From the Chair
Annual Con-flections
By Mark J. Duffy
The profession is held together by a constant flow of sustaining
activity--dialogues and projects that shape identity. The ARCS meeting in Denver
was another chapter in that progressive effort, and a number of individuals
stepped forward to play a part. The Annual Meeting brought news of ongoing
projects in continuing education, web site management and program planning. We
elected a new member of the Steering Committee in the ebullient person of
Lucinda Glenn Rand who will bring both common sense and uncommon intelligence to
the Section for years to come.
By wide agreement, the best of the meeting was the nearly hour long, small
group discussions on two topics: Description on the Web: Selection, Design,
and Managing Electronic Records: Policies and Organizational
Standards. Members of the section were particularly interested in
discussing strategies of mid-size nonprofit organizations with respect to
creating and managing in the electronic environment. The networking was
evidently beneficial. The Steering Committee has endorsed this format of direct
conversation by planning several moderated dialogues for the Washington meeting.
The topics for that meeting will be documenting the worship experience,
community anniversaries, and human sexuality issues. Apart from their informal
value, these colloquia are incubators for Section projects and other program
proposals.
A number of projects have emerged from these sessions and from the Steering
Committee's meeting. Robert Johnson Lally will head up an effort this year to
revise the membership directory (a most useful tool on my bookshelf!), and adapt
it for Web publication. Tim Driscoll continues as our Web Coordinator and has
committed to the directory and just about anything else we press on him in this
now vital form of communication. Christine Taylor promises to add an educational
resource page which will fulfill a commitment of the Section to the NFACE
initiative. Good things are happening. We continue, however, to have a problem
attracting help with the paper newsletter. If you have any time to give to the
group working in this area (Glen Rand, Perzynska, Duffy), please
contact one of us.
Many thanks to those individuals who go the extra mile to help the Section
and their friends in small ways. Dale Patterson organized a pleasant and well
attended diversion at SAA with the Ecumenical Reception. Norman Dizon of the
Seattle Archdiocesan Archives helped rescue this edition with his software
skills. Elisabeth Wittman accepted her recall from waivers to take on the task
of Program planning. In all these small ways, we re-connect the community, and
we are thankful for the energy of our Section's members. Finally, we honor the
memory of Bro. Dennis Sennet who more than occasionally dispensed his engaging
wit and wisdom to the Section. Vive l'archiviste!
ICA/SKR Meeting in Seville
The XIV International Council on Archives Congress, The Archives
of the New Millennium in the Information Society, was held on
September 21 to 26, 2000 in Seville, Spain and was attended by almost 2500
archivists from around the world. The Congress was opened ceremonially by the
King of Spain, and besides holding presentations related to the main theme, the
purpose of the congress was the General Assembly Session. The XIV General
Assembly of ICA gathered during three days, September 22, 23 and 26, and
approved several changes to the constitution and section reports and made
recommendations to the membership. These recommendations concerned the
electronic records and information technology, standardization, education of
archivists around the world, development of the profession, and protection of
the archival heritage. A report of the Section on Archives of Churches and
Religious Denominations (SKR) for the last four years was also presented to the
General Assembly, and the section held its business meeting on September 19,
2000. The next ICA congress will take place in 2004 in Vienna, Austria.
The ICA/SKR business meeting and conference, Challenges in the
Professional Management of Church Archives, were held on September
19 and 20, during the time devoted for seminars of ICA at the Palacios de
Exposiciones y Congresos in Seville. Forty five members of the section and
observers attended these events. Both the conference and business meeting of SKR
were organized with the gracious cooperation and partial sponsorship of Spanish
church archivists in Seville. As planned, Don Carlos Amigo Vallejo, Catholic
archbishop of Sevilla, opened the conference, and the keynote address was
presented by Dr. Pedro Rubio Merino, archivist of the Cathedral of Sevilla and
noted church historian. The conference included other speakers from Spain,
Germany and the Netherlands. Lively discussion followed each of the
presentations.
