posted July 22, 2025
Deadline for submission is extended to 11:59 pm on August 22, 2025.We’re now calling on all institutions interested in submitting images for the 2025 California Archives Month poster! This year’s theme, “California Unites!,” will be showcased on California’s fully-virtual poster. For this year's theme, we are seeking images that demonstrate Californians' unity, resistance, and resilience in the face of social, environmental, or cultural challenges.
Instructions
Please select up to three images that you feel best represent this theme and submit using this form: https://forms.gle/aWU1dNQnAvKPKJjL9. One submission per form; you may submit the form multiple times (up to 3).
Image files must be in the TIFF (.tif) format captured at 300 ppi or higher, if possible. There is a 100 Mb limit for attachments submitted through the form.
If you have any questions about the poster or image submission, you can contact SCA’s Communications & Outreach Committee at outreach@calarchivists.org.
Let’s keep moving forward, together!
February 05, 2025 7:48 PM
We have five offices to fill from our slate of candidates. Each candidate has provided a brief bio, statement, and responded to a specific question related to the office for which they are running. Below is a brief description of each position on the ballot this year.
Please follow the link from the candidates’ names to see their candidate statements.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Vice-President/President Elect
The elected candidate serves the first year as the Vice-president and as the program chair for the Society's annual general meeting, and assists or substitutes as the President, as needed. The Vice-president is President-elect and automatically becomes President on the expiration of the President's term. This is a three-year commitment.
Azalea Camacho
Secretary
The Secretary is the chief recorder and keeper of the records of the Corporation, handles the official correspondence, and maintains the SCA Handbook. This is a two-year commitment.
Joanna Black
Membership Director
The Membership Director acts as corresponding secretary in matters relating to membership and membership development and keeps records and data relating to all membership functions. The Membership Director also serves as Chair of the Membership Committee. This is a two-year commitment.
Jessica Gambling
Director-At-Large
The Director-at-Large attends quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors, serves as a liaison to the WAI Joint Management Committee, and actively participates in the work of the Society and its committees. Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned by the President. This is a two-year commitment.
Stella Castillo
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee solicits candidates for the SCA Board of Directors and prepares a slate of candidates for offices falling vacant within a given year. The three member committee is chaired by the Immediate Past President. This is a two-year commitment.
Marlayna Christensen
Eligibility and Voting Guidelines
All members in good standing before February 10, 2025, will be eligible to vote. Members who join or renew while the election is open (February 10, 2025, through March 14, 2025), will be sent a personalized link to participate in the election. See the SCA website for membership information.
Contact the chair of the Election Committee, Rebecca Leung, at elections@calarchivists.org with any questions.
November 11, 2024 6:55 AM | SCA Admin
Posted March 4, 2025
Join the SCA Strategic Planning Task Force after lunch on Thursday, April 3. We'll be reviewing the results of the 2024 member-wide survey, discussing recommendations for future directions for the organization, and soliciting member feedback. We hope to talk with you soon.
Posted February 21, 2025
Don't forget to signup for repository tours and Gourmet Night!You can register for repository tours here.All tours are scheduled for Wednesday, April 2 and each tour will be no longer than 2 hours. Sites include the Autry Resources Center, Burbank Historical Society, Disney Archives, NBC Universal and Warner Bros. Corporate Archives. Detailed descriptions of each tour can be found on the Repository Tours webpage. All tours will include standing and walking. All sites are wheelchair accessible unless otherwise noted. For those who require any special accommodations can note their needs in the tour registration form. In addition, unless noted otherwise, there is no easy or quick public transit route to these locations from the conference hotel. Driving or using ride-share is the most viable option. |
The 2025 SCA AGM Gourmet Night will be held on Thursday, April 3.
Gourmet Night is a fun opportunity to connect with others in the archival profession who you may not already know. Sign up here to join others for dinner on Thursday, April 3rd at 7pm. The shared spreadsheet will be available online through March 31st. In-person sign-ups will also be available at the conference. All costs are the responsibility of the attendees.
