Event Calendar
This workshop covers best practices for safely handling and preparing collection materials for digitization. Participants will learn how to assess materials prior to digitization, identify common risks, and apply appropriate handling techniques for photographs, paper-based materials, and bound volumes. Through demonstration and hands-on practice, the workshop emphasizes how proper handling supports both preservation and access goals. By the end of the session, participants will have practical skills to reduce damage during digitization and improve the quality and consistency of digital outputs.
The session will also introduce practical approaches to planning digitization projects, providing an opportunity for participants to discuss their own projects and share strategies with peers. A dedicated segment highlights New York–specific digitization resources, including statewide platforms and regional support networks.
Presenter: Kaitlyn Pettengill, Digital Archives Specialist, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
*Note: Registration closes one week before each session
This hands-on workshop helps participants recognize common preservation issues or “red flags,” in paper, book, and photographic materials. Participants will learn how to identify signs of physical damage, environmental concerns, and handling risks, and how to determine when action is needed. Through guided examples and discussion, the workshop focuses on practical decision-making and understanding when to rehouse materials, improve storage conditions, or seek conservation treatment. By the end of the session, participants will feel more confident identifying issues and setting informed, manageable next steps for collections care.
Presenter: Kate Jacus, Preservation Education Specialist, DHPSNY
*Note: Registration closes one week before each session
Join us to hear from members of the Community Webs NY Cohort on how they’ve successfully launched digital initiatives for their organizations. Community Webs is a collaborative program of the Internet Archive that supports libraries, archives, and other cultural heritage organizations in preserving digital collections and web content while building community around digital stewardship.
This session will include a panel of presenters discussing projects in digital preservation, web archiving, and community archiving. Following the presentations, participants can join topic-based breakout rooms for more in-depth discussion and Q&A on each of these subjects. Participants are encouraged to bring their challenges and questions to these interactive discussions.
Representatives from the Internet Archives’ Community Webs team will also be present to answer questions about the program and tools that helped to support these projects.
To ensure open discussion in the breakout rooms, only the first half of the session, where presentations are featured, will be recorded.
Panelists include:
Jessica Murray
At the College of Staten Island, Jessica Murray has been working since 2021 to collect materials for the New York Disability Rights Archive, documenting the efforts of activists and advocates from the 1940s to the present. With support from the Community Webs program, she is taking new approaches to this community archiving project, including collecting metadata for online collections and capturing ephemeral online materials.
Corey O’Hara and Krystal Valentin, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
Mary Robison
Mary Robison leads the Local History Program for the Yonkers Public Library system and serves as the head of reference and adult services at the Yonkers Riverfront Library. The Community Webs project provides the Local History Program team with new resources to expand the work of preserving community history through archiving local news websites, as these take the place of print newspapers reporting local news.
Matthew Thorenz
Matthew Thorenz is the Local History & Government Docs librarian at Newburgh Free Library, serving the City and Town of Newburgh, New York. Using Internet Archive's "Archive-It" service, Matthew created an online collection of webpages, blogs, and articles documenting urban planning in the city post-1970. This was the Newburgh Free Library's first attempt to create a born-digital collection, which required Matthew to create a scalable project that could start small and grow as additional resources and stakeholders became available over time.
This hands-on workshop helps participants recognize common preservation issues or “red flags,” in paper, book, and photographic materials. Participants will learn how to identify signs of physical damage, environmental concerns, and handling risks, and how to determine when action is needed. Through guided examples and discussion, the workshop focuses on practical decision-making and understanding when to rehouse materials, improve storage conditions, or seek conservation treatment. By the end of the session, participants will feel more confident identifying issues and setting informed, manageable next steps for collections care.
Presenter: Kate Jacus, Preservation Education Specialist, DHPSNY
*Note: Registration closes one week before each session
This hands-on workshop helps participants recognize common preservation issues or “red flags,” in paper, book, and photographic materials. Participants will learn how to identify signs of physical damage, environmental concerns, and handling risks, and how to determine when action is needed. Through guided examples and discussion, the workshop focuses on practical decision-making and understanding when to rehouse materials, improve storage conditions, or seek conservation treatment. By the end of the session, participants will feel more confident identifying issues and setting informed, manageable next steps for collections care.
Presenter: Kate Jacus, Preservation Education Specialist, DHPSNY
*Note: Registration closes one week before each session
As grant funds become harder to secure, creating compelling grant narratives that sell your organization has never been more important. Join professional writer Lori Litchman for an informative webinar featuring tips to strengthen your grant proposals through storytelling and strong writing practices.
Presenter: Lori Litchman, Professional Writer
This hands-on workshop helps participants recognize common preservation issues or “red flags,” in paper, book, and photographic materials. Participants will learn how to identify signs of physical damage, environmental concerns, and handling risks, and how to determine when action is needed. Through guided examples and discussion, the workshop focuses on practical decision-making and understanding when to rehouse materials, improve storage conditions, or seek conservation treatment. By the end of the session, participants will feel more confident identifying issues and setting informed, manageable next steps for collections care.
Presenter: Kate Jacus, Preservation Education Specialist, DHPSNY
*Note: Registration closes one week before each session
This online course aims to prepare participants to create a clear, practical emergency plan for their organization. Participants will learn how to take identified collection risks and translate them into actionable response procedures. Emphasis will be placed on working in manageable phases rather than tackling the entire plan at once. The course introduces the Council of State Archivists’ Pocket Response Plan™ (PReP™) as a starting point and builds toward developing a comprehensive emergency plan that includes response, salvage, and recovery procedures.
Throughout the course, participants will be guided in setting realistic goals, tracking progress, and collaborating with colleagues to support the process. By the end of the course, participants will have a structured path toward completing an emergency plan and practical steps they can begin implementing immediately.
This course supports New York libraries working to meet updated state requirements for a board-approved disaster plan.
Work at your own pace, with a live Q&A session on November 19.
Instructor: Kate Jacus, Preservation Education Specialist, DHPSNY
Metadata plays a critical role in making collections discoverable, understandable, and usable, but knowing where to start can be challenging. This webinar provides a clear, practical introduction to foundational metadata concepts for collecting institutions. Participants will learn about common types of metadata, essential elements for describing materials, and approaches to file naming, controlled vocabularies, and basic schema use, including Dublin Core. The session will also introduce key considerations for rights statements, interoperability, and how metadata functions across systems and platforms. Designed for small and mid-sized organizations, this webinar emphasizes manageable, scalable approaches and real-world application.
Pests pose a significant risk to collection materials, but effective management does not require complex systems or specialized training. This webinar introduces the core principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for cultural heritage collections, with a focus on prevention, monitoring, identification, and response. Participants will learn how to recognize common signs of pest activity, implement basic monitoring strategies, and take practical steps to reduce risk in storage and exhibit spaces. The session emphasizes realistic, scalable approaches appropriate for small and mid-sized institutions. By the end of the webinar, participants will have a clearer understanding of how to establish or strengthen an IPM program using manageable, low-cost strategies.
Presenter: Kate Jacus, Preservation Education Specialist, DHPSNY