Special Collections & Archives Interest Group (SCAIG)

SCAIG 2020 Joint Workshop with the Society of Ohio Archivists

Opening Doors - Outreach with Archives and Special Collections

Thursday May 14, 2020, Virtual Workshop

Description:   After a history of closed doors and limited access, outreach has become essential to getting the public engaged with special collections and archives. This workshop addressed the various ways that archivists and special collections librarians can better reach out to their users communities and cultivate new user communities.  Five presenters from different types of archives and special collections libraries including academic libraries, government records centers, and local historical societies discussed their outreach efforts and provide their tips and tricks for improving your outreach efforts, no matter the size of your institution and staff. 

Presentations:

• Sharing Time: Carving Out a Space for Collections Outreach - Natalie Fritz, Clark County Historical Society at the Heritage Center
  
• Is That Account Really Necessary? Thinking Differently about Social Media in Libraries and Archives - Steve Ammidown, Browne Popular Culture Library, Bowling Green State University
• Let's Try this Again: Revamping Oral History at Warren County - Jenifer Baker and Jen Haney Conover, Warren County Records Center and Archives
• Outreach in a Time of Overwhelm: How Can We Maintain (or Gain!) Momentum? - Speaker: Miriam Intrator, Ohio University

Slides and Recording Available on the Society of Ohio Archivists Website

SCAIG 2019 Meeting: Teaching with Primary Sources

Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 9 AM - 3 PM

Archives and Rare Books Library, University of Cincinnati

Archivists and special collections librarians are stewards of unique resources. Instruction and reference librarians have in-depth knowledge about online and other print primary sources. This workshop helped participants consider ways that they might develop teaching opportunities for their collections and resources. The workshop was for anyone interested in developing a course-related session, a co-curricular learning opportunity, a for-credit course--there are so many possibilities!

During this workshop participants:

• Considered collection and resource strengths, barriers, and opportunities for teaching
• Identified possible learning outcomes
• Brainstormed active learning teaching scenarios

Workshop instructors were Heidi Gauder, Kayla Harris, and Stephanie Shreffler, archivists and librarians at the University of Dayton and authors of “The Archives as Classroom: A Primary Source Mini-Course" for the Society of American Archivists’ Case Studies on Teaching with Primary Sources series.

View photographs and instructor slides from this workshop.

SCAig 2018 Meeting and Workshop: Description is People!: Sharing Descriptive Practices

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Morning Meeting

Thompson Library, The Ohio State University Libraries

• Membership meeting
• Lightning round presentations
• • Presenters:
  • Karmen Beecroft, Digital Projects Librarian, Ohio University Libraries, "Reproducing the Reading Room Experience with Digitized Documents of a Sensitive Nature"
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    • Photos
      
  • Suzanne Maggard, Reference/Collections Librarian, University of Cincinnati, "Getting through the Barriers: Moving to ArchivesSpace at UC"
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  • Russell Schelby, Senior Systems Consultant, Applications Development & Support, The Ohio State University Libraries, "Archival Description from the IT Side"
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  • Nicholas Ver Steegh, Metadata Technologies Librarian, Ohio University Libraries, "Another Core: Applying VRA Core to the Barnett Hook Postcards"
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• Collection tours

• • Gallery tour of “Poets, Punks, & Pioneers” with Ken Aschilman, exhibitions coordinator, focusing on exhibition planning and installation

  • Special Collections Description and Access tour with Cate Putirskis, manager of the Special Collections Processing Program
    

Afternoon Workshop: Finding Aids for the Future (in partnership with the Society of Ohio Archivists)

Ohio History Center

Instructors: Morag Boyd, Karen Glenn, and Cate Putirskis, The Ohio State University Libraries

Using descriptive and technical standards for your finding aids will makes access to your collection better now, and into the future! Standards-compliant description can more easily migrate between systems and be shared in an increasingly linked open data environment.  Participants learned:

• Key requirements for creating finding aids following Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Second Edition (DACS)
• Importance of standards-based description in modern discovery environments, including leveraging Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
• Project management strategies for clean-up projects to bring legacy finding aids up to standards

View photographs and instructor slides from this workshop.