The SAA Council will review the Strategic Plan 2014-2018 in depth during its November 5-7 meeting—and hopes to include your feedback in its discussion. Looking ahead to 2018-2020, do you think the goals and objectives are/will be relevant? Do you have suggestions for revising the goals or objectives? Please share your perspectives by Friday, October 27.

The SAA Council accomplished the following on the October 6, 2017, conference call:

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) notes with concern two factors that may compromise the capacity of the U.S. Census Bureau to perform its long-standing and critically important work of documenting the nation’s population: current vacancies in the positions of Bureau Director and Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer which creates a leadership vacuum, and the Trump Administration’s proposal to make significant cuts in non-defense-related federal funding.

SAA notes with concern the recent news that several current and former senior White House officials, including Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner, used private email accounts to conduct official public business. SAA is dismayed that this issue continues to plague public officials regardless of their political affiliation. Laws and regulations regarding public records are clear, as are the responsibilities of individuals entrusted with executing government functions.

September 6, 2017—As Hurricane Irma hurtles toward Florida, it’s important that all individuals and cultural institutions prepare now. 

August 24, 2017—The SAA Council announced on July 24 that we were considering relocating the 2019 Annual Meeting from Austin, Texas, based on pending legislation that would “require people to use restrooms and other facilities that match the gender on their birth certificate.” The legislation was not taken up in a special session of the Texas House and therefore failed on August 16. But there’s more to the story.