We are excited to announce that applications are now open for DHPSNY's Spring 2021 Planning & Assessment Services Round!
This application round includes important COVID-19 safety precautions. Most significantly, these services will only be offered virtually to ensure personal safety. The DHPSNY team spent a majority of 2020 perfecting our approach to virtual delivery, and are excited to safely offer our assistance across the State once again!
To increase the knowledge of the histories and cultures of this extraordinarily diverse state, the New York State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) is committed to supporting the collection, preservation, and accessibility of historical records documenting the life experiences of all New Yorkers.
Documenting marginalized communities in New York State is a complicated undertaking that requires careful planning, an openness to meaningful collaboration, and an understanding that successful documentation is more than collection development and acquisition.
For the past few months, we've shared and summarized specific resources that relate to antiracism work across all aspects of archives, museums, and libraries. In today's post, we hope to broaden the scope and showcase some of the wider organizations that have compiled excellent resources and are working to expand the conversation. These encompass everything from structured syllabi to crowd-sourced lists. Professional organizations and local professional networks are also great resources to turn to when seeking additional information.
DHPSNY is happy to share the Fall 2020 issue of DHPSNY News, our annual publication, chronicling the DHPSNY team's adventures delivering free programs and services in the Empire State. Take a look at our recap of the past year, including our Planning & Assessment Services, education programs, and more!
Last week, we departed from our usual webinar format to hear firsthand how staff from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Library battled a tenacious mold outbreak in their collections. Recounting challenges posed by building infrastructure, unforeseen staff shortages, inclement weather, and later, the COVID-19 pandemic, RPI’s Tammy Gobert, Preservation and Access Archivist, and Jenifer Monger, Assistant Institute Archivist, recounted their experiences with humor and humility, sharing insights and lessons learned along the way.
Recently, the Antiracism Resources series discussed resources for building a diverse workforce. In tandem with those goals is the need to create workplaces that actively support diversity and inclusion.
In last week’s webinar Conducting a Basic Inventory, DHPSNY Archives Specialist Kate Philipson discussed the process and principles for carrying out a basic inventory for archival, library, or museum collections.
The recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others have sparked protests that are among the most sustained social justice movements in American history. Many collecting institutions are interested in documenting these demands for racial equity and justice and their impact on our country, state, and local communities. However, undertaking projects to document these and other social justice movements is not simply a matter of collection development.
In our most recent live webinar Photographs in the Archive: Arranging and Describing Visual Materials, DHPSNY Preservation Specialist Amanda Murray discussed important considerations for successfully arranging and describing visual materials with the goals of gaining physical and intellectual control, as well as providing access points. She also touched on preservation considerations for visual materials and, at the end of the presentation, answered a stream of thoughtful questions from the audience.