The restaurants to choose from include Idle Hour, Laurel Tavern, Don Cuco, SunCafe Organic, Jon & Vinny’s, Vitello’s, The Smoke House, and The Front Yard
Posted January 9, 2025
Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the catastrophic fires in Southern California. At this point we don't know the extent to which our local archives and cultural heritage institutions have been affected, but we will be monitoring the situation and sharing any additional resources as they become available. Please share your own news and resources on the West_arch listserv or by tagging us on social media so that we can repost:
Sincerely,
SCA Board
Monday, December 9, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time)
Webinar Description:
While 26% of the U.S. population has a disability, all people are impacted by ableism. In this interactive, 2-hour anti-ableism training, participants will learn the historical context of the systemic exclusion of people with disabilities, how disability culture grew from civil rights movements, and what disability means. Participants will be able to explore topics of ableism in archives, libraries, and museums through dialogue with the speaker as well as each other, with the aim of leaving the workshop with ideas of actionable ways to incorporate anti-ableism principles into their own workplace. Through language and our understanding of intersectionality, we will explore ableism through a disability justice lens, leaving us with ideas for how to be better allies to the disability community and bring access into our work and daily lives.
Please forward any questions or comments to Rob Strauss and Emily Homolka at educationcommittee@calarchivists.org.
The cost is $10 for SCA members; $5 for student members; $20 for non-members; and $5 for unemployed or precariously employed individuals.
Presenters:
Annie Roos (she/her) is a neurodivergent museum accessibility specialist with over 15 years of experience. Passionate about access intimacy, she explores the layers of challenges, seeking innovative and inclusive ways to solve problems. Annie obtained her MA in Disability Studies from CUNY and her BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College. Outside the museum, you can find her tending to her plants, dancing to music, and feeling joy with her community.
Register here:
https://calarchivists.org/event-5931000
Registration is open until December 8. Online payment is required.
We’re now calling on all institutions interested in submitting images for the 2024 California Archives Month poster! This year’s theme, “Great Ideas Start Here,” will be showcased on California’s fully-virtual poster.
Instructions
The Summer 2024 SCA Newsletter is now available online at http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter!
Thank you to all those who submitted articles and news items for this issue. Another issue will be coming out this fall, so please consider submitting an article or some news about your work. A call for submissions will go out shortly.
Happy reading!
This August at the SAA Annual Meeting in Chicago, Society of California Archivists members, Audra Eagle Yun and Polina E. Ilieva, will be inducted as Fellows of the Society of American Archivists. This is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.
Bravo Audra and Polina!
More information about this prestigious award and this year's recipients here: https://www2.archivists.org/2024-Fellows-and-Award-Recipients
The Society of California Archivists depends on its members to help the organization function at its best. In advance of the SCA AGM 2024 on April 15th, members are invited to consider becoming a volunteer with any of our committees.
Below is a list of committees that have announced vacancies for the coming year. You can learn more about these and all of our committees at our SCA Standing Committees page. You will find contacts listed at the bottom of each committee page.
We sincerely thank all our 2023-2024 committee members for generously volunteering their time and skills. We could not do SCA’s work without you!
Please consider volunteering to join or chair a committee.
Many thanks,
Lisa Mix
SCA President
Communications and Outreach (contact committee)
Disseminates information about the archival profession and about SCA activities to allied organizations and professions and the public. Also designs, maintains and updates the SCA website, and SCA social media sites, to facilitate communication among SCA members and others.
Open chairs: 2 Co-Chairs
Members needed: New members welcome
Development (contact committee)
Fundraises to support SCA's activities and programs, through both member gifts and outside funding sources.
Open chairs: 1 Co-Chair
Members needed: None
Election (contact committee)
Conducts annual elections for SCA Board member positions.
Open chairs: None
Members needed: 1 (one of our two members will leave after this election cycle)
Labor, Advocacy and Public Policy (contact committee)
Responsible for promoting advocacy in response to key issues that may impact archives, diversity, and the role of archives and archivists within society.
Open chairs: None
Members needed: No members needed, but always open to interested volunteers
Local Arrangements (AGM) (contact committee)
Manages all physical arrangements of the Annual General Meeting (hotel, event venues, catering, travel, etc).
Open chairs: Junior chair
Members needed: New members welcome
Publications (contact committee)
Develops, produces and markets SCA’s publications: SCA Newsletter, Directory of Archival and Manuscript Repositories in California, and other publications.
