CARA News

The National Endowment for the Humanities awards grant to the Society of the Divine Word’s archives

2012-01-17T09:22:00.006-06:00

By Theresa Carson
Society of the Divine Word – Chicago Province

As a seminarian 60-some years ago, Fr. Paul LaForge, SVD, was exploring the attic of St. Mary’s Seminary (now Techny Towers Conference and Retreat Center) when he came upon a stack of German books destined for the trash.

That happenstance led to the discovery of an 1891 edition of “The Constitutions of the Society of the Divine Word” that contains an original signature of founder St. Arnold Janssen.

Photo courtesy of the Society of the Divine Word – Chicago Province

The book is now a part of the Chicago Province Robert M. Myers Archives collection. Thanks to a recent grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) this book and other materials, such as periodicals, 16mm films, photographs, reel-to-reel tapes and cassettes, will continue to be preserved under optimum conditions.

The $5,975 NEH grant will be used to evaluate the preservation and conservation needs of the archives. A staff member of Minneapolis’s Midwest Art Conservation Center, which specializes in the treatment of works of art and historical artifacts, will conduct the assessment.

“The consultant will spend two days evaluating the collection and the physical archival repository,” said Marcia Stein, archivist for the Chicago Province archives. “Based on this review of the archives, this person will produce a comprehensive report on our preservation and conservation needs and make recommendations.” It will serve as a third-party endorsement when applying for federal grants.

“The main value of this grant is that it provides a professional opinion of the preservation and conservation needs of our collection,” Stein said. “The report helps to prioritize conservation planning and provides the information for grant applications.”

Preservation includes the environment, shelving, containers, processing procedures and handling of the collection, Stein explained, while conservation refers to the restoration, cleaning and protection of the individual documents, and objects of the collection in all media.

For more information about the Chicago Province Robert M. Myers Archives, go to www.divineword.org > Resources>Robert M. Myers Archives.

Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities

2011-11-29T09:16:00.001-06:00

JOIN US IN SAN ANTONIO!! June 2012

The Catholic Library Association is pleased to announce the fifth Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities to be held at the Oblate Renewal Center, San Antonio, TX from June 24-29, 2012. The 5-day intensive program is directed toward individuals who are interested in learning about archival theory and practice or who wish to update their archival training.

Unlike other archival workshops, the sessions will focus on the unique types of records found in the archives of men’s and women’s religious communities. These records document not only the communities themselves, but also the evolution of Catholicism in the

United States

, and its impact on educational, social and charitable institutions that shaped the nation’s history.

The program, directed by professional religious archivists, will include lectures, tours, and opportunities for sharing experiences.

Complete program and registration information and a registration form are posted on the Catholic Library Association website at www.cathla.org/preservation.php, or contact the CLA at cla2@cathla.org or phone 312-739-1776.

Great Fall Meeting!!

2011-11-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

Voices of The Holocaust

Entrance to the Paul V. Galvin Library which houses the IIT Archives

On Tuesday afternoon, November 8, 2011, CARA held its Fall 2011 meeting at the IIT Archives located in the Paul V. Galvin Libary on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus in Chicago. If you were unable to attend this meeting, you unfortunately missed a good one! Here is one attendee's repsonse:

"Thank YOU for inviting us to this truly wonderful program. The Holocaust project's achievements and ramifications still occupy my thoughts. And the pristinely designed IIT campus, with its surprisingly cheerful and energetic students, was another pleasure."

Diane Pugh leads the Fall 2011 meeting

CARA member, Diane Pugh introduced her husband, Dr. Ralph Pugh, Assistant University Archivist for the Illinois Institute of Technology who gave a presentation on their Voices of the Holocaust project. That project involved the translation, transcription, and audio transfer to digital audio tape of interviews conducted by IIT psychology professor Dr. David Boder. In 1946, Boder interviewed 130 Holocaust survivors at displaced persons camps in Europe to get personal accounts of the atrocities they suffered.

Check out the link above to see the website, learn more about the collection and hear the interviews in each person's native language while reading the English translation. The site has various search capabilities!

Dr. Ralph Pugh engages the audience

Ralph gave the attendees an insightful and touching account of Boder's life and work. We examined the website and heard the emotional first-hand accounts of the lives affected by the Holocaust, including Boder's. A Q & A session and tour of the IIT Archives followed the presentation.

Dr. Ralph Pugh answers question in the IIT Archives

A big thanks to Ralph for sharing such an interesting project with local archivists and especially with the world through the Internet - a remarkable digitization achievement!

Reminder Notice!

2011-11-01T10:05:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of IIT website

Sign up for the CARA Fall meeting by Friday, Nov 4th! After the presentation, there will be a tour of the IIT Archives that are located in the Paul V. Galvin Library. See details of the meeting in previous blog!

Date Clarification

2011-10-14T13:50:00.000-05:00

The Fall meeting for CARA is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8th - sorry about the confusion - the date was off by a day!! Hope to see you there!

Fall 2011 CARA Meeting

2011-10-13T08:23:00.002-05:00

Chicago Area Religious Archivists

present

“Voices of the Holocaust Project” at

Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL

Dr. Ralph Pugh

Dr. Boder with wire recorder. Europe 1946.

Ralph Pugh, Assistant University Archivist and an adjunct history professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), will speak on the “Voices of the Holocaust Project” at IIT, which has created a web site that incorporates all of the audiotaped interviews (with transcriptions) that were made by IIT psychology professor David P. Boder with Holocaust survivors in European displaced persons’ camps in the summer of 1946. Pugh will discuss Boder’s career, the challenges involved in gathering documentation from various sources (most of them non-IIT), and the development of the web site.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Cherry Room, Galvin Library, 2^nd Floor

Illinois Institute of Technology

Open to CARA and CAA members and interested guests.

Limit of 30 people

RSVP by Friday, November 3^rd to jsweeney@viatorians.com

Gainfully Employed!

2011-10-11T09:03:00.005-05:00

Merle Branner, CARA member, is now the Coordinator of Instructional Technology at Woodlands Academy in Lake Forest, Il. She is teaching technology to students, faculty and staff. In addition, she is the webmaster. She also provides archival consulting to the Alumni Director who is in charge of the School Archives. Merle also assists the Marketing department by providing them with her photography expertise when requested.

Congratulations, Merle! CARA members wish you all the success in the world! You deserve it!!

Attention: CARA members - Share your collections!

