MAC 2016 in Milwaukee

MAC members gather in the Milwaukee Art Museum

The Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) was held April 27-30, 2016, in Milwaukee, WI. The conference featured workshops, panels, and site visits, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Archivist and Librarian Heather Winter welcomed MAC members as they arrived at the museum, and Chief Conservator Jim DeYoung led the way to a massive freight elevator (large enough to fit an automobile) to take the group to the conservation lab.

Milwaukee Art Museum's Chief Conservator Jim DeYoung
leads a tour of the conservation lab

DeYoung spoke of the need for fundraising, grant writing, and advocacy when building and staffing the conservation lab. He also shared his professional background and training and had this advice for anyone wishing to pursue a career in the very competitive field of conservation: internships are key!

After the tour, MAC members were generously allowed free admission to the museum, which houses a world-class collection of art in a breathtakingly beautiful structure designed by Kahler and Calatrava.

MAC's opening reception was held at the Garage of the Harley-Davidson Museum, and attendees were given passes to the museum to view a spectacular collection of vintage motorcycles.

Harley-Davidson Archives

The Harley-Davidson Archives, although not open to the public, was visible through a viewing area and contained its own impressive collection of vehicles.

Beyond tours and receptions, MAC provides invaluable insight into the current trends in archives: the plenary session and the first day of panels emphasized the need for diversity in the profession, both in terms of hiring strategies and collections policies. The growth of popular culture collections, the discovery of women's history in traditionally male-dominated collections, the openness to unusual archival collaborations, all of these point to a growing interest in diversity in the historical record. Attending MAC is great way to keep archivists informed and inspired.

CARA Meeting on June 24 at North Park University

North Park University's Brandel Library. Photo courtesy of
North Park University.

CARA's next meeting will take place on June 24, 2016. Kajsa Anderson, North Park University Director of Archives, will host, and the guest speaker will be Aaisha Haykal, University Archivist at Chicago State University Archives and Special Collections. The details are as follows:

When: June 24, 2016, 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Where: North Park University, Brandel Library, 5114 N. Christiana, Chicago, IL 60625. Parking: A limited amount of lot parking will be available, as well as plentiful street parking.
What: Presentation and archives tour. Aaisha Haykal will speak about her work with POWRR (Preserving digital Objects With Restricted Resources), followed by a round table discussion about the realities of digital preservation at religious archives. After the discussion, Kajsa Anderson will lead a tour of North Park University's F.M. Johnson Archives and Special Collections.

1:00-1:30 p.m. Arrivals and refreshments
1:30-2:30 p.m. Presentation by Aaisha Haykal
2:30-3:00 p.m Round table discussion
3:00-3:30 p.m. Tour of archives

This meeting is free for CARA members and other interested individuals. Please RSVP to Jerice Barrios (cenacle.archives@gmail.com) to help us with seating and refreshments plans. We hope to see you all there!

April 30 event at St. James Cathedral celebrates Scandinavian life in early Chicago

A digitized document from St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church.
Courtesy North Park University.

CARA member and North Park University Director of Archives Anna-Kajsa Anderson shares with us the following news:

Artifacts and records from Chicago’s first Swedish congregation, St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church, are now freely available online. The church, established in 1849 in what is now the River North neighborhood, is significant to both the city of Chicago and Scandinavian American history for the role it played in the fledgling immigrant community.

Thanks to grants from the Swedish Council of America and the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, the paper conservation company Graphic Conservation spent several months conserving and digitizing fragile records from the years 1849–1896, which are held by the archives in North Park University’s Brandel Library as part of the Swedish-American Archives of Greater Chicago.

In celebration, the F. M. Johnson Archives and Special Collections, Center for Scandinavian Studies, Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and Swedish-American Historical Society are cosponsoring the exhibit St. Ansgarius Artifacts: Under One Roof Again. The gallery features remaining artifacts from the early years of St. Ansgarius, now cared for by several different organizations around the city. It can be viewed free of charge through April 30 in Kyle's Place Gallery at St. James Commons, 65 E. Huron St., Chicago, Ill. 60611.

The gallery will culminate in the event A Celebration of Scandinavian Episcopal Life in Early Chicago, Saturday, April 30, at St. James Cathedral. The day will include an opportunity to peruse the exhibit, worship in a choral Eucharist, and attend a symposium (including a presentation by Anna-Kajsa Anderson) on the St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church. Register online for the lunch and afternoon symposium. There is no charge to view the exhibit or worship at the Eucharist.