My Experience at the SAA Archives * Records 2021…

Author: Sereen Suleiman

---

Attending this conference has been a very rewarding experience, virtual or not! Coming from someone who is undergoing a career change into library sciences, attending the Society of American Archivists (SAA) Archives * Records 2021 Conference was the perfect start to introduce me to the field of archives. All the recordings I viewed were informative and engaging, and I learned something new about archives from each of them. From encouraging diversity and raising awareness of marginalized voices to emphasizing collaboration between archival officials and leaders from other professional sectors, one can tell this conference was designed to cater to archivists of various professional backgrounds with various levels of expertise all over the world.

One of the first recorded sessions I viewed was the presentation, Archive and IT Relationships: Four Elements of Success, hosted by Laura Drake Davis from the Library of Congress, Sarah Dorpinghaus from the University of Kentucky, Jim Duran from Vanderbilt Television News Archive, and Seth Shaw from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In that session, the speakers share the concept of bringing archives, special collections, and information technology departments together in order to store records in institutions more efficiently. The presenters focus on four common areas for collaborative success: documentation, communication, participation, and evaluation. Some key points that were mentioned were keeping others informed of potential and new projects, needs, and changes, analyzing the what, where, why, purpose, cost, level of support, and addressing challenges such as knowledge gaps and when the technology must be updated.

***

My favorite recorded presentation is Foundations for Culturally Competent, Racially Conscious Metadata hosted by Sam Winn, a Ph.D. student from the University of Arizona, and Dominique Luster of the Luster Company. Sam speaks in the first half of the presentation, while Dominique speaks during the second half. Winn goes in depth about familiar topics, including white supremacy, whiteness, and white privilege. For example, when it comes to racism, Winn explains the term as an idea that is “systemic or institutionalized [and is] not tied to a single individual or group.”

That introduction serves as the foundation for the base of her presentation, which focuses on how “white normativity manifests in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM for short)” and what questions should be asked when properly representing communities. Questions she asks range from “Who is assumed the authority?”, “Whose interests are sustained?” all the way to “Is the archive a public service?”. I believe it is imperative to ask such questions when representing people in an archive. Dominique’s presentation further convinced me of that fact when she confidently states, “Archives are NOT neutral.” And in a way, that is true. Like she says, having a voice is power, being represented is power, and since archives have the potential to tell a story about a person, a group of people, a company, or whoever or whatever, then yes, archives are NOT neutral. As Luster also mentions, it is crucial to practice cultural competency whenever collecting archival evidence, because it stands for continuous work and emphasizes growth. In other words, a collection doesn’t stop at one photo or one artifact. It keeps on going. This, in my opinion, is what will always make the practice of archival studies relevant in any period. Stories are always being told, and archives play a role in representing and preserving those stories.

***

Finally, I would like to quickly note how the conference even offered a video tour presentation of the archives of the Anaheim Public Library. It was so fascinating to see how the famed Orange County city has its origins from the time of the Gold Rush in California. To see the city’s progression–from a simple wine factory, to a city blossoming with orange trees, and finally seeing it as the home of Disneyland we know today–told in the library’s archives has been an incredible educational experience.

***

I would like to thank San Jose State University (SJSU) for providing the funds necessary to attend the conference. A special thank you is also in order for the SJSU SAA Student Chapter for coordinating the process. It was a pleasure to attend this year’s SAA Archives * Records Conference, and I hope to do so again in the future. 

 

If you would like to read about conference presentation experience, please check out the blog by Alison Quirion and Sabrina Holecko in which they discuss their poster presentation experience at this year’s SAA conference.

An SAA 2021 Conference Poster Presentation Experience: Hear it…

Authors: Alison Quirion and Sabrina Holecko

Edited by: Sereen Suleiman 

---

It’s that time of year again: conference time! Ever wondered what the process of presenting is like? Now you can hear it directly from SAASC as former executive board members (and recent MLIS graduates) Alison Quirion and Sabrina Holecko share their experience in collaborating on a poster presentation for this year’s Society of American Archivists (SAA) Conference: Archives * Records 2021. 

As a quick note, due to COVID-19, this annual conference was virtual, but next year’s conference may not be. With that being said, let’s go on to the interview!

