CAA Lightning Talks and Meet-up Event

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Time: 5-6:30 pm

Event Address: UAlbany ETEC Building 1220 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12203

Event flyer

** Event moved to Friday, February 7th **

Join us for a dialog with the ArcLight Integration Project Cohort on designing access systems for digital archives!

Where: Standish Room, 3rd floor of Science Library, University at Albany, SUNY
When: Friday, February 7, 2025 4 to 5pm (Because of the snow storm, Date Move!)
Cost: Free (visitor parking is $5 for the day) 

Register here: Google Form

The ArcLight Integration Project is designing and developing specifications for archives access systems. Currently archivists struggle to use the archival description they create in finding aids to provide access to digitized and born-digital materials without creating additional digital object metadata and removing items from their archival context – also making it challenging for users to navigate.

UAlbany’s M.E. Grenander Special Collections & Archives is hosting a cohort of experienced practitioners to collaborate in developing new specifications that will enable archival description and digital objects to be managed and discoverable in the same place. While ArcLight is the primary example for this work, we hope to create a tool-agnostic design that can be implemented in other systems. This work is also specifically focused on smaller institutions without substantial technology support.

Join us to hear about the work we’re doing and give us feedback for your local perspective! Over the hour, we will have a mix of presentations and small group discussions. We welcome students and practitioners of all levels of experience.

Project Goals

• Allow users to discover online and offline collections in the same place
• Enable archivists to describe digital collections just like they do physical collections
  • Allow digital collections metadata to have varying levels of detail for each object
  • Empower archivists to use their appraisal skills to allocate metadata resources in proportion to the value of materials
  • Enable archivists to use existing description for digital materials when appropriate
• Simplify archives technology for smaller or under-resourced libraries
• Experiment with inheritance when indexing multilevel archival description

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services award LG-256722-OLS-24. 

Do you know of an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the archives profession? Consider nominating them for one of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) Awards for Excellence for contributions to the archives profession! The committees for the awards below are looking for nominations:

• Distinguished Service Award (for an archival institution, education program, nonprofit organization, or government organization that has provided outstanding service to its public and has made an exemplary contribution to the archives profession)

• Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award (for significant contribution to the field of religious archives)

• Spotlight Award (for work for the good of the archives profession and of archival collections)

• Diversity Award (for outstanding contributions in advancing diversity)

• Archival Innovator Award (for the greatest overall current impact on the profession)

• Mark A. Greene Emerging Leader Award (for early-career archivists who have demonstrated significant promise of leadership) 

The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, February 28. Details, requirements, and nomination forms are available in the links above. 

Check out the Fall/Winter 2022-2023 to learn about events and a ways to get involved in the Capital Area Archivists.

Ballots to vote on the amended Capital Area Archivists Bylaws were released on March 9^th, 2022.

This is a vote to amend the existing Capital Area Archivists Constitution into the new Capital Area Archivists Bylaws. The new Bylaws also reference two supplemental documents, the Capital Area Archivists Code of Conduct and the Procedures for Responding to Violations of the Code of Conduct.

Ballots will remain open for 14 days and close on March 23^rd, 2022.

Thank you to all who attended the open Zoom call and who provided feedback. We made one change based on the feedback we received. Previously Section 3.1(A) stated that “any member may be expelled from membership by a majority vote of the Governance Group without referencing any cause.” This was because it was adapted from Article 7.5 from the existing Constitution which states that “any Board Member may be removed without referencing a cause.” Section 3.1(A) has been changed to read that “members can only be expelled for violations of the Code of Conduct.”

We’ve decided to take an expansive interpretation of CAA members, as even with setting dues at $0 for the past two years there are many of you whose membership has technically expired. Thus, we’re sending ballots to the all recent members going back to 2017. There are a few members who we do not have email addresses. If you do not receive a ballot, please email gwiedeman[at]albany.edu to receive one.

Thank you for participating!

Hi,
In light of the world around us, the Capital Area Archivists have not been very publicly active lately. However, the CAA Board has still been meeting remotely at times to try and sort out how CAA should function in our current environment.

In light of the world around us, the Capital Area Archivists have not been very publicly active lately. However, the CAA Board has still been meeting remotely at times to try and sort out how CAA should function in our current environment.

