In lieu of a more traditional annual conference, the South Carolina Archives Association will host a virtual “Archives Unconference” and Annual Business Meeting on Friday, October 21, 2022 from 10:00am-1:00pm. The Unconference will take place from 10:00-12:00pm, followed by the Annual Business Meeting from 12:00-1:00pm. To register for the Archives Unconference and/or Annual Business Meeting, please fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/RhWvv3hUNDF9tMNJA
Similar to traditional conferences, an Archives Unconference brings together professionals to discuss important topics relevant to the archival profession. However, unlike traditional conferences, an Archival Unconference allows for attendees to contribute ideas and topic discussions relative to a theme that will help to develop the day's program.
The 2022 Archives Unconference theme is “Advocacy Across the Aisle.” In an increasingly connected world, archivists, librarians, public historians, and other information professionals must work together to advocate for their collections and communities they serve. Recent cultural and professional shifts have changed our ways of thinking about represented and underrepresented voices in our collections; what audiences we serve and who we need to serve; how we show up for our communities; and how we, as professionals, show up and advocate for one another on local, regional, and national levels.
The SCAA Board of Directors, which serves as the Annual Meeting Planning Committee, invites you to submit themes and discussion relating to the theme of “Advocacy Across the Aisle” as it intersects with topics of interest to archival, library, and cultural heritage professionals, including but not limited to the following:
- Advocacy in archival education and training
- Advocacy in collection development
- Case studies highlighting collections or resources within collections
- Cataloging
- Challenges in funding, physical resources, and staffing
- Collaborative partnerships and projects between archives, libraries, museums, cultural institutions, historical organizations, etc.
- Conservation efforts for collections, physical spaces (buildings, natural resources, etc.),
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion in archival education and training
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion in collections
- Innovative strategies for outreach and community partnerships (oral history projects, Wiki-edit-thons, finding aid terminology editing projects,
- Instructional opportunities for graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 students that incorporate archive, library, and/or cultural heritage materials
- Making our collections accessible to a wider range of patrons and constituencies
- Methodology(ies) for creating and sustaining records management policies
- Opportunities and obstacles in digitizing traditional resources
- Opportunities and obstacles in managing born-digital resources
- Raising awareness of and promoting collections through events, exhibits, and publications
Themes and Topic Discussions can be submitted to Padlet by visiting the following link: https://padlet.com/cparchives/SCAA. Padlet is an easy-to-use tool that allows participants to collaborate online and add their ideas through a variety of formats. When opening the Padlet, click on the plus sign (+) icon on the bottom right of the screen and begin typing. You can add your own topic, or vote for topics already posted either by commenting on a note or by rating it. SCAA members and non-members are all welcome to submit.
The Board of Directors will review submissions and organize them to create virtual breakout sessions based on similar themes for attendees to attend at their leisure. The deadline for submitting discussion topics is Friday, September 16, 2022. For questions, please contact Erin Allsop (erin.allsop@cpcc.edu) or Mae Howe (MAEB@email.sc.edu). Thank you!
Erin Elizabeth Allsop
College Archivist, Library Services
Central Piedmont Community College