The business meeting of the Section included the SKR President's Report,
delivered by Dr. Helmut Baier, on the last four years activities of the section;
election of the President, Secretary, and Steering Committee of the Section; and
discussion on the present and future issues of the section. The issues of better
communication among members of the section, and stronger ties with the ICA
President and Executive Committee, as well as with the other sections' members,
were discussed. In attendance were SKR members and observers from Germany,
Hungary, Madagascar, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines,
Portugal, Spain, Venezuela, and the United States. Dr. Helmut Baier from the
Lutheran Church Archives in Bavaria was reelected the President of the Section;
Jan van Haastrecht from the Netherlands Reformed Church, the Vice-President;
Kinga Perzynska, the Secretary; and Dr. Michael Hausler, from the Social
Services Agency of the Protestant Church in Germany, the Vice-Secretary. Several
members of the Steering Committee were reelected and three new members were
added. The Steering Committee presently includes 14 members from Hungary,
Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Russia, and the U.S.A.
This was the largest gathering of the section since its establishment in
1996. The two hours devoted to the business meeting appeared not to be enough
time for the exchange of information and further discussions. Church archives
visits and social gatherings followed. The Steering Committee meeting was held
on September 23, and its work was concentrated on the improvement of
communication between the Committee and membership, finances of the section, and
future programs. The Committee decided that the Secretary and Vice-Secretary
will produce the SKR newsletter that is going to be sent to the membership twice
a year: in May and in September. The Committee accepted the invitation of the
Orthodox Church archivists to meet in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June 2001. Dr.
Herbert Wurster, the archivist from the Catholic diocese of Passau in Germany
and a new member of the Committee, will prepare a proposal for bylaws of the
Section to be discussed at the meeting in St. Petersburg. The Committee will
also finalize the production of an informational brochure of the Section that
will be distributed in five languages around the world.
For more information on the ICA/SKR contact:
Dr. Helmut Baier, Chair of the ICA/SKR
E-mail: LKANuernberg@t-online.de
Kinga Perzynska
E-mail: cat@onr.com
Tel: 512-476-6296
Conseil International des Archives
60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois
75003 Paris, France
ICA website:www.ICA.org
e-mail: ICA@ica.org
Nominations for Officers and Steering Committee Sought
The Nominating and Election Committee for the Archivists of Religious
Collections Section (ARCS) is seeking candidates for three positions: Vice
Chair/Chair Elect, At-Large Member of the Steering Committee and Secretary.
The total length of the term for Vice Chair/Chair Elect is
six years: two years as a Vice Chair, two years as Chair, two years as immediate
past Chair and the Nominating and Election Committee Chair. As a member of the
Steering Committee, the Vice-Chair serves in an advisory capacity to the Chair,
assists with the planning of the Annual Meeting, and my be assigned specific
responsibilities by the Chair. The Vice-Chair presides in the Chair's absence or
inability to serve. The Chair presides at all meetings of the Section and of its
Steering Committee. The Chair also serves as a liaison with the SAA in general,
its Council and other Sections, appoints committees as the need arises, and
renders reports to the Section membership, the Council, and the SAA membership
on matters deemed pertinent or identified by the officers and the Steering
Committee.
The term for the position of At-Large Member of the Steering
Committee is two years. As a member of the Steering Committee, at-large
members serve in an advisory capacity to the Chair, assist with the planning of
the Annual Meeting, and may be assigned specific responsibilities by the Chair
in different committees.
The term for Secretary is two years. The Secretary records
the proceeding of the annual meeting, minutes of Steering Committee meetings,
and may be assigned other responsibilities by the Chair.
The term for these three positions begins at the end of the Business meeting
in 2001. Please send a nomination form by April 1, 2001 to: Kinga Perzynska
(Catholic Archives of Texas, P.O. Box 13124, Austin, TX 78711; Fax:
512-476-3715; cat@onr.com) postmarked April 1, 2001. All persons nominated will
be contacted prior to being placed on the ballot.
Nominees will need to submit biographical information and answer a question
developed by the Nominating Committee by April 15, 2001. In addition to Kinga
Perzynska, Chair, the 1999/2000 Nominating Committee includes: Robert
Johnson-Lally, Archdiocese of Boston Archives; and Sr. Mary Serbacki, OSF,
Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name Province Archives.