We found the existing CAA Constitution assumes that we regularly meet in-person, contains a lot of administrative overhead for a small organization, and is a bit overly-formal. So, for the past year or so, the CAA officers have been working on redrafting the CAA’s rules into a new set of Bylaws, as well as introducing a Code of Conduct.

We are now asking for your feedback on the new documents:

Capital Area Archivists Bylaws

Capital Area Archivists Code of Conduct

Procedures for Responding to Violations of the Code of Conduct

These were the principles or goals that guided the revisions and were the reasons for the major changes:

• To make CAA more remote-friendly and easier to administer without meeting in-person.
• To de-formalize the bylaws and ensure that they are feasible to follow.
• To reduce the number of officers, making it easier for positions to rotate regularly.
• To make CAA more inclusive and welcoming, particularly to individuals or groups who have not participated in CAA in the past.
• To make it easier to hold smaller professional development events when there is interest, while preserving the annual Archives Dinner that has helped sustain CAA in the past when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
• Finally, to accommodate both periods of energy and slack. I think all of us alternate periods where we’re excited to serve and support professional organizations with periods when we are overwhelmed and have no capacity to contribute. With that in mind, we reduced the regular operating needs as much as possible, and documented a list of “minimum annual business” to help sustain CAA through fallow periods.

You are encouraged to comment on the documents directly, and we are also holding an open Zoom meeting to discuss the changes on Thursday, February 10^th, at 2pm. The full invite is below, and you can register here: https://albany.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqc-2trz4pHtHwgBU4d-K6jWDZQe69YsD0

We hope that once we incorporate your feedback, if the reaction is generally positive to hold a vote on this major revision according to the existing Constitution. If the measured are eventually approved, the term of the current Board will end and new elections will be held according to the new Bylaws.

Best, Greg

Greg Wiedeman
CAA President

Where: Standish Room, 3rd floor of Science Library, University at Albany, SUNY
When: February 24, 2020 1 to 5pm
Cost: Free (visitor parking is $5 for the day) 

Link to Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zK3tSFeP6zNDxAVjF7iY5ZeX328GloVBBHzi1oFNLVI/

Register here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Qw483w2itS7yE12Sap9nF23Uof8sOreosNEVCG90syQ/edit

Deadline for registration: February 13.

CAA Spring Unconference Announcement

The Capital Area Archivists announces the first ever 2020 Spring Un-Conference! An unconference is an open, low-barrier meeting where archivists from the capital area (and beyond) of all skill levels come together to share and learn. Instead of a formal panels and talks that require lots of prep time, an unconference is a collaborative event where we can share and learn together! Sessions are typically informal and all participants are expected to talk and contribute in each session. The CAA Spring 2020 unconference is free to attend and open to anyone interested in archives and special collections.

Some sessions will be gathered ahead of time with proposals posted on the CAA website before the unconference. Participants are also welcome to come and propose sessions on the spot! We will set our agenda together at the start of the Unconference.

What should I propose?

• A group discussion of a challenging archives problem or issue in the profession
• An overview and discussion of a successful practice or policy
• A comparison of practices across different repositories
• A session where participants work together to solve a problem.

Topics might include:

• Processing
• Outreach and community engagement
• Digital tools
• Records management 
• Reformatting and digitization
• Finding a job

Submit a session here:

Do you have knowledge or skills that you would be willing to share?

Anyone is encouraged to submit a session, and it can be as formal or informal as you would like, just be prepared to facilitate your session. Sessions can be led by individuals or groups.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgCXL0hQLILFEeAbpYo-QKaz7cdPn3HKco1iEYahnFd5qtYA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Sessions will be 1 hour long. The proposer will facilitate the session, but participants are expected to contribute.

Key characteristics of the CAA 2020 Un-conference:

• Collaborative: Everyone participates in setting tasks and agendas.
• Informal: No formal proposals, papers, or panels
• Spontaneous: Agendas, schedule, and program are created by the participants during the first session.
• Productive: Session time is used to create, build, define, and solve problems.
• Small: Under 75 people

Graduate students, early professionals, and experienced archivists are all welcome.