2011-09-22T08:45:00.003-05:00

The Chicago Area Women's History Council (CAWHC) has a new project, Documenting Women's Activism and Leadership 1945-2000, which will identify, preserve and share archival resources for a full understanding of Chicago's women's activism and leadership between 1945 and 2000. The project is currently identifying significant personalities, issues, actions, organizations, institutions, legislative initiatives, cultural innovations and other elements that contributed to social, cultural, political and legal change for women during this period.

Courtesy of CAWHC

CAWHC, founded in 1971, is the oldest continuing non-profit women's history organization in the U.S. and will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this October.

CARA members may have much to contribute to this project!! If you would like to participate in this project, know of resources for them to consider and/or to learn more, please visit their website ASAP!

Archival Research Lecture

2011-09-06T08:52:00.001-05:00

Every year the Billy Graham Center Archives sponsors the Archival Research Lecture. This is a presentation by a scholar who has recently used the Archives that describes in general the joys and frustrations of research in historical documents and in particular describes some of his or her own recent discoveries in the Archives.

This year Dr. Amy Artman will be speaking on "Televising Testimony: Kathryn Kuhlman and Your Faith and Mine." Kuhlman (1907-1976) was one of the best known evangelists in America during the second half of the twentieth century. Dr. Artman's lecture will examine her first venture into television broadcasting, the 1950s program, Your Faith and Mine and its impact on Kuhlman’s own ministry and on American Christianity.

The lecture is free and open to the public. It will be on Thursday, September 29 at 7pm in the Wilson Suite on the fourth floor of the Billy Graham Center at 500 College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187. Following the lecture and a question and answer period, there will be a reception sponsored by the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals.

There will also be an exhibit of documents, photos, and audio and video recordings about Kuhlman from the Archives.

Dr. Artman is an historian of American religion with an emphasis in modern American Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity. Her dissertation focused on the healing evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman and her role in what Artman calls the "gentrification" of Charismatic Christianity in America in the twentieth century. She teaches the online History of Christianity courses for Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, KY, a seminary of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Dr. Artman is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

For more information, visit the lecture website or call the Archives at 630-752-5910.

Exhibit in South Bend, IN

2011-09-06T08:40:00.002-05:00

The Leadership Conference for Women Religious exhibit:

Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America

will be on display at the

Center for History

South Bend, IN

September 2, 2011 to December 31, 2011

Check the links for further information!

SAA Awards Ceremony Photos

2011-08-30T09:18:00.001-05:00

Carol O. Bartels, president of the Society of Southwest Archivists, introduces Malachy McCarthy, winner of the Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.

Malachy is joined by fellow CARA members - Joella, Diane, Joan and Marcia.

Malachy and his niece Meghan at the award ceremony.

Congratulations, Malachy! CARA members are so proud of you and glad you are our fearless leader!

Awards Ceremony at SAA

2011-08-09T17:02:00.002-05:00

Malachy McCarthy will be presented the Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award at the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists in Chicago. The awards ceremony is to be held on Friday, August 26, 2011 at 6 PM. Please be sure to attend the ceremony and support our President and fellow religious archivist!! Congratulations Malachy!

Read the SAA press release below:

Malachy R. McCarthy Receives

Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award

CHICAGO—Malachy R. McCarthy of the Claretian Missionaries Archives is the recipient of the Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award, from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award will be presented on August 26, 2011, at ARCHIVES 360°, the 75th Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists in Chicago.

The award honors an individual archivist who has made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives. McCarthy is known for his dedication to the growth and continuing education of religious archivists. He has worked for more than 30 years in religious institutions: serving 26 years as the Archivist at Saint Anselm Abbey and College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and seven years as the Province Archivist at Claretian Missionaries Archives in Chicago.

Building on connections made during the 2007 Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, McCarthy initiated a collaborative effort among 21 archivists in the greater Chicago area, which developed into the Chicago Area Religious Archivists (CARA). This group meets twice a year for programs of archival learning, sharing and networking under the leadership of McCarthy who serves as its president. In 2007 he developed and taught “Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities” with Ellen Pierce, the director of the Maryknoll Mission Archives. This workshop continues to be offered biennially by the Catholic Library Association.

As one Awards Committee member said, “Mr. McCarthy is truly a passionate archivist, educator and life-long learner, and he loves to share this passion with other religious archivists. He is involved, committed and determined to promote the archival profession.”

Created in 1974, the award is funded by the Society of Southwest Archivists and honors Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., a Dominican nun who was the first professionally trained archivist at the Catholic Archives of Texas in Austin. Sister Jane Aucoin, of the Congregation of St. Joseph, was the 2010 recipient.

Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists is North America’s oldest and largest national archival professional association. SAA’s mission is to serve the educational and informational needs of more than 6,000 individual and institutional members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of historical value. For more information, visit www.archivists.org.

Calling all Religious Archivists

2011-08-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

JOIN

THE ARCHIVISTS OF RELIGIOUS COLLECTIONS SECTION

To kick off SAA ARCHIVES 360˚ in CHICAGO

August 24, 2011 5:30-7:30 p.m.

St. James Episcopal Cathedral

65 East Huron Street, Chicago IL

Reception is in the Narthex where a light supper will be served

(Front entrance to cathedral is on Wabash Ave.)

All are welcome to join the tours of St. James Cathedral and St. Andrews Chapel given by Richard Seidel, historiographer and archivist of the Episcopal Diocese.

Described as one of the most remarkable Victorian interiors in America, St. James Cathedral is one of the finest examples of the English Arts and Crafts Movement in Chicago. Its lavish system of about 30 stencil patterns features a rich color palette that is enhanced by an important collection of English and Chicago-made stained glass windows of the 1870s and 1880s. The stenciling is the work of New York decorator E. J. Neville Stent, who was inspired by the work and writings of William Morris, the eminent English designer. Originally installed in 1888, the interior was restored to its original appearance in 1985.

Used with the permission of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago

Another feature of the building is St. Andrew’s Chapel, designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, who was inspired by the ruins of a crypt chapel he discovered on a visit to Scotland. The centerpiece of the chapel is a triptych by Scottish artist Phoebe Traquair – the only example of her work n America. The stained glass was executed by Charles Frederick Eden, an early twentieth century English artist whose work is beginning to be appreciated by a new generation of art historians.

