2017 MALHM Conference: Archival Work for the Non-Archivist

National Archives, Wikipedia Commons

A committee worked for years planning a community center in your town. The building is completed, and now the committee wants to donate its five boxes of meeting minutes, feasibility studies, contractor bids, and other papers to your history organization.

Processing archives is different than accessioning three dimensional objects or individual photos. If you don't handle archives every day, you might have some questions: Should you cull the collection? How detailed should your accession records be? Should you remove the papers from non-archival binders and folders? What should you do with a promotional object, like a T-shirt or a campaign button, found among the paper?

Lucky for you, you can find your answers at the 2017 Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museum Annual Meeting and Conference, in a session called Curators Affinity Group session - Archival Work for the Non-Archivist:

In most history organizations, processing archival collections is often a curator’s responsibility. This session, featuring Tom Steman, University Archivist/Professor at St. Cloud State University, will provide an overview of archival processing for the non-archivist (of course, actual archivists are welcome to attend, too!). Tom will cover the basics of processing, standards/best practices, retention schedules, and so on, giving participants an overview of the process from start to finish. His presentation will be followed by a Q & A. Then, if time permits, the Affinity Group will enjoy a roundtable meeting.

Curators Affinity Group
This session was organized by MALHM's Curator Affinity Group, which first met at the 2015 MALHM Conference and has since met occasionally for training. Members also share ideas through email and a Facebook group.

No matter what your job title is, if you deal with collections, this group is for you. The group's description states:  "Curators are often Curator, Registrar, Collections Manager, Exhibits Manager, Historian, Researcher, and Author all rolled into one! While the nature of our work is broad, most of us encounter similar situations. Through this group, curators from local history organizations can get to know one another in hopes of supporting one another and sharing thoughts, problems, ideas, strategies, and solutions."

For more information on this Affinity Group, contact Theresa Norman, Curator, Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.

Register now!
Registration is now open for the MALHM Conference, set for April 26-27 in Walker, MN. Register through our new online store. Attendees may also pay with a registration form and check by mail. With either method, attendees can indicate dietary needs, such as vegetarian and gluten free.

Registration deadline is April 10. Chase on the Lake will offer a discount to MALHM attendees who book by phone by April 4. For more information, see our Annual Conference page. If you have additional questions, please contact MALHM Coordinator Marci Matson or Conference Chair Jill Wohnoutka. Look for a full conference schedule soon!

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