Author: Cheryl

New Issue: American Archivist

American Archivist 87.2 (Fall/Winter 2024)
Table of Contents

(Review access here)

From the Editor

Articles 

Reviews

CFP: Northwest Archivists Annual Meeting

Northwest Archivists Annual Meeting 2025
Theme: Redefining Resilience: Advocacy, Values, and Creative Solutions

Conference Overview
The 2025 NWA Annual Meeting will be held virtually from May 13-16. The 2025 Northwest
Archivists Annual Meeting theme is Redefining Resilience: Advocacy, Values, and Creative
Solutions. In the past decade or more, archives have lost staff and funding but are continually asked to do the same amount of—or more—work. It is time to reframe the conversation from “doing more with less” to “doing our best with less.” What core functions of archives should be prioritized? What can we let go of? As archivists, how are we finding tools and building skills to fill the gap of what has been lost? How do we empower representation while protecting personal and professional boundaries? This theme invites proposals that cover practical solutions to these problems, ideas for advocating and collaborating for more resources, and suggestions for how to incorporate the new realms of blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital preservation into our work.

Session Proposals
The Program Committee is seeking Session Proposals related to all aspects of archival practice, theory or research that is broadly related to the theme. Any and all ideas are welcome! We especially invite those in allied professions as well as graduate and undergraduate students to participate.

Deadlines
Session proposals for the NWA 2025 Annual Meeting are due on Friday, February 7 by
11:59pm Pacific Time. Acceptances will be communicated to presenters in March 2025.
Submission Form.

See full Call for Proposals

CFP: Queer Bibliography: In the Making

We are delighted to share the call for proposals for “Queer Bibliography: In the Making,” the third iteration of this conference, which was initially established by Malcolm Noble and Sarah Pyke in 2023.

The conference will be hosted at Newcastle University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom and online on 11-13 June, 2025. The conference committee is extremely grateful to SHARP and to the Bibliographical Society, both of which have generously provided funding. This allows us to continue to keep this conference free to attend, as well as to support some travel grants for postgraduate students. The deadline for submissions is midnight on 31 January; prospective speakers will be informed of the outcome by the end of the day on 28 February.

About the conference:

Queer Bibliography: in the Making invites participants to consider queerness in the processes of (re/un)making material texts.

Bibliography is primarily concerned with how material texts fall together, and the lives of those texts (long or short). The processes of production, reproduction, transmission, and reception are all central to bibliographic study; as is the work of the people engaged in these processes. Such people might include typefounders, papermakers, printers, bookbinders, scribes, scrapbookers, zine makers diarists, collectors, librarians, editors, publishers, archivists, and other agents of literary, textual, and material invention. Recent scholarship calls for material texts to be examined as if they were in the process of continual (re/un)making. Many individuals, groups, and organisations can be said to make, un-make, and re-make texts – sometimes across significant geographic and temporal distances; sometimes known to one another, sometimes not; sometimes in communion, and sometimes in opposition.

We invite participants to consider how these processes, and their makers and respondents, might be considered from the perspective of Queer and Trans Studies.

Participants will be invited to submit a 2000-word pre-circulating paper, before presenting in panels of 10-minute papers. We also welcome alternative presentations, in whatever form they may take. Two days of panels, conversation, and discussion will be followed by an optional workshop on 13 June, led by artist and scholar Kadin Henningsen. This workshop will draw on the previous two days’ discussions, and participants will work together to produce a printed object encapsulating this year’s theme of “in the making.”

Full Call for Proposals: https://bit.ly/QueerBiblio2025CFP

Submissions (by midnight on 31 January): https://bit.ly/QB2025ProposalForm

Questions? Contact us at: queerbibliography@gmail.com 

CFP: ICA Section on University and Research Institution Archives

ICA/SUV 2025 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

XXX JORNADAS DE LA CONFERENCIA DE ARCHIVEROS DE LAS UNIVERSIDADES ESPAÑOLAS

Barcelona, 27th-28th October 2025 / 27 – 28 Octubre 2025

CALL FOR PAPERS / LLAMADA DE COMUNICACIONES

“Innovating University and Research Archives. Challenges Towards Sustainability”

“Archivos de Universidades y de Investigación Innovadores. Desafíos para la Sostenibilidad”

The International Council on Archives Section on University and Research Institution Archives (ICA-SUV) and the Archivists Conference of the Spanish Universities (CAU – CRUE) are pleased to announce their annual conference for 2025.The conference, titled Innovating University and Research Archives. Challenges Towards Sustainability, will be held at the University Autonomous of Barcelona in Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain), 27-28 October, 2025. This will be an in-person conference. 

This conference presents an opportunity for reflective discussion about many aspects around:

1. Alignment of University Archives with the SDGs and Compliance with the 2030 Agenda The 2030 Agenda is a United Nations action plan for the people, the planet, and prosperity. The Agenda sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 169 targets aimed at achieving a balanced approach to three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social, and environmental spheres. The contribution of University and Research Institutions Archives in reaching these goals is crucial. Wellbeing, Education and Quality, Reduce Inequalities, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and Production, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions are among those objectives where the impact of the work of archivists can be most significant.