***

Poster title banner. Please contact Alison Quirion at alison.quirion@gmail.com for more information.

1. What was the process for participating in the Student Poster Presentations at the SAA 2021 Annual Conference?

Sabrina – 

I believe Alison is better equipped to speak to this than me. The process seemed simple from my end. We used Google Docs and our Canva account to come together and pull pieces from our chapter’s Covid responses into a poster. We focused on numbers from our social media and YouTube accounts, as well as a few of our online events.

Alison – 

The process is sort of a blur to me now. I think I first saw a post early in the Spring 2021 semester in either the SAA Announcements or the SAA SNAP section calling for student or student chapter proposals for conference presentations or posters. Proposals and abstracts were due in March, so I mentioned it in an SAASC team monthly meeting to see if anyone was interested in submitting something with me. Luckily, Sabrina and fellow board member, Samantha Hamilton, expressed their interest. 

First, I threw out the idea of how our student chapter adapted to the pandemic. Then we decided to do a poster rather than a full presentation. Afterwards, we started collaborating on the title and abstract to meet the March submission date. Some time in May, I think we received confirmation that our poster proposal was accepted, and our final title, abstract, and poster would be due at the end of June. Then, as Sabrina mentioned, we used our Google doc to collect some information and statistics as well as our Canva account to create the poster visual. Once we submitted, it was just a matter of waiting for the conference to begin and monitoring our poster page in the conference portal to answer any questions that were posted.

 2. Is this your first poster or presentation for a conference? If not, what other experience(s) do you have?

Sabrina – 

It is my first presentation!

Alison – 

This was my first, too! Even though I had instructors advise that we, as students, should try to participate in conferences as much as possible, repurposing research papers to use as presentations or poster presentations, I just never made time for it or didn’t think my work was good enough. However, around graduation time, I quickly learned that my resume just didn’t cut it, and I needed to ramp up my professional participation. This poster was a good way to test the waters.

3. How did you decide on the subject of your poster?

Sabrina – 

I believe it was thrown out there in one of our monthly meetings, and we all agreed. We really wanted to highlight what our chapter has done from social media promotions to events and our webpage. Everyone has worked hard in our chapter and they should be proud. 

Alison – 

I definitely agree with Sabrina. It was obvious after the Fall 2020 semester that as a student chapter, we were making a lot of progress in terms of membership and engagement. We wanted to toot our collective horn by highlighting our achievements during an unusual year.

4. What did you think of the overall experience?

Sabrina – 

It was a learning curve. I enjoyed that they left it pretty open ended so that we could shape our poster however we wanted. It was also during a time that I had a lot going on, and so that part was difficult for me personally. Overall, it was relatively painless. We received a detailed and helpful email of what and when to submit. After that, it was up to us to pull the numbers and focus our topic. 

Alison – 

The experience of putting the poster together was pretty easy, sort of like a class project. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get any comments or feedback on our poster during the conference, but I’m still hopeful that attendees are still going through the posters and catching up on presentations, just as I’m still going through the conference materials. If nothing else, I hope that current student chapter officers check out our poster and maybe pick up some ideas that they can apply to their group.

5. Would you do anything differently or did you learn anything you might apply to the next conference presentation opportunity?

Sabrina – 

I learned to simply do it. Before it was suggested, I never thought about submitting anything to present at the SAA conference as an entry-level archivist. The poster was more my speed, since we didn’t have to physically present anything. It was great to not only attend the conference, but to be a part of the community. There are a few things I would have done differently and people I would have included, but overall I’m happy with our poster. 

Alison – 

I never really understood the concept of a poster presentation. Most of the posters I’ve seen cram too much information onto an oversized board, and they look like someone just copied and/or pasted a research paper into a bunch of boxes. I really wanted to try to avoid that, but I still think we had too much text. If the conference were in-person, rather than virtual, I might have felt more comfortable using only high-level vocabulary on the poster. That way, I could stand by the poster and elaborate or answer questions to anyone who was interested. 

Moreover, I learned that the posters that received comments or questions primarily focused on a specific project. The general student chapter posters had less active chats. If I did this again, I would definitely try to limit the scope of the topic, but go deeper on that one topic. I still don’t love the poster concept. And as Sabrina said, we could have and should have contacted others regarding their participation in the poster, but when you have three people who are also in the middle of the e-portfolio process steering the ship, you ultimately find things slip through the cracks.

