DC 2006: Joint Annual Meeting of NAGARA, COSA, and SAA
Washington, D.C.
July 30-August 5, 2006
Hilton Washington
About the DC 2006 Program
Funkmaster George Clinton once said of the
eccentric jazz musician Sun Ra, “He’s out to
lunch, but we eat at the same place.” The“ same place” for
members of the Council of
State Archivists, the National Association of
Government Archives and Records Administrators,
and the Society of American Archivists (CoSA, NAGARA, and SAA) is DC 2006: The
Joint Annual Meeting, where archivists of all
stripes can get together — perhaps even for
lunch!
As the first Joint Annual Meeting of our three organizations,
DC 2006 offers unlimited chances
to broaden our perspectives, learn something
different, and meet someone new.
The DC 2006 Program Committee took some
chances, with representatives of all three organizations
reviewing a record 143 proposals
and selecting something for everyone — and
especially some things that are new. The
program emphasizes our common interests (that is, what all archivists and records managers
face) as well as topics that represent our
unique concerns. And it reflects the vision of
the Joint Conference organizers by offering
many sessions whose speaker lineup provides
a blend of different types of archivists who are
tackling the same issues.
Although there is no overall theme for the conference,
the program corresponds readily to the
topics of each day’s plenary sessions: Technology, Public Awareness,
and Disaster Preparedness and Recovery. Because developments in information
technology
affect all archivists
on one level or another, many sessions will
tackle such core issues as electronic records,
description systems, and digitization. And because
these challenges are almost always too
daunting to be solved by individual institutions,
there is a clear bent toward developing and
fostering collaborations.
The pressing need to raise public awareness
of, and to advocate for, archival programs, missions,
and initiatives can be seen in a multitude
of sessions that delve into the roles that
archives play in society. These sessions address
national funding initiatives, government
secrecy, and outreach programs, among other
topics. Attendees will also have the opportunity
to attend two Council of State Archivists “ incubator” sessions,
which offer everyone the
opportunity to contribute to some initiatives
that could shape how archival programs of all
kinds, in every state, are perceived and supported.
The catastrophic effects of Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita have put disaster preparedness on
the front burner of archival consciousness. In
addition to a plenary session on this topic, two
consecutive sessions will address the impact
of the hurricanes on archives, libraries, and
museums and cover the lessons learned from
dealing with these tragedies. We will also have
a session that focuses on the broader concern
of recapturing the history and culture of New
Orleans — the city that hosted the SAA Annual
Meeting so magnificently last August.
We’re excited to continue a “new
tradition,” begun at last year’s SAA conference, of providing
a track of four “Archives Seminars” that
provide in-depth examinations and discussions
of complex topics. This year’s line-up features
seminars on the “Archives for Justice” initiative;
the problems and possibilities associated
with digital history and collections; the challenges
of developing partnerships for digital
preservation; and advanced archival management.
Although the high volume of excellent
proposals received by the Program Committee
necessitated that SAA’s “Archives Unplugged” series take
a year off, there is no shortage of programming geared at an introductory
level,
including sessions on copyright, replevin, and
internships.
Due to both the high quality and the large
number of proposals for one-hour special focus
sessions, the Program Committee decided to
devote one time slot exclusively to this session
type, which allows speakers to present a
current research project or practical initiative.
The formats for these sessions encourage audience
feedback, so be prepared to participate
in stimulating discussions on a variety of topics
such as documenting the disabled, teaching
with primary sources, and providing professional
expertise to local government archives
and historical societies.
As befits a conference held in our nation’s
Capital City, representation from the international
archives community will be extensive
enough that we might hold our own
Archival Olympics! Archivists from Canada,
Australia, China, South Africa, Sweden, the
Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Iceland,
Norway, Puerto Rico, and England will participate in sessions that cover a
myriad
of topics, including archival education, the
cultural condition of archives, the “new” International
Council on Archives, and handling of
case files.
The program also showcases the continuing
focus on diversity issues in the archives and
records profession, with sessions on protocols
for handling Native American materials in archives
and libraries, discovering and describing
records related to Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and
Transgendered history, and the history of African-Americans in Washington,
DC.
And if all that isn’t enough…. come learn about
Yizkor books, the pharmakon, blogs, fallen
politicians, and so much more!
The DC 2006 Program Committee members
worked hard and well to pull together this outstanding
program, and we are deeply in their
debt. Drawn from the three sponsoring organizations,
members served as a microcosm of
the Joint Conference, putting aside differences
to reach a broad consensus on the best direction
for the program. Committee members enjoyed
putting this together, learning from each
other, and getting a taste of all the different
things that we archivists do.
We think you’ll enjoy the program, too — as
well as the many other opportunities for meeting,
learning, and growing as professionals
that the Host Committee and conference organizers
are planning.
Please join us August 2 - 5 for DC 2006, the
first-ever Joint Annual Meeting of NAGARA,
CoSA, and SAA!
—
Bob Horton and Tom Hyry,
Co-Chairs
2006 Program Committee
Robert Horton, Co-Chair
Minnesota Historical Society
Tom Hyry, Co-Chair
Yale University Library
Margaret O. Adams
National Archives and Records Administration
Marisa Bourgoin
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Brenda Banks
Georgia Archives
Terry Baxter
Multnomah County (Oregon) Archives
Michael Bullington, CA
McDonalds Corp
Deborah Dandridge
Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas
F. Gerald Handfield
Washington State Archives
Brenda Lawson
Massachusetts Historical Society
Michelle Light
University of Washington
Candace Loewen
National Archives of Canada
Barbara Teague
Kentucky Department of Library and Archives
Victoria Irons Walch
Council of State Archivists
Danna Bell-Russel
Library of Congress
(Ex officio -- SAA 2007 Program Committee Co-Chair)
Becky Haglund Tousey, CA
Kraft Foods, Inc
(Ex officio -- SAA 2007 Program Committee Co-Chair)
NAGARA, CoSA, and SAA Thank the DC 2006 Program Committee!
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