The 1998 Society of Georgia Archivists annual meeting, Taking Archives to the People: Reference, Outreach, and Public Programs, will provide information on many aspects of promoting our collections. In addition to access through electronic formats, attendees may learn about preparing exhibits, encouraging educators to teach using primary materials, learning from our researchers, and other topics that promote the use of our holdings and funding for our programs. To highlight our host site, attendees will have the exciting opportunity to participate in a special tour of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum’s Creating Community exhibit and to attend a unique session on documenting the Holocaust through the oral testimonies of survivors and liberators.
Time: Wednesday, November 4, 10:30-3:30
Presenter: Kathryn V. Dixson, museum consultant, Atlanta, Ga.
Location: Woodruff Library, Emory University
Annual Meeting ProgramEffective and appropriate exhibition of archival materials is a primary activity of many manuscript and archival repositories. Exhibits carry the documentary heritage beyond the confines of the reference room, bringing alive the stories told in our collections. Learn the basics of exhibit planning, design, and implementation. Topics to be addressed include: the project team, topic selection, research and selection of materials, storyline development, the exhibit space and furniture, layout and design, conservation concerns, label writing and production, fabrication and installation, budgeting and scheduling, and promotion. Participants will engage in a hands-on exercise in the exhibit development process during the workshop.
This workshop is limited to 40 registrants. The cost is $20.00. Please note on your registration if you wish to attend this extra event.
Thursday, November 5
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:15 Opening remarks and welcome
- Julia Marks Young, President SGA
- Jane Leavey, William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
9:15-10:00 Keynote speaker
- Kathleen Roe, New York State Archives
10:00-10:15 Continental Breakfast
10:15-11:45 Concurrent Sessions
A. Look Before You Leap: Preservation and Accessioning
- Moderator: Janice Mohlhenrich, Emory University, Woodruff Library
- Speakers: Theresa J. Montgomery, South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History and Pam Hackbart-Dean, University of Georgia, Richard B. Russell Library
Every accession entails some level of preservation and poses a potential threat from introducing mold and insects into the building. The particular requirements of electronic records, now being acquired in ever-increasing amounts, introduce even more complex considerations. This session aims to present archivists with strategies and guidelines for addressing these issues by providing both practical assessment options and broader methods of incorporating preservation considerations into existing policies.
B. Innovative Introductions: Preparing Researchers to Use the Archives
- Moderator: Winston Walker, Thomaston-Upson Archives
- Speakers: Dale L. Couch, Georgia Dept. of Archives and History and William R. Massa, Yale University Library
What can we do as reference archivists to help prepare our researchers before they visit our facility? Both reference archivists and researchers agree that it would be helpful to acquaint the researchers beforehand with general research methodologies, the institution's policies and procedures, as well as special "insider" tips. To do this, it would seem logical to provide ongoing educational opportunities for large groups of researchers, whether through specialized lectures, tours, workshops, or multimedia presentations. Come explore some innovative approaches to preparing our researchers.
11:45-1:00 SGA Lunch and Business meeting
1:00-2:30 Oral Testimonies: Documenting the Holocaust
- Moderator: Jane Leavey, William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
- Speakers:
- Terry Anderson, Witness to the Holocaust Project, Emory University
- Sandra Berman, William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
- Miriam Karp, Steven Spielberg Project
- Harold Dye, Liberator
- Ben Hirsch, Survivor
Oral history projects have provided a powerful means by which the Holocaust has been documented through the testimony of survivors and liberators. Come discover the mission of three such projects. Then listen while a holocaust survivor and a concentration camp liberator discuss their individual experiences as memoirists, explain their reasons for offering their testimony, and what they hoped would be accomplished as a result of their participation in an oral history project.
2:30-2:45 Break (Beverages and light snack)
2:45-4:15 Concurrent Sessions
A. Tour: Creating Community: The Jews of Atlanta, 1845-present
- Tour guide: Sandra Berman, William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
Join us for this special tour, Creating Community: The Jews of Atlanta from 1845 to the Present, and learn about issues and compromises that archivists may need to make when original documents are exhibited.
B. Keeping Track of Users: Do Your Statistics Tell You Anything?
- Moderator: Jim Yancy, Jimmy Carter Library
Most of us keep statistics, but are we getting useful information about our users and their research needs? Can we track materials usage with these statistics? If not, what kind of statistics should we be gathering, and how? Usage statistics can be a powerful administrative and managerial tool, but the archival literature is not exactly replete with advice for would-be statistics gatherers. This roundtable will explore how we collect and employ information about our users. Please feel free to bring any statistical forms used by your institution, and come prepared to share, ask questions, make suggestions, and brainstorm.
4:30-6:00 SGA Reception
Friday, November 6 8:00-8:30 Registration
8:30-10:00 Concurrent Sessions
A. Tour: Creating Community The Jews of Atlanta, 1845-present
- Tour guide: Sandra Berman, William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
Join us for this special tour, Creating Community: The Jews of Atlanta from 1845 to the Present, and learn about issues and compromises that archivists may need to make when original documents are exhibited.
B. The Heart of the Matter: Using Primary Sources in the Classroom
- Moderator: Phil Thomas, Director, Educational Technology, Ga. Dept. of Education
- Speakers:
- Mark Palmer, Alabama Dept. of Archives and History
- Carolyn Cole, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Alexia J. Helsley, South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History
This session will provide examples and insight on methods to provide outreach to educators and students and promote the importance of primary sources. The Alabama State Archives secured a grant to create and mount a website providing access to images of documents in their holdings along with lesson plans and instructions on using primary source material. Peachstar, a component, of Public Broadcasting in Georgia, has produced a similar website providing access to documents from different repositories in the state. The SC Archives has a series of publications with reproductions of documents in their holdings. The publication also provides instructions on using primary material in the classroom and lesson plans for teachers.
10:00-10:15 Continental Breakfast
10:15-11:15 Georgia Projects Updates
Come join us for this informative session and learn the latest about various projects and initiatives within the state of Georgia.
- Moderator: Julia Marks Young, Georgia State University
- Participants:
- SAGE Project: Naomi Nelson
- Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board: Anne Smith
- Southeastern Library Network: Julie Arnott
- Cooperative HBCU Archival Survey Project: Taronda Spencer
- GAMMA Project: Susan Potts McDonald
11:15-12:45 Concurrent Sessions
A. Electronic Access Initiatives: Design and Implementation
- Moderator: Bob Bohanan, Jimmy Carter Library
- Speakers: Deborah Wall, National Archives and Records Administration, and Naomi Nelson, SAGE Project
Today's computer and Internet technologies have given archives and researchers unprecedented opportunities to carry out their tasks in a faster and more efficient manner. Online searchable finding aids and digitized documents enable archives to better serve their customers by providing access to information through the internet. This session explores the trials and tribulations involved in planning, designing and implementing an online searchable collection catalogue and digital library.
B. Show Me the Money! Institutional Fundraising
- Moderator: Andrew S. Taylor, Georgia Dept. of Archives and History
- Speakers: Page K. Gleason, Georgia State University and Carole Mumford, The Wren's Nest, Atlanta, Ga.
There are many institutions without a large budget, and many do not have a regular source of income. Thinking about different ways to boost your bottom line? Wondering how to bring in large donations? Come and listen to Carole Mumford speak on ways to increase the budget of a small, private organization. Conversely, Page Gleason will be speaking on some of the intricacies of running a large scale fundraising campaign from the perspective of a large institution. Bring your questions and your ideas.
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Last changed on Monday, September 28, 1998