Open chairs: None
Members needed: 3 (two assistant editors; 1 layout editor)
The Strategic Planning Task Force invites you to participate in a survey on your experience with the Society of California Archivists. Your responses are important to us and will be used to guide recommendations to the SCA Board for directing the resources and activities of SCA in the coming years. You do not need to be a current member to participate in this survey.
Access the membership survey at this link: bit.ly/sca-survey-2024
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. All responses to this survey will be anonymous. Answers to some questions are required in order to complete the survey and are marked with a red asterisk (*). Some multiple-choice questions have an option to explain your answer more fully in writing, and we encourage you to do so when you feel you have more to share. There are two questions on demographics at the end of the survey, which are optional.
The survey will close on May 31, 2024.
In addition to this membership survey, the SCA Strategic Planning Task Force will be conducting Zoom interviews with focus groups in Spring 2024 to get more information on the experiences of archives workers in California.
If you are interested in learning more about participating in the SCA focus groups, or if you have any questions about this survey or about the strategic planning process, please email us at strategicplanning@calarchivists.org.
Thank you for participating!
Sincerely,
SCA Strategic Planning Task Force
Alix Norton and Leilani Marshall, co-chairs
Melissa Haley
Anne Hall
Ellen Jarosz
Eric Milenkiewicz |
SCA Education Committee will be hosting 2 virtual workshops on Friday, April 12th as we gear up for AGM! Check out the information below and click to register.
The cost for each workshop is $20 for SCA members; $5 for student members; $30 for non-members; and $5 for unemployed or precariously employed individuals.
Please forward any questions or comments to Sandy Enriquez and Emily Homolka at educationcommittee@calarchivists.org.
Registration is open until April 11. Online payment is required.
Event Details:
Re-framing Organizations: Managing Change As You Move Your Organization Forward
Friday, April 12, 2024
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time)
This pre-conference workshop for the 2024 SCA AGM is presented by Dr. Rita Mukherjee Hoffstadt and hosted by the SCA Education Committee.
Webinar Description:
What does transformational change in an organization look like? In this workshop you will be given tools to help you study what is needed, make a plan, and adjust along the way. In this workshop you will learn about the changes that Folsom History, formerly known as Folsom Historical Society, implemented to become more relevant in their community. Small breakout groups will allow you to discuss ideas and steps for you to implement changes in your own organization. A final group reflection will allow for discussion on critical issues to address when transforming an organization or department.
Registration is limited to 50 attendees
Presenter:
Dr. Rita Mukherjee Hoffstadt is the Executive Director of Folsom History, with over 23 years of experience developing programs and exhibits for museums and science centers. Her work focuses on making powerful and complex ideas accessible and relevant to audiences of all ages.
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Event Details:
Unlocking Learning Landscapes: Leveraging Places in Archival Instructional Programming
Friday, April 12, 2024
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time)
This pre-conference workshop for the 2024 SCA AGM is presented by Autumn M. Johnson, Erin K. Patterson, and Dawn "Nikki" Canon-Rech and hosted by the SCA Education Committee.
Webinar Description:
Game-based instructional programs, especially through escape experiences, are innovative ways to teach with archival, primary sources to a more engaged and diverse audience. For three years, Georgia Southern University's Special Collections has successfully developed game-based programs that have come to be a highlight of October's Archives Month. In exploring how this program series might be continuously improved, they most recently partnered with their local Botanical Gardens. The recent program was thematically centered around t he Garden's rich natural and cultural history and, more critically, was offered on-site to participants. In addition to building on common values between the two institutions to offer historically driven opportunities that connect learners with the cultural heritage of the region, the program saw a dramatic increase in attendance and patron engagement.
In this interactive workshop, presenters will explore the impact of providing programs outside of the archive and how place-based initiatives can effectively immerse participants in a conducive learning environment for success. The benefits of applying principles of place-based education will be explored as well as how archivists can play a more active role in creating these types of immersive learning experiences. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with game components as well as develop game scenarios utilizing archival and primary sources, alongside a specific setting.
Session Format: Zoom utilizing Breakout rooms and real-time worksheets for group engagement.
Presenters:
Autumn M. Johnson serves as the Special Collections Librarian and Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University, where she oversees instruction, outreach, and reference efforts for the Zach S. Henderson Library's Special Collections. Johnson previously held positions as the Information Literacy Coordinator at Savannah State University and User Engagement Librarian at Augusta University. With research interests centered on game-based learning in archives and teaching with primary sources, she has presented on these topics both nationally and internationally. She earned her Master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina in 2011 and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Georgia Southern University (Armstrong) in 2009.