Questions? Please feel free to contact organizers:

Gregory Wiedeman gwiedeman@albany.edu or 518-437-3936
Jenifer Monger kubaj@rpi.edu or 518-276-8323
John Deifenderfer john.diefenderfer@nysed.gov or 518-474-3229
Mark Wolfe: mwolfe@albany.edu or 518-437-3934

Draft list of session and discussion topics

Critical Images: Altering the Past

Sheri Sarnoff

Recently, the National Archives altered an image from the 2017 Women’s March, by blurring out parts of signs that contained messages that were about women’s anatomy and that were critical of the President. This roundtable discussion invites archivists to discuss how the National Archives should handle critical images. Discussion will also include how archivists should choose promotional images, if politics have a role in choosing images for exhibits, and how archivists can use sources to tell stories of the past, without making altercations.

Capital Region Alliance for Response (CapNYAFR)

John Diefenderfer

CapNYAFR works to build strong partnerships between cultural stewards and first responders to help ensure the protection of our valued collections. Our goal is to improve disaster planning, response, and recovery efforts to minimize loss and damage due to disasters. AFR does this through advocacy, education, networking, and real-time emergency assistance. Attendees will learn about the work of the AFR and provide feedback on how the CapNYAFR can better meet the needs of cultural stewards in the Capital Region.

How do we do that? Implementing Web Systems in Archives

Gregory Wiedeman & Mark Wolfe

Over the past few years, UAlbany has implemented ArchivesSpace, ArcLight, Hyrax, and a number of other smaller systems. We’ll do a quick demo of how these systems work and overview the choices we made, what is working really well, and what is still a challenge. Then, for most of the session, we’ll have a structured discussion on the role of web systems in archives, the challenges in implementing them, the support needed and finally discuss strategies for communicating needs to stakeholders.

I was told there would be no Public Speaking: Outreach and Archives

Michael Maloney

Whether it’s running a behind-the-scenes tour, giving a presentation, or staffing a booth at an event, outreach can be intimidating! It is also important for increasing the visibility of your organization and decreasing the number of times you hear “I didn’t even know you existed.” Join this session for an informal roundtable discussion on outreach that will be useful to both new and seasoned archivists. The discussion will center around what worked, what hasn’t, digital outreach, and other tips for engaging your community.

[Register for Event]

Connect and learn with students and area professionals about the opportunities and challenges of working with digital archives. Discover how local repositories are collecting, managing, and preserving digital records in practice. Learn what applications are being used, and the new roles archivists are undertaking to ensure the preservation of unique digital content.
Students can meet local practitioners with hands-on experience, and learn what new skills are in-demand for working with digital collections. This event will feature informal conversations led by speakers from:

• New York State Archives Electronic Records Unit
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Archives and Special Collections
• UAlbany’s M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections & Archives
• Union College Archives and Special Collections

Light refreshments will be available, and all are welcome to join us afterwards for a happy hour at the Washington Tavern.

Monday October 23rd, 2017 at 5pm
Milne 200
UAlbany Downtown Campus
141 Western Ave
Albany, NY 12203

Sponsored by the Capital Area Archivists (CAA) and the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections & Archives

[Register for Event]

The 2017 Capital Regional Archives dinner will be held at the Renaissance Albany Hotel on Tuesday October 3, 2017.

[link to invitation & RSVP form]

4:30 – Networking at Wellington’s
5:00 – History tour of Renaissance Albany Hotel by Albany City Historian Tony Opalka
5:30 – Cash Bar and hors d’oeuvres
6:30 – Dinner
7:45 – Awards
8:15 – Keynote Speaker, Dr. Laurie Kozakiewicz, University at Albany, “Ladies Day at the Capitol: New York’s Women Legislators 1919-2015”

We are celebrating 2017 as it marks 100 years since women gained the right to vote in New York with our keynote speaker this year, University at Albany Lecturer Dr. Laurie Kozakiewicz, who will present her talk titled “Ladies Day at the Capitol: New York’s Women Legislators 1919 – 2015.” The dinner will be held at the Renaissance Albany which is located in the recently renovated historic DeWitt Clinton Hotel venue. This historic venue is sure to delight dinner guests and there will be tour of the renovated hotel by Albany City Historian Tony Opalka. For tickets to the dinner, please go to www.capitalarchivist.org

A list of previous dinners, speakers, and awardees is now available.