Please provide the following information to the Nominating Committee:
1) Name of nominee
2) Position: (Vice-Chair/Chair Elect; Member of at Large Steering Committee; Secretary
3) Address and institutional affiliation of nominee:
4) Daytime telephone number of nominee and email address of
nominee:
5) Is the individual aware of the nomination? Yes ________ No ________
6) Name of person making nomination:
7) E-mail address and daytime telephone number of person making nomination:
Please send a nomination form by April 1, 2001 to: Kinga Perzynska (Catholic
Archives of Texas, P.O. Box 13124, Austin, TX 78711; Fax: 512-476-3715;
cat@onr.com) and postmarked April 1, 2001. All persons nominated will be
contacted prior to being placed on the ballot.
Models and Resources Committee
To All Members of the Archivists of Religious Collections Section of
SAA
The Models and Resources Committee is beginning to gather materials from ARCS
members that relate to our educational and outreach activities. In particular,
we are looking for copies of curricula, manuals, hand-outs, and other teaching
materials you have prepared for your constituencies. These workshops would
relate to archives, records management, historical preservation, material
culture, anniversary and other celebrations, writing local history, etc.The
result will be a directory of our resources list by region, denomination, and
type.
Please take moment to gather your materials and send them to:
Christine Taylor
Archdiocese of Seattle Models and Resources Committee
910 Marion Street
Seattle, WA 98104
If you have any questions, please give me a call at 206-382-4857.
Brother Denis Sennet, S.A., Noted Graymoor Archivist, Dies
Funeral services will be held at Graymoor for Brother Denis Sennett,
S.A, archivist of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at Graymoor,
who died at Rosary Hill Nursing Home, Hawthorne, NY on November 17, 2000. He was
67 years old. Bro. Denis was born James Sennett in Hannibal, NY on March 17,
1933, where he attended elementary and high school. He entered the Franciscan
Friars of the Atonement in 1951, professing his first vows in 1955 and final
vows in 1961. In 1959, he was assigned to the Friars House in Rome. In 1964, he
entered into pastoral ministry at St. Anthony's in Hereford, Texas.
He returned to Graymoor in 1967 and was appointed Brothers Vocation Director.
In 1973, he became director of the Graymoor Book Store and remained in charge of
it until he was appointed Administrator of the Graymoor Ecumenical Institute in
1977. In 1977, Bro. Denis began his training in archival theory. He was the
archivist of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement until his death. In addition
to serving as archivist of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Bro. Denis
was the archivist of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
For many years, Bro. Denis was the archivist for the Catholic Near East
Welfare Association located in Vatican City and New York City. He recently
completed a survey of all their records around the world, including the
Congregation for Oriental Churches. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of
the Alice Curtis Desmond-Hamilton Fish Library in Garrison, NY which recently
set up internships in his name for students interested in archival work in the
library sciences. He was the author of the book, A Divine Legacy: Record
Keeping for Religious Congregations/Orders 1995, and won numerous
honors for work in his field, including the award from the Society of American
Archivists for his contributions to archivists in religious institutions. In
1998, the Vatican honored Bro. Denis by naming him a member of the Knights of
the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Many will remember Denis as a long-time advocate for religious archives, as
well as a sponsor of innumerable workshops geared toward beginning archivists in
religious repositories. He was a long-time secetary of MARAC, very active in
SAA, and one of the really fun and appropriately iconoclastic people in the
profession. He will be missed.
Developing and Implementing an Electronic Records Policy
By Margery Sly
Using the Presbyterian Historical Society's pilot policy as a basis, the
group discussed several issues. These included the need to educate both
ourselves as archivists and records creators; the importance of having an
interim policy, even if it is just having staff print out static word processing
documents; the challenge of communicating the need for long-term preservation to
those who are convinced that technology can do everything and anything; to know
the culture of your own institution as you plan; to be proactive and involved at
the time systems are developed to build in preservation options if needed; the
need for metadata and authentication; addressing reference implications; and the
challenges of appraisal.
Annual Business Meeting Minutes
August 31, 2000
Officers Present: Mark Duffy, Chair; Dale Patterson,
Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect; Kinga Perzynska, Past Chair/Nominating-Elections
Committee Chair; Diane Wells, Secretary; Robert-Johnson-Lally, Steering
Committee At-Large.
Members Present: 50
The Archivists of Religious Collections Section of the Society of American
Archivists met Thursday, August 31, 2000 at the Adams Mark Hotel, Denver,
Colorado.