Please RSVP to Marcia Stein – mstein@uscsvd.org
Archivist of the Robert M. Myers Archives, Society of the Divine Word

Transportation from Regency Hyatt hotel: Walk on E. Wacker Dr. (0.2 mi.) to Michigan Ave. Catch CTA bus #3, or, #151, or #147 to travel north to Huron St. Walk west to 65 E. Huron. (0.1 mi.) About 15 minutes travel time

ARCHIVISTS OF RELIGIOUS COLLECTIONS SECTION meeting is Thursday, 3:30-5:30 PM in the conference hotel, the Hyatt Regency Chicago Riverwalk

This year SAA celebrates its 75th anniversary. Our section meeting is scheduled for 3:30 to 5:30 on Thursday August 25th. Please come and contribute to an open discussion led by Jim Havron, Mark Duffy, Terry Reilly and Colleen McFarland about leadership in religious archives and our reflections on past, present and future challenges. We will also present a summary of the work we did during the meeting in Washington on our SAA section's goals. We hope to see you there.

CARA Members Speak at Annual Conference

2011-06-15T09:17:00.000-05:00

On Thursday afternoon, June 9, 2011, two CARA members spoke at the 65th Annual Conference of the American Theological Library Association held at the Holiday Inn at Chicago Mart Plaza. Richard Seidel, Historiographer and Archivist, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago (left), Diane Pugh, Manager of Preservation Projects, ATLA (right) and also Erik Dix, Archivist, Audio-Visual Material, Notre Dame Library Archives gave a presentation entitled Preservation Problems and Solutions to Share.

The speakers shared a variety of problems and solutions concerning preservation issues they experienced with their collections and with services for the theological library community. Richard discussed “Issues Concerning the Preservation of the Archival Records of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois.” Diane's topic was “The History and Future Direction of ATLA's Preservation Program and Erik addressed “The Problems of Indiana Province Archives and a Cooperative Solution.” Following the presentations, the panel discussed shared topical issues with the intention of developing ideas for cooperative solutions.

Congratulations on your efforts to share in preservation problems and solutions - an excellent way to get things done on limited resources!

Conservation Center Tour

2011-05-25T09:13:00.004-05:00

If you need conservation on any items from your collections, CARA can highly recommend the Conservation Center at 730 N. Franklin St., Chicago. Located in an awesome building with exposed brick walls and wood floors, the Center occupies the entire seventh floor. As we walked through each area we were given a talk by the conservator working in that specialty. We learned about treatments for framing, works of art on paper, paintings, gilding and various objects. So interesting!...and the workmanship and work ethic is very impressive!

What a great tour! Thanks, April and the entire Conservation Center staff!

Following the tour, we gathered at Gino's East just a two block walk over on Wells St. The business meeting was postponed until a later date, but the eating and fun was on!

Thanks to all who attended the CARA Spring 2011 meeting - your support and involvement is vital! Ideas for the Fall 2011 meeting are being accepted...what do you want to learn about next??

Remember to submit your CARA membership fees for the 2011/12 year ASAP if you haven't already done so... as well as your CAA membership, too! Check the links for the membership forms.

Catholic Library Association Press Release

2011-05-04T14:31:00.005-05:00

Malachy R. McCarthy

Installed as the 44th President of the Catholic Library Association

Malachy McCarthy was installed as the 44th President of the Catholic Library Convention at the Association’s 90th anniversary celebration. The annual meeting was held in New Orleans during the week of April 25th.

The Catholic Library Association has over 600 members and sponsors two major publications: Catholic Library World [1929- ] which is a quarterly publication which publishes articles and book reviews; and the Catholic Periodical and Literature Index [1930- ] which is an EBSCO host online index which provides indexing to over 170 international Catholic serials.

During the past five years, the Association has sponsored archival workshops for religious archivists. Its Introductory Archival Workshop for Religious Communities has been presented four times and will be again offered during the summer of 2012.

In June, the CLA national offices will move to Chicago. For further information consult www.cathla.org

Congratulations, Malachy!!

Malachy McCarthy to Receive SAA Award

2011-04-20T16:20:00.002-05:00

Malachy McCarthy, Archivist for the Claretian Missionaries Archives in Chicago and President of the Chicago Area Religious Archivists (CARA) has be selected to receive the Society of American Archivist's (SAA) Sister M. Claude Lane Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives.

The CARA Steering Committee nominated Malachy earlier this year and Malachy was notified last week that he was selected because of his dedication to the education and professional development of religious archivists in Chicago and across the country.

The awards ceremony will take place at the SAA meeting in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Friday evening, August 26th, 2011. Please plan to attend the ceremony to support and congratulate our very own President! Congratulations, Malachy!!

Conservation Center Tour in May

2011-04-20T15:51:00.002-05:00

The CARA Spring Meeting 2011 has been scheduled for Thursday, May 19th. We will tour the Conservation Center in Chicago from 2-3 pm. Map

Lunch has been changed to an early dinner, so that we don't have to rush. We will have a short business meeting at dinner. The restaurant is still to be determined.

CARA members can register until Tuesday May 2, 2011 to Joan at jsweeney@viatorians.com

Registration will open to other archivists after that date.

CARA Spring 2011 Meeting

2011-04-12T11:43:00.000-05:00

Hold the date please!

The CARA Spring 2011 meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 19th in the afternoon. We will be touring the Conservation Center located on N. Franklin St. in Chicago from 2-3 pm.

Plans are still being worked on to meet for lunch before the tour. More information to come.

New Community Histories Project for SVD's

2011-02-03T11:59:00.000-06:00

Marcia Stein, CARA member and archivist for the Robert M. Meyers Archives for the Chicago Province of the Society of the Divine Word wants to share the following article regarding their new Community Histories Project. CARA sends belated congratulations for the Chicago Province's 25th anniversary in 2010 and best wishes for a successful project!

Community Histories Project

Robert M. Myers Archives

Chicago Province of the Society of the Divine Word

October 15, 1895 a German religious brother arrived in America at Hoboken, New Jersey. Brother Wendelin came to sell German-language magazines published in Holland by the religious congregation to which he belonged, the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). The SVD established themselves in North America about twenty miles north of Chicago, Illinois at a site now called Techny. The site was the location of their first community and first province in this country. From there the Society expanded east, south, west and north establishing communities and seminaries to train missionary priests to serve God at home and abroad.

An anniversary is the typical time to celebrate an organization’s history. In 2000 the Society of the Divine Word published a history for its centennial in Illinois with In the Light of the Word by Ernest Brandewie that told the story of the Society in North America. Over time the SVDs’ provinces expanded to four and then back to three by amalgamating two of them into the Chicago Province in 1985. June 1, 2010, the Chicago Province celebrated its 25th Jubilee.