6. Any tips or suggestions for SJSU students who may be too intimidated to submit a conference proposal?

Sabrina – 

Submit! You never know. Similar to job applications, you have to take a chance that things may work out. Make sure to read instructions a few times, look at other examples of what you’d like to submit, and take the plunge. Best of luck to anyone thinking about submitting!

Alison – 

Don’t be intimidated, submit anything: a paper you wrote for class, a topic you find interesting and want to do more research on, a digital collection you want to evaluate, etc. Unless you are already working in archives, special collections, or a library setting and only need the degree to get a promotion, you need to seriously think about presenting and publishing. Don’t feel bad if you get rejected, I’ve applied for at least one hundred jobs, internships, volunteer leadership roles in the past six months and have been rejected for all of them with the exception of this poster and an upcoming website review for ARLIS/NA. It’s kind of like the lottery. You can’t win if you don’t play, and one of these days your numbers are going to come up! 

***

I would like to thank both Alison and Sabrina for generously giving some of their time to share their thoughts with SAASC and the SJSU School of Information community. Congratulations to you both for graduating, and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! If you did not attend the SAA 2021 conference and would like to see the poster that Alison, Sabrina, and Samantha submitted, please send a request to Alison at: alison.quirion@gmail.com.

 

Sabrina Holecko (left), Alison Quirion (middle), and Samantha Hamilton (right). Pictures are provided by them.

ACA Exam Information

Joshua Kitchens is the current Regent of Outreach for ACA (The Academy of Certified Archivists) and on May 3, 2021, his presentation went over the organization and the benefits of becoming a certified archivist. Kitchens is an Archival Educator at Clayton State University in Georgia, and is passionate about spreading awareness about the archival profession as well as the certification exam that is hosted by ACA itself.

ACA certifies archivists who are pursuing professional archival standards through this exam. ACA, also known amongst members as: The Academy, was established in 1989 and consists of board members in different regents. Depending on the regent, board members are in charge of creating exam questions, helping members renew their certificates, or promoting the exam.

Kitchens shared some reasons for why certification is advantageous for archivists:

-validating one’s skills

-standing out in the job market

-comparing one’s knowledge to a consensus national standard

-can help improve pay

The largest demographics of test-takers come from those working for governmental institutions (30%), academic institutions (25%), and corporate institutions (20%). Those who either want to, or are already working for these groups, would most likely be interested in taking the exam, although every archivist can apply to take it!

There are three main options to qualify for the exam.

• Option 1 is for those with a masters degree, 9 hours of archival courses, and 1 year of professional experience (1,750 hours).
• Option 2 is for those with a masters degree and 2 years of professional experience (3,500 hours).
• Option 3 is for those with a masters degree, 9 hours of archival courses, and who are committed to accomplishing 1,750 hours within 3 years. Option 3 is the most popular choice for students who just graduated from a library masters degree program.

The application process includes a $75 fee and some supplemental information such as descriptions of the archival program one is involved in, transcripts, and a letter of recommendation. Kitchens recommends documenting descriptions of archival work, so that when one’s hours are done and they’re ready to apply, they don’t have to spend much time writing about their specific achievements from the past 1-3 years.

The Academy breaks down knowledge into an overview of seven domains. Kitchens described these domains as the major work that archivists do or “the universe of archival roles and responsibilities.” Exam questions cover these topics.

1. Selection, Appraisal, and Acquisition
2. Arrangement and Description
3. Reference Services and Access
4. Preservation and Protection
5. Outreach, Advocacy, and Promotion
6. Managing Archival Programs
7. Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities

Recertification takes place every five years, and one can choose to either retake the exam or petition. The exam is remade every two years, so content is kept current. Petitioning includes demonstrating to the Academy that they are either contributing to the profession or continuing their education. There is no cost to recertify. Kitchens elaborated that recertification prevents a stalemate in the profession, and shared his personal experience with feeling great when petitioning. Revisiting all of his past triumphs and personal/professional development allowed him to feel more confident with his skills and more involved within the field. 

