Re-Envisioning MDOS, 2022-2025

July 2025

The Metadata and Digital Object Section (MDOS) is the third largest section of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) with over 830 members as of June 2025. Despite this, MDOS experienced declining rates of involvement and engagement with its membership for a number of years.

To better understand the issues behind this low engagement and to determine how the section could better support both the needs of its members and SAA at large, the MDOS Steering Committee launched Re-Envisioning MDOS. This initiative had the following goals:

1-Better understand member perceptions of MDOS
2-Improve member engagement
3-Determine how the section can make significant contributions to members’ professional engagement and development

From 2022-2025, members of the MDOS Steering Committee convened virtual focus group sessions, analyzed the results, and published the report linked below. Join us at the 2025 MDOS Annual Meeting to hear more about the process and actions that have resulted from the report, as well as participate in an interactive feedback session focused on the report's findings.