Since the community is the basic unit of a religious order it represents home base where the priests and brothers received their education and training. It is the face of the Society in the cities and towns where they are located and therefore has an important history of its own. “Is there a history of my community?” is a question asked of the archives. Sometimes the answer is yes, but often it is no. The community histories that exist were either written many years ago or are limited in scope. When the idea of writing community histories to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the province was proposed, guidelines for their content were established and the scope expanded to start at the beginning of each community as well as to include the three closed communities.

The Community History Project was born. It is under the historical guidance of the SVD Coordinator, Fr. Elmer Nadicksbernd, SVD and the project management of the archivist, Marcia Stein. Each community will have an SVD “scribe” who will write the history based on the historical records from the archives, their communities, and the memories of their confreres. We plan to have eighteen community histories written for internal publication by the end of 2011. One is already delivered. We are off and writing!

CARA Fall Meeting 2010

2010-12-07T14:47:00.002-06:00

Entrance to the Catholic Archive Collaborative

On Thursday, December 2, 2010, Malachy McCarthy, archivist at the Claretian Missionaries Archives USA, hosted CARA's Fall meeting at his Chicago location. Also, known as the Catholic Archive Collaborative, the space is shared by Mary Hennessey, archivist of the Cenancle Sisters, North American Province Archives.

Thanks to the 3 presenters and the 25 attendees for making our workshop, "Surfing the Computer: Applying Popular Programs to Archival Practice," a practical learning experience and overall good time!

Benn Joseph, from the Northwestern University Special Collections and Archives spoke on Facebook and Twitter as tools for archival outreach, giving us many tips and showing us the Universtiy Archives' social networking pages as examples. Great job!

Jerice Barrios, Image Specialist and former Rights and Reproduction Coordinator ant the Field Museum showed us a way to share and identify visual images using Flickr. Jerice demonstated The Commons for cultural and historical institutions that share their photographs in a non-restricted copyright free zone. Great photographs for blogging and websites!

Gwyn Stupar, former CARA member, and now Web Services and Reference Librarian at the Northbrook Public Library gave us a look at Picasa to organize, edit and share photographs. A fun feature was the face recognition and tagging capability. Gwyn has found her niche teaching web classes, but we sure miss her in CARA!

Following the workshop, Malachy gave attendees a tour of the Catholic Archives Collaborative located on the 2nd floor of the building. They have a great amount of space and are looking for another archives to share it with!

The afternoon was filled with fun, learning, social-networking, snacking and more! Thanks again to everyone who presented, hosted and attended - you made it the success it was!

Please note: I apologize for not taking photos of the afternoon activities - I didn't remember until walking out of the building, hence the above photo. Joan

CARA's Possible Loss

2010-12-07T10:36:00.001-06:00

Charter CARA member, Kenneth O'Malley, C.P., is finishing up his work as archivist at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago the end of this month. He will be on sabbatical in Ireland from January - June 2011.

Kenneth plans to study Celtic Spirituality at All Hallows College (Dublin), Glendalough (Dublin) and Glenstal Abbey (Limerick). All these places have a scholar and library resources on Celtic Spirituality. When he returns, he hopes to give talks or workshops on this topic.

Also, upon his return Kenneth will be receiving a new assignment. He doesn't know where he'll end up yet, but we sure hope it's in Chicago!!

Good luck, Kenneth!! Enjoy Ireland and let us know your where- abouts upon your return! CARA will miss you!!

Fall 2010 CARA Meeting

2010-11-04T14:49:00.015-05:00

SURFING THE COMPUTER: APPLYING POPULAR PROGRAMS

TO ARCHIVAL PRACTICE

Thursday, December 2nd 2010

St Jude/Claretian Building

205 West Monroe

Chicago, IL

1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

CARA’s Fall meeting focuses on utilizing popular software to archival practice. Three speakers will share their experience in applying Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Picasa to archive applications.

This provides you an opportunity to find how free programs can be applied to your repository.

In order to cover our expenses, a $10 fee is requested to attend the workshop. Registration for the workshop is mandatory but you may pay ahead of time or at the door. Registrations are due NOVEMBER 29TH, 2010. This notice will be shared with CARA members for a week and after November 15th to CAA members.

Benn Joseph

Northwestern University Special Collections and Archives

"Facebook and Twitter for Archival Outreach"

Jerice Barrios

Image Specialist and former Rights and Reproduction Coordinator
at the Field Museum
"Flickr - a New Way to Share and Identify Visual Images"

Gwyn Stupar

Web Services and Reference Librarian, Northbrook Public Library

"Tour of Archives Using Picasa"

Registration due Monday November 29, 2010

Make $10 check payable to CARA and mail to Joan Sweeney, Archivist, Clerics of St Viator, 1212 E Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60004. jsweeney@viatorians.com

Prayers for Richard Seidel

2010-10-27T10:37:00.001-05:00

Richard Seidel, CARA member, Treasurer of the organization and archivist for the Diocese of Chicago (Episcopal), will be undergoing surgery for a brain tumor. The surgery is scheduled for Friday morning at UIC hospital.

Please keep Richard in your thoughts and prayers! If you wish to send cards and notes to Richard, please send them to his home address.

Our Day in Joliet

2010-10-13T10:37:00.013-05:00

Marian, Malachy, Mary and Joan with the Blues Brothers at the Joilet Museum

Entrance to the museum

On Saturday October 2, 2010, three CARA members, Malachy McCarthy, Mary Hennessey and Joan Sweeney, met at the Joliet Area Historical Museum for a special day of tours, exhibits and archives. Sister Marian Voelker, Congregation Archivist from the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate (the Joliet Franciscans), was our guide for the day.

Sr. Marian Voelker, OSF at the exhibit

First, we quickly toured through the Joliet Museum itself since none of us had ever been there before. It opened in 2002 - part of it is a converted Methodist Church and it still has the beautiful stained glass windows. Here we viewed a special exhibit of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immacualate celebrating 145 years serving God and the community.

Lunch followed at a little cafe in downtown Joliet where the food was plenty and the prices very reasonable! It was right across the street from the Joliet Public Library - a beautiful stone building. Stone and steel is what Joliet is known for - in the past anyway.

Then we were off - up the hill - to visit the archives at the University of St. Francis. Linnea Knapp, the archivist, gave us a tour and showed us their special collections, processing and storage areas located in the library on campus. Linnea just published a book this year called The University of St. Francis (Campus History) - part of the Campus History Series with Arcadia Publishing.