We welcome proposals which:

•     Use practical examples to demonstrate how university and research institution archives can support the SDGs.

•     Focus on specific goals such as Good Health and Well-being or Reduced Inequalities to show how records and archives are vital in contributing to success in these areas.

•     Explore how archivists can work in partnership with others to support their institution and society to achieve these goals.

2. Archives in the Face of the Climate Emergency: Prevention and Actions

The consequences of climate change are increasingly influencing our daily lives, with effects becoming more catastrophic for people and their environment. Archives and documentary heritage, due to their special structural vulnerability within the institutions to which they belong, have been directly affected in recent years by floods, storms, fires, and other disasters arising from the climate emergency. This affects history, memory, culture, and the identity of communities, as well as the fulfilment of citizens’ rights and obligations by public administrations, alongside the enforcement of transparency and accountability. The adaptation of our services may be crucial in the protection of both people and heritage.

We welcome proposals which explore some of the following topics:

•   How archivists can ensure they are prepared for potential disasters and emergencies, particularly in a university setting

•   What archive services can do to limit the harm they do to the environment and to support sustainability

•   The importance of university and research institution archives in providing evidence of climate change and supplying data which can help society to plan for a better future

3. Archives: Experiences of Adaptation and Innovation

Digital transformation and the move to digital governance in institutions have posed a challenge for archives and professionals in the area of document and record management. Maintaining the role of records and archives as a core element which reaches across increasingly digitised management structures has been one of the most significant goals of the century. Colleagues have successfully adapted to innovations and become more visible, offering society and its organisations an essential and innovative service in document and records management, while also becoming a reference in the promotion of their historical heritage.

We welcome proposals that discuss:

•   Innovative approaches to the management of archives and records in digital systems.

•   Successful collaboration with other professionals, such as information technologists and others.

•   Effective advocacy for the importance of consulting archivists when designing and running digital governance and management systems

Professional conversations at conferences like this are important to furthering global and local understanding of innovating University and Research Archives and challenges towards the sustainability.

Papers and presentations formats: 

  • Lightning Talks: Rapid and concise presentations; 10 minutes long 
  • Papers: Research/scholarly papers; 20 minutes long; can be analytical, descriptive, or reflective 
  • Experiences: A 15-minute presentation related to subtopic 3.
  • Panel Discussion: Composed of 3 speakers, plus a facilitator, with varied perspectives discussing a similar topic; indicate length of time requested 
  • Posters: Presentation of research work, a project, an idea, or any other type of work in poster format, which participants of the ICA-SUV and the CAU Conference can view in a dedicated space at the conference venue. Those presenting a poster should be present during the presentation session to provide explanations and answer questions related to the poster.
  • Wild Card : Submit your own idea or format and indicate length of time requested

Please submit to Caroline Brown, ICA-SUV Chair, at c.z.brown@dundee.ac.uk an abstract of 250-300 words accompanied by a bibliography of at least two titles, which will not count towards the 250-word minimum plus the following information:

Short bio for each speaker (150-200 words) 
Title of paper or presentation
Presentation format
Name(s) of speaker(s)
Job title(s) and institution(s)
Postal address and email address

SAA Book Club

Hi All! I have scheduled a virtual meeting for the SAA Book Club on January 16th at 2 PM EST. This is a meeting to discuss ideas for updating the book club’s setup and our first three books.

Below is an invite for the virtual meeting. The meeting can only last 40minutes, so it will be a short one but hopefully an informative one as well. If you would be interested in being a moderator for the club please let me (Melanie) know during the meeting. Thank you!

You are invited to a Zoom meeting. 
Time: Jan 16, 2025 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83706400923

Melissa Gydesen

CFP: IslandoraCon 2025

On behalf of the Islandora Foundation, we invite submission of proposals for IslandoraCon 2025, taking place in person July 14-17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with options to present and attend online.

The theme of IslandoraCon 2025 is: All in on Islandora.

IslandoraCon brings together a community of librarians, archivists, cultural heritage collections managers, technologists, developers, project managers, and open source project enthusiasts in support of the Islandora framework for digital curation and asset management. 

We welcome proposals on a wide range of topics related to managing collections with Islandora, developing Drupal modules and software support for Islandora, and Islandora community initiatives and interests. These may include:

  • Digital accessibility
  • Workflows, policies, and training
  • Multimedia viewers and displays
  • Institutional repository requirements, migrations and integrations
  • Metadata 
  • Documentation
  • User testing
  • Bots, site performance, and security
  • Drupal versions, updates, modules, and potential integrations
  • Islandora architecture and affordances
  • Digital preservation workflows and integrations
  • Digital exhibits
  • Assessment and metrics

We anticipate having a variety of session formats, including lightning talks (5 minutes), individual presentations, panel discussions, and longer workshops, training, or troubleshooting sessions. Sessions will be 25 or 50 minutes, which includes time for questions. The planning committee is open to additional suggestions for session formats – in your proposal, please indicate what kind of format you think will best fit your topic and presenters.  All sessions will be streamed and/or recorded.