The general meeting was opened at 8:05 AM by the Chair.
The Chair introduced Amy Wilson, SAA program representative for the 2001
annual meeting to be held in Washington, D.C., who updated the section on
procedures for submitting program proposals. The deadline for submission of
program proposals is October 6, 2000. More than one proposal may be submitted
but they should be listed in order of preference.
The Chair indicated that the section is looking for ideas for sessions and
encouraged section members to submit proposals. The Chair also indicated that
the "volunteer" forms, which will be passed out during the meeting, include a
space for suggestions for program topics.
The business meeting was called to order at 8:15 AM.
Opening Remarks of the Chair:
The Chair noted that it had been a year of planning for the Steering
Committee and that plans for the newsletter, the website and the directory were
all under consideration.
He then indicated that two members of the Steering Committee, Diane Wells and
Tim Driscoll, were on this year's SAA program. Diane participating in session
#62, "Big Tasks, Small budgets: Affordable Solutions in Archives Management,"
chaired by ARCS Vice Chair/Chair Elect, Dale Patterson and Tim participating in
session #10, "Documenting Diasporas: The Complex Archival World of Human
Dispersal and Exile."
The Chair then reported on his attendance at the National Forum on Archival
Continuing Education (NFACE), funded by the NHPRC, in Atlanta in April, 2000.
Representatives from various kinds of archives _ including many state archives _
attended. The meeting focused on cross-professional education; identifying best
practices; and developing an agenda for continuing archival education. The major
point that emerged from the meeting was that there is a need to share
information. With this in mind, the current development of a web-based Archives
Resource Center that would act as a clearinghouse on continuing education was
discussed. See: www.coshre/are/index.htm
Secretary's Report:
The Chair called on Diane Wells, Secretary, who passed out copies of the
minutes of the previous meeting, published in the November, 1999 issue of the
Archival Spirit.
ACTION: It was moved and seconded that the Minutes of the
August 26, 1999 meeting of the Archivists of Religious Collections Section be
approved as published. Carried.
Nominating/Election Committee Report:
The Chair called on Kinga Perzynska, Nominating-Elections Committee Chair,
who expressed her appreciation to Nominating-Elections Committee members: Robert
Johnson-Lally and Sr. Mary Serbacki, OSF. She noted that member, Lucinda Glenn
Rand, resigned in November, 1999 but had agreed to run in 2000. She then called
for nominations from the floor and passed out election ballots. The candidate
for the Steering Committee At-Large position being vacated by Robert
Johnson-Lally was Lucinda Glenn Rand.
Introduction of Officers:
The Chair introduced the officers of the ARCS section: Mark Duffy, Chair;
Dale Patterson, Vice Chair/Chair Elect; Kinga Perzynska, Past Chair/Chair
Nominating-Elections Committee; Diane Wells, Secretary; Robert Johnson-Lally,
Steering Committee At-Large.
Communications Committee Report:
The Chair introduced the members of the Communications Committee: Tim
Driscoll; Lisa Gibbon; Robert Johnson-Lally; Kinga Perzynska; Robert Schuster;
Marjorie Sly; Elizabeth Wittman; and Wesley Wilson. The Chair noted that Kate
McGinn, Chair of the committee had resigned and that a new Chair for the
Communications Committee was needed.
Robert Johnson-Lally was called to report on the membership directory. He
said that little had been done as few changes had been received. However, he
indicated that the directory will be updated this year and noted that Diane
Wells had agreed to help on the project. He also reported that an electronic
version of the directory may be prepared this year for inclusion on the ARCS
website.
Mark Duffy noted that the web site has now been registered and has a new
name: www.saa-arcs.org
Mark Duffy then reported on the newsletter. He indicated that editor, Daniel
Stokes, has completed his two-year term and that while a new editor has not been
appointed, the following people have agreed to work on the newsletter: Kinga
Perzynska; Lucinda Glenn Rand; Margery Sly; and Mark Duffy. Kinga and Lucinda
will gather articles and Margery will serve as Assistant Editor. Mark will
assist. Someone is still needed, however, to receive the articles, etc., put
them in Page-Maker, and co-ordinate with SAA for publication. Volunteers for
this position were requested.