Mother Alfred Moes, Foundress

The last stop on the tour, about 10 minutes from the campus, was the administrative offices of the Sisters of St. Francis. Here is where their archives are located and where Sr. Marian works. We visited the display room and her facilities. Thanks Marian for a wonderful day in Joliet and getting to know the history of the Joliet area, the university and your congregation.

Congratulations on 145 years in ministry there!

News Release

2010-09-28T11:07:00.006-05:00

Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities: A Success!

The fourth Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities was held at the Techny Conference and Retreat Center in Techny, Illinois from July 25-30, 2010. Thirty-five lay and religious archivists representing thirty-three communities from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom attended the workshop. Once again, Ellen Pierce, Director of the Maryknoll Mission Archives and Malachy R. McCarthy of the Claretian Missionaries Archives USA directed the workshop. This year, David Malone, Archivist at Wheaton College (IL) gave a presentation on content management systems focusing on ARCHON and Patricia Lawton, Digital Project Librarian of the Catholic Research Resources Alliance [CRRA] provided an informative lecture introducing participants to CRRA and the development of an open access research portal: http://www.catholicresearch.net/. Visits to the Robert M. Meyer/SVD Archives at Techny and Catholic Archive Collaborative/Claretian-Cenacle Archives in Chicago highlighted the rigorous educational program. The next workshop will again be offered in 2012. If you wish to reserve a place, please contact CLA headquarters at cla@cathla.org.

In order to further the continuing education of the 139 graduates of the CLA introductory archives programs and archivists of religious communities, we are developing two workshops during 2011: an intermediate archives workshop and digitization workshop. Further information on these programs will be posted on the web: http://www.cathla.org/.

Malachy R. McCarthy

N E W S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 21, 2010
Contact: Malachy R. McCarthy (312-544-8219)

Joliet Historical Muesum Exhibit

2010-09-11T16:47:00.010-05:00

It's finally scheduled - interested CARA members will meet on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010 for an extra fun activity at the Joliet Historical Museum to see the special exhibition on the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immacualate. We plan to meet at 11 AM at the museum, enjoy lunch together and also tour the archives of the Sisters. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Joan Sweeney, CARA Communications Coordinator via e-mail: jsweeney@viatorians.com Hope to see you there!

For details on the exhibit, admission, directions and parking check out the Joliet Hist orical Museum website. Follow this link to learn more about the history of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.

More news to come soon on the Fall CARA meeting to be held in late October - early November.

CARA in SAA Newsletter

2010-09-07T10:54:00.007-05:00

Did you see the latest edition of SAA Archival Outlook - Jul/Aug 2010? Well, turn to page 13 in your copy and you'll see "How Chicago Archivists Leverage Special Interests" written by Susan Rishworth, American College of Surgeons; Malachy McCarthy, Claretian Archives USA; David Malone, Wheaton College; and Diane Pugh, American Theological Library Association. There is a photo, as well, of CARA members when we toured the Billy Graham Center Archives. SAA members can log in and view an electronic copy of the issue.

This article is based on the MAC presentation given at the 2010 Spring meeting by the above authors. Well done, colleagues!

Movin' up and out

2010-09-06T17:44:00.016-05:00

CARA member, Anthony Elia, is starting a new job this week in New York City at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary - they share their theology library. He will be the head of public services at the Burke Theology Library which is the largest theological collection in North America (700,000+books). He will also coordinate the rare books and teach a course. Learn more about the Burke Library.

Anthony just returned from Puerto Rico where he taught a workshop on designing online courses and creating animation for theological schools. He's been busy this summer!

Anthony previously worked at the JKM Library, the theological library of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and McCormick Theological Seminary where he was an Associate Librarian in Reference and Instruction.

We wish Anthony the best and will miss him at our CARA meetings - Chicago has lost a good one! Good luck and congratulations, Anthony!

Anthony promises to let us know how he is doing! Remember to check out his blog "On Books and Biblios" to see what he discovers in the NY book scene.

New Religious Exhibit

2010-08-09T20:45:00.003-05:00

The Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate in Joliet, IL are celebrating 145 years of service. To learn about their rich history and founder Mother Alfred Moes, be sure to visit a special exhibition at the Joliet Area Historical Museum. It is on display from June 6 though October 10, 2010. For information about the exhibit, the hours, admission and directions, check out the museum's website: www.jolietmuseum.org

The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Communication Room and Museum

2010-08-09T19:37:00.033-05:00

On Friday, July 23, 2010, I journeyed to El Paso, IL just north of Bloomington, to visit CARA member, Karen Fulte, curator of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Communication Room and Museum.

Fulton Sheen, known for his ministries on radio and television, was born in El Paso, IL in 1895 and graduated from St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, IL in 1917. Karen and I met during Karen's research at the Viatorian archives.

The Sheen museum is located on the main drag (Route 24) in the historic railroad depot - an awesome building with a lot of space for Karen's creative work and displays!

Karen is a gracious host and dedicated to Sheen's memory and his cause for sainthood. I highly recommend a visit! Be sure to call in advance and make sure Karen is available - you definitely want to hear her stories.

To learn more about Archbishop Sheen or the museum, visit the museum website.

Joan Sweeney

Archivist for the Viatorian Community

Blue Shield

2010-06-10T08:49:00.007-05:00

Marcia Stein, CARA member and Archivist at the Robert M. Myers Archives at the Society of the Divine Word in Techny, IL wanted to share this information on Blue Shield with other CARA members.

What is Blue Shield?

The Blue Shield is the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. It is the symbol specified for marking protected cultural property in the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. It is also the name of the international committee set up in 1996 to work to protect the world's cultural heritage threatened by wars, natural and man‐made disasters, the International Committee of the Blue Shield. The U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield is one of many national committees organized under the principals of the International Committee of the Blue Shield.

The most recent news is that the International Committee on the Blue Shield has officially recognized a new Blue Shield Committee in Haiti to rescue and protect their rich and unique cultural heritage since the devastating earthquake. Read the press release to learn more.

To become involved with Blue Shield and support their efforts, check out this site: http://www.uscbs.org/get_involved.htm. As religious archivists, we have many gifts to share.

