Joining with coalition partners, SAA has signed on to a letter to President Obama calling for establishment of an active steering committee that is “given a clear mandate to reduce the size and scope of the national security classification system” to enable greater public access.

The SAA Council welcomes comments on the Vision and Mission statements, Goals, and Strategies that it has drafted for SAA’s Strategic Plan 2013–2018.  Does the draft plan reflect what you see as SAA’s highest priorities?  Do you have other ideas for goals and strategies to meet future needs? View the draft plan here.  Comment by Tuesday, April 23.

SAA’s Communications Task Force has drafted nine preliminary recommendations for enhancing the Society’s communication strategies. Read them and comment here. And you can help the Task Force assess members’ use and expectations of print, online, and social media communication channels by taking a brief (4-minute!) survey here.  Deadline: May 4.

The five contestants in this year’s I Found It In The Archives! national competition learned firsthand that archives hold unlimited and fascinating possibilities. Read their stories of discovery here and pick your favorite. But don’t stop there. The I Found It! campaign is all about using social media to spread the word about the contest—and, in the process, exposing as many people as possible to the fascinating stories of discovery shared by the contestants. Encourage others to vote through social media, and don’t forget to use #FoundArch in your posts. Voting ends May 15. The winner of the national competition will be announced in June and will win a trip to the SAA/CoSA Joint Annual Meeting in New Orleans this August.

Adapt your current archival knowledge and skills to today's digital landscape by exploring basic concepts, models, and workflows for creating and curating digital objects and collections. Use the knowledge gained to inform local choices and practices. Ask your colleagues, students, or staff to join you in learning together over lunch or breakfast - in the convenience of your conference room, office, or classroom. Gather around a PC and a speaker phone and get information and tools that will help you adapt your skills to the digital environment.