THRAB Offering Free SAA Workshops at the State Archives

Posted on October 10, 2019 by ARIS Staff

As part of its efforts to support education and training for archivists, librarians and others charged with preserving and providing access to the rich documentary heritage of the state, the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to announce two free workshops on issues relating to digital collections. The Society of American Archives (SAA) developed these workshops as part of its Digital Archives Specialist curriculum and are open to archivists, librarians and staff members working at Texas archival repositories and charged with managing digital projects. Registration is limited to 30 attendees.

“Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Digital Archives” takes place on Friday, November 22, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Building Digital Advocacy” will be held on Thursday, December 12, 2019 from 9 a. m. to 5 p.m. Both workshops will take place in the Tocker Learning Center at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) located at 1201 Brazos Street in Austin.

According to SAA, “Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Digital Archives” covers privacy and confidentiality legal issues specific to archives of digital material. Topics include free speech, third-party rights, donors, national security legislation and special situations like medical and education records.

“Building Digital Advocacy” provides attendees with the tools to obtain support for digital archives. Instructors will offer strategies for connecting with donors of materials, technology staff and others who are essential to successful digital archives management.

To learn more about these opportunities and to register, visit THRAB’s professional development webpage at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/workshops. Deadline to register is October 25, 2019.

Funding for these workshops is provided by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

THRAB Announces 2019 Archival Award of Excellence Recipients

Posted on October 2, 2019 by ARIS Staff

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to announce that the C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections at the University of Texas at El Paso Library and Brenda Lincke Fisseler, former volunteer with Lavaca County, have been chosen to receive the 2019 Archival Award of Excellence. The award recognizes significant achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format by a Texas archival institution and individual.

“This year’s recipients serve as stellar examples of how dedication and ingenuity can help ensure that archival records are not only preserved, but made even more useful for future generations,” said Jelain Chubb, State Archivist and the board’s coordinator.

The board selected the C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections at the University of Texas at El Paso Library as the recipient for the award in the institutional category for their Casasola Project. With the Casasola Project, Special Collections personnel employ crowdsourcing to help identify unnamed individuals featured in the images from their Casasola Studio photograph collection.

Catholic Youth Organization Golden Gloves Boxing Team, PH041-10-00111, circa 1955. More than 40 people called to identify individuals in this Casasola Studio photo when it appeared in the El Paso Times. Courtesy of C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library.

Not only does the collection of photos highlight the people and culture of Texas, but the Library has enhanced the value of the images by partnering with the community for biographical and historical information. In so doing, members of the general public have contributed narrative context to the collection and connected personal history with the greater purpose of archives work.

THRAB selected Brenda Lincke Fisseler as the recipient for the award in the individual category for her extensive work with Lavaca County records. Ms. Fisseler helped coordinate an initiative to rescue, preserve, properly house and facilitate access to historical records documenting the county that led to the creation of the Lavaca County Archives. She has demonstrated the enormous impact one individual may have on preserving our collective history.

Congratulations to the winners!

THRAB serves as an advisory body for historical records planning and supports efforts to preserve and provide access to archival collections throughout the state. Funding for THRAB is provided by the National Historical Publications Records Commission, the grant-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration. The state archivist is appointed by the governor to preside over the nine-member board. Learn more about THRAB by visiting the website.

Celebrate Archives Month in October!

Posted on October 1, 2019 by ARIS Staff

Texas archivists celebrate Texas Archives Month in conjunction with American Archives Month each October. Texas archival institutions, repositories and organizations are offering exhibits and activities as we raise awareness about what archives have in our holdings and what archivists do with our collections. Webinars, workshops and exhibits will be on offer throughout the month.

Watch how archivists tag images for preservation and access during the University of North Texas Special Collections’ metadata live stream or log-in for a webinar on Native American boarding school records from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). Want to learn how to preserve your personal digital archive? The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has a workshop for that! And hop on to Twitter on October 2 when archivists from TSLAC and other repositories participate in #AskAnArchivist Day. We are also promoting archival activities that you should make plans to attend later in the fall. You will find Archives Bazaars happening in Houston and Denton, for instance, and SAA workshops at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) maintains a Texas Archives Month webpage to keep track of all these happenings across the state.THRAB announces the annual Award for Archival Excellence as part of the Texas Archives Month celebrations and, as was recently reported here, the Texas Archives Month poster is up and available for download from the site. Keep an eye on Out of the Stacks for announcements about these and other archival activities coming up.

Happy Texas Archives Month!

2019 Texas Archives Month Poster Now Available Online

Posted on September 28, 2019 by ARIS Staff

October is Texas Archives Month and the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is kicking it off with our 2019 poster, The Power of Water. The theme acknowledges both the prevalence of archival records dealing with water-related subjects and the threat water poses to those very materials. The design features images from Rosenberg Library, the University of Texas at El Paso Library, Fort Worth Public Library, Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Archivists of Central Texas. Visit https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/thrab/archivesmonth.html to download a copy of the poster and learn more about Texas Archives Month activities. #TxArchivesMonth #AmericanArchivesMonth