Job Opportunity - Religious Archives

2010-06-10T08:16:00.006-05:00

The following was taken from the CAA listserv:

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

SEEKS

DIRECTOR OF BRETHREN HISTORICAL LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES

Job Description: To promote the history and heritage of the Church of the Brethren by:

1) Administering the Brethren Historical Library and Archives, and
2) Facilitating research and the study of Brethren history.

Includes: Providing reference services, assuring the cataloging of books and processing of archival records, formulating policies, budgeting, developing collection, recruiting and training of intern and volunteers.

Education:

Required: Master's degree in library science/archival studies and extensive knowledge of Church of the Brethren history and beliefs.
Preferred: Graduate degree in history or theology and/or certification by the Academy of Certified Archivists.

Skills and Knowledge Required:

Ability to articulate and operate out of the vision of the Church of the Brethren.
Well-grounded in library and archival disciplines.
Customer-service skills
Research and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft software and experience with OCLC products.
3-5 years experience in a library or archives.

Location: Elgin, Illinois

Application, resume, and three reference letters due no later than June 25, 2010 to:

Karin Krog, Director of Human Resources
Church of the Brethren
1451 Dundee Avenue
Elgin, IL 60123
Email: kkrog@brethren.org
847-742-5100 ext. 258

Position Start Date: November 1, 2010

New AT/Archon Integration Website

2010-05-25T10:05:00.005-05:00

The new website ArchivesSpace.org - to follow the integration of Archivists' Toolkit and Archon - went live this month. You will find the latest news and timeline of events throughout the development of the software.

On Books and Biblios Blog

2010-05-20T15:42:00.014-05:00

Anthony Elia, CARA member from the JKM Library at the Lutheran School of Theology, has an interesting blog! It's about books and their semiotic functions in the world. Very detailed writing and lots of great photography, too! AKA The Adventures of Anthony! Great fun for book lovers!

Check it out at http://onbooksandbiblios.blogspot.com/

Correction

2010-05-18T13:42:00.004-05:00

For those who picked up the list of attendee's at the Spring 2010 CARA meeting, there is an error that needs to be corrected. Peter Gunther and Marcia Stein are archivists at the Society of the Divine Word, not Living Word as stated. Apologies for the mix-up!

Spring 2010 Meeting

2010-05-18T11:45:00.021-05:00

On Thursday afternoon, May 13th, CARA met at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum (AHHM) for its Spring meeting. In attendance were 10 CARA members and 9 guests. Despite the weather forecast for flash flooding, the afternoon went quite well and stayed dry.

A short business meeting was held to discuss the status of CARA and the hopes of expanding outside of the Chicago area. We are on our way because we had attendee's travelling from Milwaukee, WI, Notre Dame, IN and El Paso, IL for this meeting! Also discussed were the financial report, membership renewal, website improvements and blog news. Full meeting minutes will be posted on the website ASAP.

The fun part of our meeting was a presentation with demos by Mickey Horndasch, Curator of the AHHM, on tips and techniques for mounting exhibits, making labels, creating posters, making barriers to primary documents and display risers, etc. She had numerous creative ideas for keeping the costs down and protecting your collection in the process.

Following the presentation, the group toured the Heritage Gallery and got to view Mickey's current exhibit Gone But Not Forgotten: Lost Arlington Heights. We could enjoy the content as well as understand how it was planned and mounted by Mickey.

Throughout the meeting, we all enjoyed the bake goods, fruit and drinks that people brought to share. Thanks to everyone who contributed!!

Special thanks to Mickey Horndasch who taught us some great tips and techniques. I know I learned alot! Hope everyone else did as well!

Reminder - CARA is tentatively planning to visit James Twomey in Kenosha, WI for the Fall 2010 meeting. He is a book and paper conservator. Check out his website to learn more about the Book Restoration Co.

MAC Presentations Online

2010-05-13T10:16:00.004-05:00

Numerous presentations from the recent 2010 Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) are now available online! If you want to review them or see the ones you missed, now is your chance.

Check it out: 2010 MAC Chicago Presentations

Free Webinars

2010-05-06T09:12:00.005-05:00

In honor of Preservation Week, May 9-15, 2010, two free webinars are being offered! One is Archival 101: Dealing with Suppliers of Archival Products and the other is Mold Prevention and Remediation. Libraries can register and show to their patrons and I believe the general public can register as well. Check it out for yourself or your institution!

2 Reminders

2010-04-28T11:15:00.013-05:00

MayDay - Saving Our Archives - is Saturday, May 1, 2010. What are you doing this year? For more information on MayDay and ideas for activities, see the SAA MayDay webpage.

Preservation Week - Pass it on: Saving Heritage and Memories - is May 9-15, 2010. To learn more about this new annual event, visit the Preservation Week webpage of the American Library Association (ALA). ALA encourages libraries and other institutions to use Preservation Week to connect our communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

CARA members, let us know what you are doing for these 2 events and we will share your story here.

Graduation Announcement

2010-04-27T16:24:00.008-05:00

Congratulations to CARA Member, Merle Branner!

Merle is graduating from Dominican University, May 8, 2010 from the School of Library and Information Science with a MLIS degree with a focus in archival studies.

Merle interned with Marcia Stein at the Robert M. Myers Archives, Society of the Divine Word and is currently interning at Media Burn, an independent video archives in Chicago.

Merle intends to stay in the area and continue to be the archivist at North Shore Congregation Israel. She is also looking for a paid informational professional position. Merle hopes to utilize her diverse talents in photography, multi media, technology, and education in an academic, corporate, non-profit and/or museum repository. Check out her e-portfolio here!

In addition, Merle will be presenting her paper, The Servant Leadership Dynamic between Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson: How They Changed Baseball and Our Country, at the 22nd Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, in June 2010 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Good luck and congrats, Merle!

Malachy and Diane at MAC

2010-04-22T19:36:00.009-05:00

Malachy McCarthy, CARA President, was a speaker at MAC 2010 today, Thursday, April 22nd and did our group proud! The 3:30-5:00 pm well-attended session was called
"Special Interest Groups: Surviving with the Three C's: Collaboration, Continuing Education and Cost Savings." Malachy discussed the beginnings of CARA, what we do to support each other, programs we have held and hopes for the future, including a special interest sub-group for Archon users.

Diane Pugh, CARA Vice-President, graciously chaired the session which included two other speakers from similar local specialty groups. Susan Rishworth, American College of Surgeons, represented and discussed the Chicago Area Medical Archivists (CAMA). David Malone, Wheaton College, represented and discussed the Archives Special Interest Group (SIG) of LIBRAS , a consortium of private liberal-arts colleges and universities in the Chicago area.

