Now Accepting Applications for the 2026 Western Archives Institute!

The Western Archives Institute (WAI) returns July 20-31, 2026 for an intensive, two-week online program that offers integrated instruction in basic archival practices. It is designed for individuals with diverse professional goals, including those whose roles require a foundational understanding of archival skills but who have little or no prior archival training; those assuming increased responsibility for archival materials; practicing archivists without formal archival education; and individuals committed to pursuing a career in archives.

The 2026 program will be led by principal faculty member, Dr. Christopher (Chris) Prom. Dr. Prom currently serves as the Coordinator of Sponsored Research Development and Acting Head of the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has extensive experience in archives, has taught several courses for the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and was recognized as an SAA Fellow in 2010 for his contributions to the organization and archives profession.

The Institute features a diverse curriculum of synchronous sessions that include:

• Introduction to the archival profession and core concepts

• Starting and managing an Archives program

• Principles of archival collection arrangement and description

• Best practices for digitization, digital preservation, and born-digital content management

• Outreach and public relations

• Reference and access

• Ethical, social, and legal issues in administering archival collections

• Working with communities

• Fundraising for an Archives program

Apply for WAI here! (Application Deadline is April 10, 2026)

Registration fees for WAI are $950 for the two-week program. WAI will be offering one full scholarship for registration.

You can sign up for our mailing list if you’d like to receive updates about the 2026 program and reminders about the application deadline.

For additional information, please contact:

Marcella Lees, WAI Administrator and Eric Milenkiewicz, WAI Associate Administrator at
wai@calarchivists.org