News & EVENTS

BRIDGING THE GAPS

Registration is now open for the New England Archivists' Fall 2016 Meeting on Friday, October 14th at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts.  This year's meeting, "Bridging the Gaps" will explore ways the archival profession can reach across divisions and work with stakeholders to expand access to collections and document underrepresented communities and issues.

-- Hear Yiddish Book Center founder and president Aaron Lansky speak about his ongoing work to rescue and make accessible the endangered literature of Yiddish-speaking people
-- Attend a panel discussion on promoting access across boundaries created by language, gender, and differing abilities
-- Finish up the day with a series of short presentations by NEA members.

Explore NEA's new website design and find out more about the Fall Meeting program.

Tours of the Yiddish Book Center and the Hampshire College Archives and Special Collections will be offered in the morning before the meeting begins. And this year, for the first time, NEA will offer a chartered bus to provide a greener and more affordable travel option from Boston to Amherst.

Take advantage of our early-bird rates and register online today.

NEA Fall 2016 Meeting
Bridging the Gaps
Friday, October 14, 2016 | 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Yiddish Book Center | Amherst, MA
Registration opens August 22nd

EARLY-BIRD RATES:
     NEA members: $45 ($70 with bus)
     NEA members bridge*: $34 ($59 with bus)
     Student members: $22 ($47 with bus)
     Non-members: $60 ($85 with bus)

* Bridge rates are reserved for NEA members in good standing who self-identify as un- or under-employed

See you in Amherst!

Two weeks ago the New England Archivists sent out a letter of appeal to help save funding to the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and the Massachusetts Center for the Book.

VICTORY!  Funding was restored after State House lawmakers overrode Gov. Charlie Baker’s 55% budget cut. Thank your legislators! Read more about the restored budget on the Boston Globe.

NEA President, Jennifer Gunter King received a thank you email from MA State Senator, Stan Rosenberg:

Jennifer

Thanks for your email regarding Governor Baker’s FY17 vetoes to the Legislature’s budget. Earlier this month, the Legislature passed a balanced budget reflecting its priorities including investments in education, the arts, and assisting those who are in need of a helping hand. I am pleased to inform you that over the last two weeks, the Legislature was successful in restoring funding for many of these important programs. Included in these overrides was the restored funding for the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), a program I have passionately supported for many years. We also restored funding for our libraries and important literacy programs such as the Center for the Book. The Legislature was also successful in restoring funding for programs supported in line-item 4512-0200 which provides important addiction treatment services. As the Commonwealth continues to endure an opioid addiction epidemic, it is important that we remain committed to supporting these critical services. We were also successful in restoring language that requires health insurance companies to cover treatment for chronic Lyme disease, ensuring those suffering from this debilitating disease can receive the treatment they need to live normal lives.

The Legislature continued its commitment to helping those in need with restored funding to several programs assisting those that are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. Included in overrides was line-item 7003-0102 funding Emergency Assistance Family Shelters, and line-item 7004-3036 which funds programs for assistance to homeless Individuals. Finally, the Legislature restored language for Municipal Retiree Health Insurance Premium Freeze to protect retirees from increases in insurance costs. Since all overrides must originate in the House, several important issues were never debated in the Senate. For a complete list of budget overrides please visit our website.

Thanks again for taking the time to weigh in on this issue. I appreciate hearing from constituents on matter of importance to them. Please do not hesitate to contact my office, should you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns. For more information on issues affecting our district and the Commonwealth as a whole, please visit my website at: www.stanrosenberg.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/senatorstanrosenberg or follow me on Twitter @SenStan.

Stan

It's been a long time coming, but the New England Archivists is getting a new website! We've worked hard to make our new site friendly, intuitive, organized, and informative. Over the next few weeks, you'll see some changes as we work on transferring the site over.

We invite everyone to explore the completely updated site on August 22nd as early-bird registration for the NEA Fall 2016 Meeting opens. Contact the NEA Web Administrator, Kelli Bogan (webmaster@newenglandarchivists.org), with any comments or questions. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

NEA Fall 2016 Meeting
Bridging the Gaps
Friday, October 14, 2016 | 1:00-5:00 pm
Yiddish Book Center, Amherst, MA

New England Archivists invites submissions of short presentation proposals for the concluding portion of the Fall Meeting to be held October 14, 2016, at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. It will be a wonderful opportunity to broaden the discussion of this meeting's theme, Bridging the Gaps. Special consideration will be given to students and first-time presenters. The deadline for proposals is July 30, 2016.

During Bridging the Gaps, we will explore inspiring examples of how archivists, associated professionals, and records stakeholders are working to bridge gaps in collection development and accessibility of materials.