Erin K. Patterson is the Gretsch Project Archivist at Georgia Southern University. As a part of the Special Collections unit at Zach S. Henderson Library, she is in charge of the processing and discoverability of the Gretsch Archival Collections along with supporting other Special Collections projects when needed. She earned her MLIS from the University of South Carolina focusing on Archives and Preservation in 2016 and a B.A. in History from Mercer University in 2012.
Dawn “Nikki” Canon-Rech is the Sustainability Librarian and liaison to the College of Science and Mathematics at Georgia Southern University. In this role, she works to integrate information literacy skills into campus life through instruction and outreach programs. Nikki is also the University’s Library Coordinator for Georgia’s statewide Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG) initiative where she coordinates efforts to help faculty with the adoption, creation, and use of Open Educational Resources, as well as other alternatives for affordable learning.
When you attend a virtual conference, are you bummed to not see fellow archivists face-to-face? Well, let's fix that together! The Society of California Archivists Program Committee is seeking local volunteers to organize informal, no-host, in-person meet-ups the week of our Annual General Meeting, Pivoting: Responding to Changes in the Archives, from April 15th-19th, 2024.
If interested, please fill out the form here, and we'll be in touch soon!
Sincerely,
Mallory Furnier
SCA AGM Program Committee Vice Chair, 2024
We have four offices to fill from our slate of candidates. Each candidate has provided a brief bio, statement, and responded to a specific question related to the office for which they are running. Below is a brief description of each position on the ballot this year.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Vice-President/President Elect
The elected candidate serves the first year as the Vice-president and as the program chair for the Society's annual general meeting, and assists or substitutes as the President, as needed. The Vice-president is President-elect, and automatically becomes President on the expiration of the President's term. This is a three-year commitment.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for all financial transactions of SCA, for keeping an accurate record of those transactions, and reporting to the Board of Directors and the general membership on the financial condition of the organization. The work of collecting, disbursing, and accounting for funds may be delegated by the Treasurer; however, the Treasurer is responsible for ensuring that the delegated activities are properly carried out and the reports are accurate. This is a two-year commitment.
Director-At-Large
The Director-at-Large attends quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors, serves as a liaison to the WAI Joint Management Committee, and actively participates in the work of the Society and its committees. Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned by the President. This is a two-year commitment.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee solicits candidates for the SCA Board of Directors and prepares a slate of candidates for offices falling vacant within a given year. The three-member committee is chaired by the Immediate Past President. This is a two-year commitment.
Eligibility and Voting Guidelines
All members in good standing before February 12, 2024, will be eligible to vote. Members who join or renew while the election is open (February 12, 2024, through March 22, 2024), will be sent a personalized link to participate in the election. See the SCA website for membership information.
Contact the chair of the Election Committee, Rebecca Leung, at elections@calarchivists.org with any questions.
Call for Submissions, Spring 2024 Newsletter
Dear Colleagues,
The SCA newsletter is seeking articles and notices about your activities and accomplishments for the Spring issue. The newsletter relies entirely on submissions from community members, so please share your news with the California archives community. We all enjoy reading what members of our community are up to. Submissions on any topics of interest to the California archives community are welcome. We would love to have short news and events items from repositories and archivists throughout the state.
Please review all submission guidelines online.
The deadline for submissions is Sunday, February 25, 2024. Email your submissions to newsletter@calarchivists.org. Be sure to include your repository name, location, and contact information.
For more information, please contact the newsletter editors at newsletter@calarchivists.org.
Thank you for sharing!
Best,
In David Keller's article, "Tom Connors - An Appreciation," published in the Winter 2024 SCA Newsletter, there was an error on page 6. Michelle Dolbec is the archivist who worked for Hydro Quebec and then with the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, not Tom Connors.
Please see http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter for the corrected version of this article.
It is now online at http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter.
Thank you to all those who submitted articles and news items for this issue. Another issue will be coming out this spring, so please consider submitting an article or some news about your work. A call for submissions will go out shortly.
Happy reading!
Marissa Friedman, Sue Luftschein, Kelli Roisman, Shaula Stephenson, Sue Tyson and Alison Quirion
SCA Newsletter Team