If you have an idea for a session and are looking for co-organizers or co-presenters, please post in the IslandoraCon 2025 Slack channel!

Deadline for session proposals: February 14, 2024. Please use this Google form for proposal submissions. If you have questions about proposal format or submission, please post in the IslandoraCon 2025 Slack channel or email IslandoraCon 2025 co-chairs Cory Lampert or Cary Gordon. We look forward to seeing you there!

CFP: LAMPHHS Annual Meeting

Librarians, Archivists, and Museum Professionals in the History of the Health Sciences (LAMPHHS) invites you to submit a proposal for its annual meeting, to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, April 30-May 1, 2025. While there is no specific theme for this conference, we are particularly interested in presentations on the following topics:

  • Handling sensitive materials in your collections
  • Best practices with limited resources
  • Case studies on how to get it done: engaging with students, provenance research, and other day-to-day medical collection questions
  • Adapting to changes: leadership, ways we approach collections or collection topics, funding, staffing, and more

Session Formats: The Program Committee encourages submission of proposals that may include, but are not limited to, the following formats:

  • Traditional Conference Presentations: Speakers should expect to give a presentation of no more than 15 minutes followed by discussion.
  • Panel Discussion: 60-90 minute session with a panel of 3 to 4+ individuals informally discussing a variety of theories or perspectives on a common topic. Please confirm participation with all panelists before submitting the panel proposal.
  • Special Focus Session: 60-minute session designed to highlight innovative archives or museum programs, new techniques, and research projects. Audience participation is encouraged.
  • Workshops, Other Formats: Have a format idea that isn’t represented? Feel free to propose an alternative!

NOTE: Panels and sessions are limited to 90 minutes: 12-15 minutes for each panelist + 12-15 minutes for Q&A.

Please submit your proposal via this submission form: https://forms.gle/Lg7Ed477GWAAqCr77

The deadline for submitting session proposals is January 31, 2025.

You must be a LAMPHHS member to submit a proposal. Not a member? Join for only $25.00 at https://lamphhs.org/

If you have any questions regarding proposals, please email Sheridan Sayles at sayless@mskcc.org

More information will be shared as it becomes available.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact the LAMPHHS 2025 Program Committee or Local Arrangement Committee

Online Event: SAA Write Away Forum

Wondering what it takes to write a research article? Draft a book proposal? Prepare a case study on archival practice? Review a professional resource? Define terminology in the archival lexicon?

Join SAA to find out how! There are a wide range of opportunities to write for SAA and contribute to its newsletters, blogs, case studies series, reviews portal, magazine, journal, dictionary, and books. Whether you are a novice writer, an experienced voice, or anything in between, learn how to share your experiences and expertise through SAA’s writing opportunities at this free virtual forum on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. CT.

Register Here

RSVP required for Zoom security.

At the forum, SAA publications staff Savanah Tiffany and Hannah Stryker will kick off a discussion with Publications Editor Stacie Williams, American Archivist Editor Amy Cooper Cary, Journal Reviews Editors Rose Buchanan and Stephanie Luke, SAA staff Julia Pillard on Archival Outlook, Emily Lapworth from the Committee on Data, Research, and Assessment (CORDA), as well as the Dictionary Working Group. Each speaker will highlight their respective publishing outlet and address how to submit content, topic trends, and new directions. There will be a Q&A session following the presentations, as well as more information on how to connect with the editors after the forum.

Join SAA and “write away”!

CFP: Best Practices Exchange 2025

The Best Practices Exchange (BPE) 2025 Program Committee is now accepting session proposals for our next unconference, Behind the Scenes: People and Practice, which will be held June 9-11, 2025, at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. View the full Call for Proposals.

Submit your proposal via this short form (forms.gle/jTTWh5tTzph5rY5V8) by Friday, February 28, 2025. Acceptance notifications will be sent in April of 2025.

Find more information about the 2025 unconference here: bpexchange.wordpress.com/2025-conference. View programs from past conferences here for examples of topics and session formats.

Interested in collaborating with others on a particular topic? Connect with others about potential proposals: BPE Proposals Brainstorming Spreadsheet

Recent Issue: RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage

RBM, Vol. 25 no. 2 (2024)
(open access)

Editor’s Note
Diane Dias De Fazio

Articles

An Analysis of RBMS News Blog Job Advertisements, 2013–2021
Ikumi Crocoll, Kelli Hansen

Artist Interviews as a Tool in the Preservation of Artists’ Books
Jessica Pace, Lou Di Gennaro, Josephine Jenks, Catherine E. Stephens

From Mesoamerican Codices to Twentieth-Century Otomí Artists’ Books: Amate Papers in Rare Book Libraries and Special Collections Departments
Remy Jackson

Reviews

Georgios Boudalis. On the Edge: Endbands in the Bookbinding Traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Ann Arbor, MI: The Legacy Press, 2023. Hardcover, xii, 334p. $80 (ISBN 9781953421111).
Diane E. Bockrath

Jessica Brantley. Medieval English Manuscripts and Literary Forms. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022. Hardcover, 346 p. $65. (ISBN: 9780812253849).
Joshua Hutchinson