Great ideas were shared on what made these groups succesful - a number of which CARA might initiate! The session attendees can now take these ideas and establish similar groups in their locale!

Well done Diane and Malachy! CARA has a bright future thanks to your leadership!

Apologies for the lack of photos from the session - too engrossed in the discussion! :(

AT/Archon Integration - Websites to Come

2010-04-20T08:29:00.021-05:00

A new collabrative website called ArchivesSpace.org is being developed to document the integration process of Archon and Archivist's Toolkit. Archivists are invited to participate in building the site by submitting ideas, opinions and papers. Susan Harum, from the University of Illinois in Champaign, is the project director of ArchivesSpace. She can be contacted at sharum@illinois.edu

To read more check out: http://archivist stoolkit.org/forum/18

The SAA Archivists' Toolkit Roundtable (ATRT) Steering Committee is also in the process of setting up its own website that will provide easy access to tips, tools, user manuals and any community-developed materials that would facilitate their implementation and adoption of the tool. The SAA ATRT website is envisioned to be a point of access for community assistance and networking.

More news on the websites to come!

You're invited - CARA Spring 2010 Meeting!

2010-04-14T11:01:00.014-05:00

It's official - the CARA Spring 2010 meeting will be held on Thursday, May 13th from 1:30 -4:00 pm at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum. If you are interested in learning some tricks and tips on setting up displays and exhibits, then this meeting is for you!

Mickey Horndasch, curator at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum (AHHM), is presenting a ‘how to’ style workshop on ‘setting up exhibits & displays’ taking into account limited budgets and preservation, as well as design tips. Mickey is responsible for setting up temporary exhibits in the AHHM Heritage Gallery.

After the presentation we will be able to tour the AHHM Heritage Gallery. The current exhibit, Gone but Not Forgotten: Lost Arlington Heights, showcases photographs and artifacts relating to the village’s past.

The cost to attend is $5 for CARA members and is payable at the door. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Limit 20 people.

Due to the limited number of people attending, you must reserve a spot! Please RSVP to Joan Sweeney by Friday, April 30, 2010 at jsweeney@viatorians.com or (847) 637-2130.

The announcement for this meeting was sent out to CARA members yesterday, April 13th. If we do not get 20 people signed up within the next 2 weeks, the invitation will be extended to CAA members. So be sure to RSVP ASAP!!

For directions, parking and other info, see the flyer that was sent out or visit the AHHM website at http://www.ahmuseum.org/

CARA Spring 2010 Meeting

2010-04-05T17:47:00.005-05:00

The Spring meeting is now being planned for an afternoon in May at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum (AHHM) in Arlington Heights. We will be learning tips and tricks for setting up exhibits & displays. Stay tuned for more info!

ISHRAB Scholarships

2010-03-17T14:06:00.012-05:00

By now, you've probably heard that the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB) is offering scholarships to Illinois archivists and archival volunteers to attend a professional archival workshop, seminar, or conference held in Illinois. You can be awarded up to a maximum of $200! If not check it out:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/ishrab/devlopscholar.html

CARA members ... take advantage of this is a great opportunity! And let us know if you get a scholarship! Tell us what workshop, course or conference that you will be attending, so we can blog about it! Good luck to all!!

Welcome to New Members

2010-03-16T15:13:00.011-05:00

CARA has five new members! We look forward to meeting them at the upcoming Spring meeting - date not set yet, but probably in May!

Greetings to the following:

Darlene Dehne, Archives Committee Member from Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL

Karen Fulte, Founding Director and Curator of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Spiritual Center in El Paso, IL

Robert D. Schuster, Archivist at the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL

Sister Celia Struck, OSF, Archivist for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in Milwaukee, WI

Sister Rebecca Sullivan, Archivist for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Des Plaines, IL

Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities

2009-12-03T08:28:00.004-06:00

The Catholic Library Association is pleased to announce the fourth Introductory Archives Workshop for Religious Communities to be held at the Techny Towers Conference and Retreat Center, Techny, IL from July 25-30, 2010. The 5-day intensive program is directed toward individuals who are interested in learning about archival theory and practice or who wish to update their archival training.

Unlike other archival workshops, the sessions will focus on the unique types of records found in the archives of men’s and women’s religious communities. These records document not only the communities themselves, but also the evolution of Catholicism in the United States, and its impact on educational, social and charitable institutions that shaped the nation’s history.

The program, directed by professional religious archivists, will include lectures, tours, and opportunities for sharing experiences.

Complete program and registration information and a registration form are posted on the Catholic Library Association website at www.cathla.org/preservation.php, or contact the CLA at cla@cathla.org or phone 413-443-2252.

Temporary Closing

2009-09-29T07:20:00.008-05:00

The Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Chicago Archives, located at 10024 S. Central Park in Chicago will be closed to all archival requests – starting Wednesday, September 30 until ….. ??

The estimated time is 2 months. The Chicago Meeting Place needs extensive repairs and remodeling. Example: replacement of hot water pipes, removal of 20 year old carpeting which may involve asbestos abatement and other maintenance issues. Everything must be removed from the work areas.

Sr. Joella Cunnane, RSM, archivist, will be working from home and can be reached via email jec@mercychicago.com or phone (773) 779-6011 x28. She will check messages often.

Fall 2009 Meeting

2009-09-25T19:20:00.013-05:00

The Fall 2009 CARA meeting was held at The Wheaton College Archives and Special Collections on Tuesday September 22, 2009 from 1:30 - 4:00 pm. In attendance were Merle Branner, North Shore Congregation Israel, Joella Cunnane, Sister of Mercy Archives, M. Alison Eisendrath, Chicago History Museum, Anthony Elia, Lutheran School of Theology, Karen Fulte, Bishop Fulton Sheen Museum, Nahoko Green, Chicago History Museum, Peter Gunther, Robert M. Myers Archives, Society of the Divine Word, Anita Marie Guttierrez, Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters Archives, Mary Hennessey, Cenacle Archives, Malachy McCarthy, Claretian Missionaries Archives, Marcia Stein, Robert M. Myers Archives, Society of Divine Word, Joan Sweeney, Viatorian Community Archives and Dominque Tremblay, Chicago History Museum. A great turnout!

David Malone discusses Archon

David Malone, Head of Wheaton College Special Collections, gave an excellent and informative presentation on Archon, the Archival Content Management System developed at the University of IL. He explained why his archives chose Archon - the advantages and disadvantages and gave comparisons to other open source and commercial systems. The discussion of interest was the merger of Archon and Archivists' Toolkit. David shared his thoughts on the short and long term implications.

