuity, Innovation, and New Perspectives
The Committee invites you to submit your workshop, session, and poster ideas to help make this year’s conference a great success!  Defining Archives calls for archives professionals to explore the inventive and enterprising use of archival concepts, functions, and methods through time and across disciplines. Conference program proposals are sought that highlight innovative research, applied projects, and collective insights that improve our understanding of the following key topics:
  • The archival environment, including issues, successes, and key operational differences experienced while working in corporate archives, special collections, academic repositories, and public libraries; 
  • The roles of archivists as educators, reference sources, spokespeople, liaisons, and gatekeepers; changing jobs and titles and how these varied responsibilities are handled in daily work;
  • The vision of archives and next steps for the profession, including novel approaches to archival education, recruiting new generations of archivists, and creatively engaging with researchers and the community;
  • The creative practice of archives and the ways in which archivists create innovative responses to challenges such as rapidly changing formats, digital preservation, web archiving, unconventional projects, building exhibits and the management of exponentially larger volumes of data.

The theme announcement and session proposal guidelines can be found online at http://bit.ly/1WOOZjW.  The deadline for session/poster proposals is July 15, 2016. 

We are looking forward to our Joint Conference in Savannah, Georgia, October 13-14, 2016!  For more information about the joint meeting, please see http://www.soga.org/annualmeeting.