Catholic Research Resources Alliance Symposium and Annual Meeting

CARA members and other interested persons are invited to attend the Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA) Symposium and Annual Meeting. The mission of CRRA is to support global access to Catholic research resources, and the symposium’s goal is to provide a forum for scholarly exchange and discussion around issues of concern related to access to particular resources. This year’s theme for the symposium is “Bringing the Created Toward the Creator: Liturgical Art and Design After Vatican II.”

The symposium and annual meeting will take place at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago on June 1st and 2nd. Registration is free. Breakfast and lunch are included, and complimentary parking is available.

WHEN: STARTS: Monday, June 1, 2015 at 9:00 AM. ENDS: Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 12:15 PM
WHERE: Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S. Cornell Ave, Chicago IL 60615
WHAT: Catholic Research Resources Alliance Symposium and Annual Meeting "Bringing the Created Toward the Creator: Liturgical Art and Design After Vatican II"

• Explore the changes inspired by Vatican II on liturgical arts and design.
• Engage scholars and students on their discovery and use of such resources — what do researchers and practitioners want and use? 
• Explore the preservation of and access to the archives of liturgical designers and artists.
• The symposium keynote speaker will be John Buscemi, a leading liturgical artist. Other featured speakers include scholars, educators, and curators of liturgical arts collections.

To register for this event, please visit CTU’s website. 

For more information, contact:

Lisa Gonzalez

Electronic Resources Librarian, CTU

lgonzalez@ctu.edu

773.371.5463

National Endowment for the Humanities Awards AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library $300,000 Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced yesterday $22.8 million in grants for 232 humanities projects, the second round of NEH grant awards this fiscal year. Named as one of the recipients, the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library was awarded $300,000 in grant funding for a Humanities Collections and Reference Resources implementation of a project entitled Spreading the Word: Expanding Access to African American Religious Archival Collections at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library.

The Library’s Archives Research Center and Digital Services Unit will organize, describe, digitize, and prepare for research access fourteen collections of rare materials on African-American religion spanning from the late 19th century to early 20th century, and from the 1950s to 2000s. The project entails the arrangement and description of 126 linear feet of archival records and personal papers and the digitization of 2,139 photos and 1,163 video and audio recordings from these collections.

“We’re excited to be awarded a grant for the Spreading the Word project which will increase accessibility and use of collections containing significant – yet currently underutilized – documentation of African Americans and religion. Through this invaluable funding from NEH, we aim to enhance humanities scholarship by connecting researchers throughout the world to many audio and visual holdings previously unheard and unseen,” said Andrea Jackson, head of the Archives Research Center.

About the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
The AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library serves the research and information needs of four historically Black colleges and universities: Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. Recently renovated, the Library features collaborative learning and study spaces, state-of-the-art technology, an exhibition hall, and a premier Archives Research Center. To learn more, visit www.auctr.edu or contact 404-978-2000.

A Visit to the Regenstein Library

University of Chicago's Regenstein Library

On March 17, 2015, several CARA members were invited to tour the Special Collections Research Center at the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library. We were hosted by Patricia Gibbons, Head of Collections Management. The highlight of the tour was the chance to see the high-density underground storage space in the Mansueto Library.

Dome of Mansueto Library. Photo by Kathleen Gormley.

Opened in 2011, the Mansueto Library "includes cutting-edge facilities for research, digitization of printed materials, and preservation of library holdings" (source). Underneath the library, books and archival material are stored in 50-foot tall racks and are "paged" by an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS).

Mansueto Library's underground high-density storage with 50-foot tall racks containing metal bins holding books and archival material. When items are requested, the yellow crane of the ASRS pulls the bins out and lifts them up to the receiving area.
Photo by Kathleen Gormley.

Seeing the ASRS in action felt almost like being in a sci-fi movie--the future of archives is now!

Special thanks to Newland Smith of the Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago for arranging the tour.

Summer Archival Internship-Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio

Payne Theological Seminary has one paid internship position available for a graduate student interested in archives and records management in an academic library setting. This internship offers a variety of experiences in processing archival collections and curating digital archives with professional level duties.

Site Description: The Archives at the Payne Theological Seminary Archives documents and preserves the history of Payne Theological Seminary, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and surrounding communities. Holdings available to researchers include artifacts, books, and manuscripts.