For more information on Archon check the website: http://www.archon.org/

Following the presentation, Bob Schuster, archivist of the Billy Graham Center Archives, gave the group a tour of the Billy Graham Archives and David Malone gave us a tour of the Wheaton College Archives and Special Collections.

CARA members look at materials in the Billy Graham Archives processing area

The Board will be discussing the next steps to implement an archive content management system for CARA and establishing a users group. Give your input and suggestions to Malachy McCarthy. MCCARTHYM@claretians.org

Thanks to Marcia Stein, Joan Sweeney and Malachy McCarthy for bringing goodies and drinks! The afternoon was enjoyed by all and blessed with a rainbow.

A rainbow over the parking lot at Wheaton College

Show Your Archives

2009-09-16T13:43:00.006-05:00

CARA member Merle Branner, archivist at the Ruthie and Bill Katz Archives for North Shore Congregation Israel, has a special request. The Dominican University Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists is looking for repositories to visit during the fall 2009 - spring 2010 school year. If you are willing to speak to the group and show them your facility, please contact: Merle A. Branner at merleab@dom.edu or call 847-361-1170.

Meeting Registration Closed

2009-09-16T08:50:00.016-05:00

Registration for the upcoming Fall 2009 CARA meeting is now closed. The maximum number of people have signed up to attend the presentation and tour at Wheaton College.

We will meet on Tuesday September 22, 2009 from 1:30 - 3:30 pm at the Billy Graham Center followed by a tour of the College Archives and Special Collections.

The Billy Graham Center is located on College Ave. on the southwest end of the Wheaton College campus. Visitor parking is available on the east side of the Billy Graham Center. Enter the building at the Barrows Auditorium entrance (east end of building) and take the elevator to 3rd floor.

Maps and directions are available: http://www.wheaton.edu/visit/maps.html

The cost of the program is $10, payable at the door.

Fall 2009 Meeting Details

2009-09-08T16:36:00.007-05:00

TUESDAY, September 22, 2009

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College

David Malone, the Head of Wheaton College Special Collections, will discuss the functions of using an archival content management system, what it can do for you, outlining the choice of Archon and finally showing how the Archon system has been applied at Wheaton. A tour of the archives will follow the presentation.

The $10 cost for the program will be collected at the meeting. Reserve your space now with Malachy McCarthy.

Click here to get directions and to download a campus map: http://www.wheaton.edu/visit/maps.html

Baby News - It's a boy!

2009-09-02T17:18:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to CARA member Diane Pugh and her husband Ralph on the birth of their first baby! Daniel Orrin Pugh was born at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, Illinois at 9:17 a.m. on Wednesday, August 26. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 11 oz. and is healthy in all respects!

CARA Fall 2009 Meeting Announcement

2009-09-02T16:30:00.007-05:00

As many of you have heard by now that Archivists’ Toolkit and Archon have received a grant from the Mellon Foundation to work together to create a single content management program for archives. Due to this decision, the CARA Board decided to cancel the format for the September 24th program.

After consultation with interested parties, CARA will host an information meeting on Archival Content Management Systems at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL either on

TUESDAY – September 22nd - 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Or
THURSDAY – September 24th - 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

David Malone, the Head of Wheaton College Special Collections will discuss the functions of using a archival content management program, what it can do for you, outlining the choice of Archon and finally showing how the Archon system has been applied at Wheaton. David comes with a lot of experience in this area and I am sure many would find his program beneficial.

The cost of the program would be $10 a person to cover our expenses. The fee could be paid at the door.

We need to know ASAP if you would like to attend on Tuesday or Thursday session and a formal program will be announced Tuesday, after Labor Day.

Taken from e-mail from Malachy McCarthy, 9/02/2009

Bittersweet News

2009-08-22T14:27:00.004-05:00

Gwyn Stupar, archivist for the Sisters of the Living Word in Arlington Heights and CARA member, has taken a new position. Her last day at SLW was this past Thursday, August 20. She has accepted a full-time position as Web Services Librarian at the Northbrook Public Library.

Gwyn was a founding member of CARA and served as secretary from 2007-2008. We will miss truly miss her and wish her the best!! Good luck Gwyn and stay in touch with CARA!

4th Introductory Archival Workshop for Religious Communities

2009-08-22T13:56:00.007-05:00

Malachy McCarthy, CLA executive board member and CARA president, has announced that the 4th Introductory Archival Workshop for Religious Communities will take place from July 25-30, 2010 at Techny Towers, Techny, IL, near Northbrook - a northern suburb of Chicago. The cost of the workshop has not been detemined yet.

If you know of someone who would like to attend - please have them contact the CLA office at 413-443-2252 or cla@cathla.org to reserve a space.

Check out information from past workshops at http://www.cathla.org/preservation.php

September 24th Meeting

2009-08-22T13:51:00.004-05:00

Due to the news regarding the Archon and Archivists' Toolkit merge, the agenda of our meeting is changing! We'll keep you posted!

See Malachy McCarthy's e-mail dated Thursday August 13, 2009 for details about the Archival Content Management Program we were planning.

Archon - Archivists' Toolkit to Merge!

2009-08-22T13:49:00.007-05:00

In case you didn't see this elsewhere: see the press release below confirming the rumors we've all been hearing about Archon and AT merging.
---------------------------------------------
Press release:
In response to an invitation from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the New York University Libraries, University of California, San Diego Libraries, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Libraries have agreed to submit a collaborative project proposal for the purpose of combining the best features of the Archivists’ Toolkit and Archon into a single hybrid application that will support description, collection management, and access of archival materials.
It is intended that the development process for this integration be shared with, and input be solicited from, the archival user and developer communities during the project work.
AT and Archon have been highly successful in their short product lives. We anticipate that this integration project will capitalize on those successes to build a more sustainable application and one more satisfying to a broader segment of the archives community.
An important element of the Mellon Foundation proposal will be a request for bridge funding to ensure the continuing support of both applications and their respective communities during the transition.
Please send comments and questions to info@archiviststoolkit.org or to digitallibrary@archon.org.

From the CAA listserv on August 18, 2009

Fall 2009 Meeting

2009-08-07T21:23:00.011-05:00

The date for the next CARA meeting is:

Thursday, September 24
Put it on your calendar now.

More details to come soon!