The Fall 2016 Program Committee is especially interested in proposals about the following:
    -- Improving the accessibility of collections
    -- Adapting and expanding language to better connect with our audiences
    -- Building diverse collections that reach new users
    -- Connecting with and serving under-documented communities
    -- Fostering relationships between archivists and stakeholders, including records creators and users, outside of traditional repositories

Four proposals will be selected. Presentations will be followed by a moderated discussion among presenters, earlier panelists, and attendees. Presentations must be no longer than 7 minutes and must be in one of the following formats:
    -- Lightning talk - a concise presentation that may or may not include a simple visual element, such as a PowerPoint presentation with three to five slides.
    -- PechaKucha - a presentation during which a 20-slide PowerPoint presentation advances automatically at the rate of 20 seconds per slide.
    -- TED talk - a short verbal presentation that may or may not include a visual element.

Submissions should include the following elements:
    1. working title of your presentation;
    2. brief description of the topic;
    3. name and contact information of the participant(s); and
    4. presentation format.

Please submit your proposals by July 30, 2016, to program chairs Annalisa Moretti and Blake Spitz with the subject line NEA Fall 2016 Meeting Presentation Proposal (annalisacmoretti@gmail.com and bspitz@library.umass.edu). If your proposal is selected, you will be contacted by a member of the Program Committee.

Please note: Upon acceptance, all presenters are required to register for the conference at the early-bird rate and fund their travel expenses.

*New England Archivists Boston Summer 2016 Social Event!*

The NEA Membership Committee and REPS invite all NEA members to our Summer Meet-up. Chat with fellow members, network a bit, and talk to folks attending SAA in Atlanta. All are welcome. 

NEA purchases snacks, drinks on your own.

Tuesday July 26, 2016 
4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
John Harvard’s Brewery and Ale House  

Harvard Square
33 Dunster Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Mass Transportation: 
Nearest MBTA Subway Stops: Harvard Square Station
Nearest MBTA Bus line: Harvard Square station

See you on the 26th!

While today’s news included a historic appointment at the Library of Congress, it also included local news that the New England Archivists believes demands immediate action.

The good news first. The library that has served our Congress and has acted as our national repository is now to be led by Dr. Carla D. Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, as well as the first woman and first African American to hold the post. Our libraries are reflections of their communities, and it is critical that American communities see themselves in the collections and spaces that our libraries, archives, and museums provide.

Now the bad news. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker vetoed the Legislature's proposed Massachusetts Cultural Council budget and slashed arts funding by 55%. This cut would fund the creative community at $6.5 million, a level not seen since 1994. Last Friday, Governor Baker also vetoed 100% of spending on Massachusetts Center for the Book in FY2017, effectively shutting its doors. 

We need to send a strong message quickly to our Governor that the cuts will directly impact our collective efforts to represent and document all people, including those whose stories are often left out of the record. We can do this today by writing to our representatives (see links below) or appealing to the Governor directly.

Governor Baker’s vetoes include Massachusetts Center for the Book line item:
http://massbook.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/MassCenterfortheBook.veto_.override.7.12.16-2-1.pdf

Governor Proposes Devastating Cuts to Arts & Culture via Veto:
http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/news/Governor_Veto_FY17.asp

Let's override Gov. Baker's arts veto – MASSCREATIVE Action Center:
https://www.votervoice.net/MAARTS/campaigns/47339/respond

I have no doubt that the pressure on the Governor to support critical infrastructures across the Commonwealth led to these decisions. Yet, the arts and our cultural heritage resources, including our libraries, archives, and museums, are essential to our communities and for creating an inclusive and anti-racist world. Here is a personal story of how archives and museums and libraries do this.

Two weeks ago I went to the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island, New York. There I could learn about, see, and feel what some of our immigrant ancestors went through to gain entry into this country. Through the photographs, oral histories, and letters, preserved and on display, I could grasp the justices and the injustices, as some were granted access that others were denied. With anguish, I also saw the barriers that prevented some from ever stepping foot on American soil. As today’s refugees seek safety and opportunity, and our own contemporary multicultural world sometimes forgets why, and how easily, humans institutionalize unjust barriers to liberty, it is our libraries, archives, and museums that remind us—that provide the vital evidence to inform our narrative of the past and for the future. Our cultural heritage institutions are the foundation of our democracy.

Please help the New England Archivists support the Library of Congress’ new leadership, and encourage our government to fund crucial access to information, and history.

Yours in earnest,
Jennifer Gunter King, President
New England Archivists

The New England Archivists Nominating Committee is seeking potential archival leaders to run for three open Executive Board positions. This year's election will include:
-- Vice President/President-Elect
-- Treasurer
-- Representative-at-Large

Think about nominating yourself or a colleague for one of these positions. Serving on the NEA Board is a great way to build your resume, network with other archivists in the community, and help make decisions that will drive our institution. Help keep NEA vital, welcoming, and fun.

We encourage NEA members at any stage of their career to consider running. If you are interested in stepping into a regional leadership position or know someone who would be a good candidate, please use the nomination form. Nominations are due by August 1st. All submissions are anonymous and confidential.

Find out more information about being part of the NEA Board:
-- Responsibilities assigned to the Vice President/President-Elect, Treasurer, and Representative-at-Large.

-- Current Board initiatives are outlined in NEA’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.

-- Questions about the election and nominating process can be sent to the chair of the Nominating Committee, Colin Lukens (colin_lukens@harvard.edu).