Payne Theological Seminary, founded by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1844, is dedicated to the preparation of African American and other leaders for ministry in the traditions of liberation, reconciliation, social justice, and the dignity of all humankind. Payne Theological Seminary is located in the historic and scenic city of Wilberforce, Ohio, home to Wilberforce University, Central State University, and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center. Payne, the oldest freestanding African American seminary in the world, having been mandated in 1894 by its sponsor, the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), Payne Theological Seminary is pleased to serve today as one of the denomination’s primary archival centers.

Tasks: Field experience students with archival experience will participate in the arrangement and description of archival and manuscript collections, creating and/or editing metadata in support of digital collections, encoding finding aids, authoring contextual essays, cataloging rare materials and other sources in the Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom Library 20 hours a week. Applicant must be currently enrolled in an Ohio area archives management program. Both Public History and MLS students are encouraged to apply. Paid internship placement can be extended to December 2015 for local candidate.

Deadline to apply: April 15, 2015
Anticipated Start: May 2015 (negotiable)
Stipend: $2,400
Housing: Not provided

The internship is located at the Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom Memorial Library, Payne Theological Seminary, 1230 Wilberforce-Clifton Rd. Wilberforce, Ohio 45384. Please submit a cover letter describing your qualifications and interest, résumé, and contact information for three references to Shaneé Yvette Murrain, Seminary Archivist via email at smurrain@payne.edu

Items of Interest March 9, 2015

Mundelein Seminary by Gail Kahover

Mundelein Seminary Presentation at Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville, IL

Mundelein Seminary is the largest priesthood training program in the nation today, preparing priests for 31 dioceses around the world. Author Gail Kahover presents highlights from her book Mundelein Seminary, including a pictorial history of the school's visionary and founder, photos of construction from concept to completion, and stories of the institution's growth and the seminarians who have attended it.

Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m.
Cook Park Library, Libertyville
REGISTER: 847-362-2330,
webres.cooklib.org, or at the library.

There is currently a waiting list for the program, but those who are interested in purchasing Ms. Kahover's book can find details here.

Thank you to Joan Sweeney for bringing this program to our attention.

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Society of American Archivists Committee for Ethics and Professional Conduct is proud that four case studies have been written and published in the last year and are available online here.

These case studies are written by real people and cover real situations encountered by archivists working in the field. They are guides on how to approach similar situations for other archivists and those studying archives.

The CEPC committee is still looking for archivists to provide case studies covering other areas in the Code of Ethics.

The CEPC committee is reaching out to YOU to help provide real instances where the Code of Ethics for Archivists apply. You may submit a case study here.

Plans for CARA Spring Meeting 2015

CARA Spring Meeting

The results of the In Good Faith survey reported that 52% of the small religious and theological libraries and archives surveyed did not have a written disaster plan. With that in mind, we are hoping to devote the Spring 2015 CARA Meeting to the topic of Disaster Planning and Recovery. We welcome your input and ideas on this important issue. Do you have experience with planning? Have you worked with professionals or vendors who might speak to us about their expertise?

Annual Business Meeting

The CARA By Laws call for a Business Meeting in Spring, and for the election of 5 Steering Committee members in odd-numbered years. Those are upon us now. The currently serving Steering Committee members are:

Audra Adomenas

Jerice Barrios 

Patricia Carroll

Won’t you consider nominating yourself or someone you know for a 2-year term of shaping the activities of our small but vibrant group? Here’s how:

1. Send an email with your nomination (for yourself or someone else) to Patricia Carroll at parocarroll@sbcglobal.net

2. Include in your email: complete name, affiliation and contact information as well as a brief statement of how this person will benefit CARA

3. Please refer to the By Laws (see link above) for Steering Committee qualifications and responsibilities

4. The deadline for nominations is March 18, 2015

We will hold electronic elections March 31, 2015 and announce the results at our Spring Meeting in April or May. We are experimenting with an electronic ballot, as we believe it is the easiest and most convenient option. However, if you would like a paper ballot, we will be happy to provide one.

Hoping to hear from you and looking forward to seeing you at the Spring meeting,

Jerice Barrios and Patricia Carroll for the CARA Steering Committee