October 23, 2019 - Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting of the Steering Committee for the

Independent Archivists Section of SAA

October 23, 2019 1:30 P.M. CDT

(attended remotely via Zoom software)

Attending: Kate Blalack (Chair), Jim Havron (Cice-Chair), Felicia Owens (SAA Governance Manager), Aaron Speight (Web-Liaison), (minutes secretary for this meeting, Jim Havron)

Jim requested permission to make an audio recording of the minutes for later reference. Stated he found it easier when he had to take minutes. The group discussed the possibility of recording using Zoom application, which could record video. Jim stated he was recording with Audacity at present.

1.  Kate officially opened meeting

  2.  Felicia Owens discussed options available for funding, providing a link to sources that can be found under Leadership Resources on the SAA Website. https://www2.archivists.org/governance/leaderresources/funding-resources-for-SAA-groups 

Section Annual Funding Pilot was created about a year and a half ago (2017 or 2018?) by the Council for each section to “kickstart” programs or initiatives. 

•  Each section is allotted $250 per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30 each year). 

•  Independent Archivists Section (IA) used part of this year’s funding for last operational year (annual meeting to annual meeting) due to mistaken understanding of overlap in dates between our new [operational] year as a section and the SAA fiscal year under which the funds were dispensed.

•  We have $55 left [$75 had previously been reported- JTH]. Unused funds do not carry over to next fiscal year.

•  Program will need to be reauthorized by Council in May for future funds to be available. While likely to happen, still a variable for planning.

•  Form online (resources for Leaders), with guideline.

Special Project Funding- Any SAA group may request special funding for a larger initiative, no particular amount restrictions. 

•  Examples of such requests include funding to help bring an international speaker to a meeting, or if group working on special project needing “face to face” meeting to finish up.

• Due by March 1 each year (next deadline March 1, 2020) and dependent on different variables requiring funding.

• Any compelling reason for funds outside usual fiscal/operation cycle handled on ad hoc basis.

SAA Foundation Grants- Foundation raises money to put back into the the profession. 

•  Grants are for bigger projects that have wider scope.

•  $500-$5000 funding range

•  Initial letter of inquiry due December 1. Brief, not application. 

•  If invited to apply, application due Feb 1. 

•  Usually grant will pay out by late May-early June. (Inquiry process started Dec. 2019 would pay out for late 2020 into 2021)

3.  Kate informed Felicia of three possible funding needs, noting that we are in planning stages now anw ill begin execution next year.

    A. Thinking of bringing in collectors for section annual meeting and pairing up with another group. (Felicia said multi-group projects have more appeal because of the wider audience, but not necessary).

  B. “Revamping” the survey that Michelle did two years ago and do another to collect more data, hoping to eventually use it in a writing project

  C. Jim was asked to report on his ideas on Webinar project, the last of the three funding needs. 

a) Two-year project to build resources IA members and community at large (not specifically SAA) to use, especially including subjects that might not be readily available otherwise.

b) Example: Jim was asked at annual meeting if he could do cybersecurity. Sure. He feels it is a good subject because we confront it all the time, it covers areas that different types of areas of IA professional work as well as larger community, and the rapidly changing security environment makes many publications or conversations obsolete if not based on active work with the security profession.

 c) Jim noted that subjects and presenters for Webinars were proposed at the last Steering Committee meeting, but they were not coordinated into a single discussion. Jim had said we should remember that the IA was composed of a variety of professional archivists, that we should not focus on just one area and leave out suggestions from the others, and suggested that we use the survey to determine subject interests of the section community. Discussion moved on.

d) The hope is that the Webinars could be recorded and put online, and include a mechanism (comments, an email address or blog) where later viewers who had not been able to ask questions could do so. Jim did not expect to charge for the presentation.

e) Funding for presenters was also an issue. Jim stated that he did not feel we should plan on paying presenters for this series, saying he was always ready to do a Webinar or workshop in such an environment for free, and knew many other specialists who did so regularly and would likely be willing to do so for us. Many were willing to give the information and instruction at no cost, as long as they did not have to bear the cost of traveling to a conference to do it.

While he understood that many charges for such presentations, he himself charged in other business environments, and this could limit the field of possible presenters, we had plenty of other choices. Additionally, 

•  we don’t have the money,

•  many of these presentations would be restricted from payment by SAA guidelines,

•  there were possible legal and contractual issues with continued use of Webinars, as well as legal ramifications for violating the funding guidelines

•  and many top-tier presenters would be quite happy to donate their time and expertise for free, so why look for someone to pay?

4.  Kate asked Felicia to restate the reasons why we could not pay our presenters. Felicia stated the restrictions listed with the funding criteria on the Website, and added that the basic idea behind the funding was to provided access to the people of interest to a broader base of individuals, the access not otherwise being available at an annual meeting. The person needed to be outside the archival profession, or an archivist from outside the U.S. and a non-member. The goal was not to support our members, and there were matters of conflict of interest that she was not well-versed in personally, but were connected with our nonprofit status.

5.  In response to questions, Felicia said that as far as advertising, we can use the appropriate lists, In the Loop (which has a high open rate), SAA Twitter will re-tweet anything we put out. Otherwise, there is no specific advertising available for Webinars and presentations. Posting the Webinars should bring in bigger following. 

Jim noted that doing the Webinars generates interest in more, and he gets requests based on that. He is also writing a review on a security book written by an excellent speaker, and the desire for the book publicity might both increase the author’s interest in doing the presentation and provide more publicity for the presentation. Felicia noted that authors with new books are excellent subjects for presentations.

6.  Felicia said it might be a good idea to do a survey section or check on the discussion list to see what the membership finds most pressing and work from that, depending on number of responses we get. It was brought up that we had discussed that at last meeting, but that it would be a starting place for brainstorming not a vote on what we should do.

Felicia left meeting with the thanks of all for attending.

7.  Discussion on speakers and Webinar presenters. 

 a) We already have some potential outside speakers who may qualify for guidelines for use of funds, and we know we have speakers who will work for free.

 b) We have several topics, including private collectors, appraisers, intellectual property appraiser, person managing personal archives and museum collections because unable to find someone who would consider evaluating the entire group of materials (the entire collection was wanted, but not all of it by a single repository. 

c) Maybe representatives who work collecting special material on behalf of an archives or museums. 

d) Antiquarian book groups would be another choice.

Such topics might work as a panel for a regular presentation or a multi-section special presentation, and could make use of multi-section funding.

After a suggestion from Kate, Jim said he would check with his law enforcement connections about the possibility of connecting with someone who tracks stolen art or artifacts who could speak to a combined section or more likely a regular meeting proposal.

New Business: No new business

Meeting Adjourned.