Help us continue to make NEA a better organization for all our members.

Thank you,

The 2016 Nominating Committee:
Colin Lukens, Chair
Sarah Demb
Lisa Long Feldmann
Peter Nelson
Adrienne Pruitt
Megan Schwenke 

NEA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
Friday July 8, 2016 
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 p.m. 
Location: 202 Burlington Rd. Bedford, MA at the MITRE Corporation in C Building
Please note: A government issued ID is required to enter the building. 

All NEA members are welcome to attend the NEA Executive Board quarterly meeting on Friday, July 8. RSVP is not necessary but preferred. Please contact Krista at kferrante@mitre.org if you plan to attend. You can read the board meeting agenda on the NEA website.

Unable to attend in person? NEA is committed to making our board meetings open to all members. If you would like to request remote access to part or all of the December meeting, please contact the Inclusion and Diversity Coordinator, Anna Clutterbuck-Cook (diversity@newenglandarchivists.org / 617-646-0561) and we will do what we can to accommodate your request.

You can always access board meeting minutes on the NEA website.

Travel Details:

Location & Directions

https://www.mitre.org/about/corporate-overview/locations-and-directions

Bus

• The MBTA 351 bus stops at MITRE by the M building garage on the Route 62 side. The 351 bus schedule can be viewed at the MBTA’s website. The schedule is also posted in M lobby. This bus runs one way only in the morning and afternoon. The bus leaves Alewife Station every half-hour from 6:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and leaves Oak Park (Crosby Drive) from 3:15 to 6:15 going to Alewife. Please refer to the MBTA website for a more detailed schedule and map.
• MBTA Park and Ride Lots
• The Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) has a bus that comes right through the MITRE complex. The bus stop is located at the entrance to the MITRE parking garage facing Rt 62. The Route 14 bus runs from the Lowell transit center through Billerica, Burlington and Bedford. The bus leaves the transit center about every two hours from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and leaves the Lahey Clinic about every two hours from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The LRTA also sells monthly passes which employees have to purchase from their distributor. Please refer to their website for a more detailed schedule.

Rail

• MBTA Lowell Line – Ride the commuter rail from North Station to Lowell.

The Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies (JCAS), a peer-reviewed online journal hosted by Yale University and New England Archivists, seeks an Associate Editor and a Marketing Associate. All interested candidates should apply by August 1, 2016. See below for details.

JCAS's mission is to further awareness of issues and developments in the work of professional archivists, curators, and historians, and serve as a locus for graduate students and professionals in library science, archival science, and public history to contribute original works of research and inquiry for peer review and publication. JCAS publishes research articles, case studies, literature reviews (book, web-based, multimedia), work-in-progress articles, and conference reports that emphasize unique intellectual and technological developments in the archival profession. JCAS is an open-access, online academic journal published via the Berkeley Electronic Press Digital Commons platform.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR The Associate Editor collaborates with the Managing Editor in soliciting, selecting, and developing content for the journal. The Associate Editor reviews assigned submissions and oversees the peer review process for them: reading and evaluating reports submitted by peer reviewers and recommending to the Managing Editor whether the manuscripts should be accepted for publication, accepted for publication with revisions, or rejected for publication. The Associate Editor participates in outreach programming whenever possible and assists in the solicitation of submissions on an ongoing basis. This person will serve a term of three years, with the opportunity to serve a second term if desired.

MARKETING ASSOCIATE
The Marketing Associate generates and oversees all publicity, networking, and liaison work for the journal's social media presence. The Marketing Associate manages all incoming and outgoing communications and coordinates outreach events with the NEA Communications Committee. This person will serve a term of two years, with the opportunity to serve a second term if desired.

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and a short cover letter for consideration by the NEA Executive Board. Deadline for submission is August 1, 2016. Applications and questions should be directed to NEA Immediate Past President Colin Lukens: colin_lukens@harvard.edu.

Please excuse the cross-postings. New England Archivists would like to make our members aware of an opportunity to attend an event at Harvard University's Countway Library honoring Kathryn Hammond Baker. All are welcome to attend:

Kathryn Hammond Baker Memorial and Strategic Conversation with Ixchel Faniel
Thursday, June 9 | 1:00–4:00 pm

Countway Library, Lahey Room
Longwood Medical Area
10 Shattuck Street | Boston, MA 02115

___________

1:00–2:00 pm | Kathryn Hammond Baker Memorial
Please join fellow friends and colleagues as we remember Kathryn.

2:30–4:00 pm | Improving Support for Researchers: How Data Reuse Can Inform Data Curation
In this talk, Ixchel Faniel from OCLC will discuss data reuse practices within academic communities as a means to inform data curation. Knowledge of data reuse and curation processes can shape the activities and services of researchers, librarians, and other information professionals in order to enhance data reuse and accelerate research discoveries. Refreshments will be served from 2:00 to 2:30 pm.

Strategic Conversations at Harvard Library are funded through the generosity of The Bradley M. and Terrie F. Bloom Family Fund.