Models and Resources Committee Report:
The Chair called on Christine Taylor who reported that the Committee is
waiting for the results of the NFACE meeting. She indicated that the Committee's
goal is to create an Educational Resource Directory. The Committee will be
asking the membership for information on what resources are currently available.
The Directory will be available by the end of next year. The recently published
Thesaurus of Catholic Diocesan Terms produced by ACDA (Association of
Catholic Diocesan Archivists) was used as an illustration of the types of
resources currently available.
SAA Council Liaison Report:
The Chair called on Dennis Harrison, SAA Council Liaison who asked to be
informed of the ARCS leadership changes so he can report them to SAA. He then
spoke about various issues which had been discussed by the SAA Council such as:
the viability of Denver as a convention site; dues and benefits; and the
lawsuits re: the Adams Mark Hotel.
Mark Duffy then noted that a four-page profile of ARCS had been submitted to
SAA and is available to interested parties.
Sister M. Claude Lane Award Committee Report:
Mark Duffy reported that no nominations for the Sr. M. Claude Lane Award had
been received and that the award would not be given again this year. He
indicated that the new Chair of the Committee is William (Bill) Brock of the
Presbyterian Historical Society at Montreat, North Carolina. Lisa Gibbons and
Elizabeth Wittman are also on the Committee. Discussion is underway with
Southwest Archivists about guidelines for the award.
International Council on Archives/SKR Program Committee
Report:
The Chair called on Kinga Perzynska who reported on the ICA/Section of
Archives of Churches and Religious Denominations which will be holding a
pre-conference meeting for the September, 2000 International Congress on
Archives meeting in Seville, Spain. The title of the pre-conference will be,
Challenges in the Professional Management of Church Archives and will
be held from September 19-20, 2000.
Kinga made brochures on the conference available and also provided the
following ICA website: www.ica.org
Report on Elections:
Kinga Perzynska indicated that the ballots for the Steering Committee
At-Large position had been tallied and announced the results. With 34 `yes'
votes and 2 abstentions, Lucinda Glenn Rand was elected Steering Committee
At-Large. Kinga then thanked Robert Johnson-Lally, for his efforts on behalf of
ARCS. She then announced that next year nominations will be needed for the
following two positions: Vice Chair and Steering Committee At-Large.
The business meeting was adjourned at 9:15 AM.
The business meeting was followed by a program featuring two simultaneous
group discussions on the topics: Electronic Records Policies: Formulating
Organizational Standards, led by Margery Sly, Presbyterian Historical
Society; and Cataloging and Databases on the Web: Selection, Design, and
Management, led by Dale Patterson, United Methodist Church Archives.
Reflections and Recommendations from Discussion Groups:
Jennifer Peters reported on the following points agreed upon by the
"Electronic Records Policies" discussion group:
1. It is necessary to educate an organization about the importance of records
management so that it is considered throughout the life cycle of electronic
records.
2. The corporate culture of an organization needs to be considered when
creating an electronic records management policy.
3. Systems for long-term preservation of electronic records should be
built-in "up front' at the time of creation rather than after the fact.
4. The difficulty of convincing IT offices that records management principles
apply to electronic files as well as to hard copy records continues to be a
problem.
5. The authentication of electronic records continues to be problematic.
6. Printing out a hard copy of electronic records is still the most viable
option for long-term preservation.
Dale Patterson reported that the "Database" discussion group shared some of
the ways the members were using databases on their web sites. A few were putting
finding aids online while others were putting up indexes to various
publications. It was also suggested that placing documents useful to the
organizations' administrative functions was helpful.
Announcements:
Chair, Mark Duffy reminded members that the Steering Committee meeting would
take place from 12:20-1:20 PM and that all members were welcome to attend. He
also noted that the Ecumenical Reception would be held this evening at 5:15 PM
at Trinity United Methodist Church and invited all to attend.
The meeting closed at 10:05 AM
Respectfully submitted by:
Diane Wells, Secretary
Sr. Claude Lane Award
Nominations for the 2001 Lane Award are being accepted. The Lane Award
recognizes the contributions of an individual to the advancement of religious
archives with particular emphasis on professionalism.
Please contact any of the following committee members for information:
William Brock: pcusadoh@montreat.edu
Lisa Gibbon: lgibbon@maryknoll.org
Elisabeth Wittman: ewittman@elca.org
| 