There are study guides and study sessions to help people prepare for the exam. Kitchens graciously shared his email addresses at the end of his PowerPoint so that if the website doesn’t cover a question, one can contact him directly. ACA’s website is: https://www.certifiedarchivists.org. His email addresses are: aca@caphill.com and outreach@certifiedarchivists.org. SJSU SAASC wants to thank Kitchens for his helpful and detailed presentation. It not only covered the basics for a well-known exam, but also introduced many students to its existence. We are grateful for his time and assistance!

For those of you who are taking the test this June, good luck! If you are interested in becoming a certified archivist, start planning for the 2022 exam, and get your application ready in March/April.

SJSU Survival Mode

I’m studying at SJSU to become a better information professional. Therefore, observing how information has been presented and processed in the past is a necessary step in my education. I challenge myself to never reach a stalemate in my navigation of the world, and to acknowledge, honor, and support the experiences people share with one other.

That’s why I’m drawn to SJSU’s virtual exhibit called Survival Mode which was led by Carli Lowe: University Archivist. It’s a powerful reminder that we are never alone, and that our struggles are unifying. Throughout the past 164 years, San José State students have encountered numerous crises such as wars, pandemics, and natural disasters, and their accounts have thankfully been memorialized by the university’s archives. The exhibit reminds us that while our experiences with COVID-19 may feel unfamiliar, they are not as unique as they seem.

The creators of this exhibit note, “there is a great deal of precedence and lessons to be learned from past successes and mistakes in how human society has responded to historic moments of crisis.”

The journal entries, pictures, news clippings, and yearbook comments of previous and current SJSU students serve as surprisingly comforting gifts. Organized by a timeline, you can click arrows to read their stories and see related information. After viewing this virtual exhibit, I felt a sense of great reassurance knowing that people, both then and now, are more than capable of rising from the ashes. You can explore the digital exhibit here: https://library.sjsu.edu/survival-mode.

My interview with Carli Lowe:

1. What was the process of compiling this exhibit and/or the resources that were used?

I worked with one of our talented student assistants, Samira Habibi, to search SJSU digital collections and the Spartan Daily archives for keywords related to the topics in the exhibit. Most of the content comes from yearbooks and the newspapers. Sometimes we would discover trails of breadcrumbs. For example, I came across an article in the Spartan Daily about a Japanese American alumni in a prison camp in Salinas during WWII making an appeal to students for art supplies. I then went into the yearbooks to find a photo of this alumni when she was a student.

2. What were your favorite and least favorite parts of compiling this exhibit?

When I started working on the exhibit, I knew there were some stories I would include for sure, such as the “Normal Hospital” opened during the 1918 flu pandemic, and the story about the SJSC football players who were in Honolulu when Pearl Harbor was bombed. But I most enjoyed finding unexpected connections between our campus and significant moments in history, such as the occupational therapy instructor who traveled the country lecturing on polio. Some of the work was also emotional. It was disturbing to read about the treatment of our Japanese American students during WWII, and our Muslim students following the September 11th attacks. I was also surprised to discover that one of our Aviation alumni was a pilot killed during the September 11th attacks. My least favorite part was just how long it took to figure out the technical details. We spent months and months locating the material, and I was impatient to share it, but it took time to think about how we wanted the online interface to function, how to best crop images, write contextualizing descriptions, etc. I was lucky to have the support of Diane Malmstrom (Special Collections and Digitization Coordinator) and the library’s webteam, specifically Lyna Nguyen and Jessie Cai, to help me with these details.

3. Do you have any plans or ambitions for future university archive exhibits?

There will be future University Archives exhibits, but for now I’m going to be focused on processing submissions to the Spartans Speak on COVID-19 project so that those can be accessible to the community.

4. What brought you to the library field? Do you have any tips for current students enrolled in the MLIS program?

What brought me to the library field is a long story that would require a live conversation, but the short version is that I was an elementary school teacher looking for a different way to connect people to transformative information. You can find a little bit more about that in my online portfolio, and I’m happy to talk and share more details. As far as tips, I think the most important thing I did as an MLIS student was to seek mentors and accept mentorship whenever it was offered. I don’t think it’s possible to have too many mentors.