Blogs

Annual Calls to the States Reveals Many Positives

By Becky Julson posted 08-20-2021
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Download the 2021 Calls to the States Infographic . The Council of State Archivists’ annual Calls to the States is a long-standing tradition within the organization’s governing board. Board members make one-on-one calls to the members, asking how each archives is doing and eliciting input about programming and services. This year was no different. Calls were made by CoSA board members between June and July when 73% of states, territories, and the District of Columbia were successfully contacted. The conversations revealed a decidedly different tone from those held in early 2020, when the pandemic was taking hold and the public sector was beginning to grapple ...
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Catheryne Popovitch to Receive CoSA Rising Star Award

By CoSA News posted 06-08-2021
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Catheryne Popovitch of the Illinois State Archives is the 2021 recipient of the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) CoSA Rising Star Award, designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions by individual staff members or teams to their state archives and constituencies. Cathy has made outstanding contributions to the Illinois State Archives, to archivists and archival institutions in the state of Illinois, and to CoSA. After receiving a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Illinois and working as an archivist in the private sector for a brief period, Cathy joined the Illinois State Archives as an intern in 2014. As an intern, she worked in every ...
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Nancy Beaumont to Receive National Recognition for Archives Advocacy

By CoSA News posted 06-08-2021
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The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) is awarding Nancy Perkin Beaumont, outgoing Executive Director of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the 2021 CoSA Advocacy for Archives Award. Nancy has advanced archival advocacy work in her role as SAA's Executive Director, and through her skill, intelligence, and grace has elevated advocacy work across the archival profession. "Nancy has been a leader in advocating for archives and has shared managerial skills, precise writing, and strategic thinking to increase the relevance and success of national archival advocacy efforts," said Barbara Teague, CoSA's Executive Director. Along with CoSA's then Executive ...
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CoSA Recognizes CT SHRAB with National Award

By CoSA News posted 06-08-2021
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The Connecticut State Historical Records Advisory Board (CT SHRAB) is the 2021 recipient of the Council of State Archivists- National Historical Publications and Records Commission’s State Historical Advisory Board Award of Merit. The CT SHRAB was chosen to receive this award for overall excellence, as well as for two innovative programs it introduced in Connecticut that have transformed how archival collections and staff are supported and have helped increase access to archives. Coordinating SHRAB activities is Lizette Pelletier, State Archivist. These two programs, the Traveling Archivist Implementation Grant and the Online Digitization Workshop Series, were ...
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Matt Veatch Selected as 2021 Victoria Iron Walch Leadership Award Recipient

By CoSA News posted 06-08-2021
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Matt Veatch, recently retired from the Kansas Historical Society as Kansas state archivist, is the 2021 Victoria Irons Walch Leadership Award recipient. Matt represents the best of the archival profession and has been a leader throughout his career, both in Kansas and throughout the country, providing exemplary service and leadership to state archives. Matt began his career in Missouri, in a small repository, and then moved to the Missouri State Archives in 1990, beginning a thirty-year career in state government archives. In Missouri, he worked for a year in the Local Records Program. He then moved to the Kansas Historical Society in 1992 and held progressively ...
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Some CoSA Members Eligible for Training Reimbursements

By CoSA News posted 05-18-2021
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2021 Events/Training Reimbursable for members who pay CoSA Base dues amount (as of 4/29/2021) CoSA member institutions that pay at least the base dues amount of $2,750 are eligible to receive up to half of their CoSA dues payment to fund training or conference attendance for state archives staff from the following list of training approved by the CoSA Board of Directors. Prior to registering for any SAA or NAGARA training, contact Lisa Johnston for information on how to register. For other events, contact Lisa for approval to be reimbursed by CoSA, register for the event, and then use the CoSA Reimbursement Form after the meeting/conference/program. CoSA ...
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MAYDAY Spring Appeal Underway

By CoSA News posted 05-11-2021
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In March we marked the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. While much has changed because of it, we have high hopes that we will continue to rebound stronger and more resilient. This spring, many state archives are continuing to expand and reinvent their ability to provide access to collections. They are rethinking hybrid models of work. And they are continuing to protect the public and their workforces with social distancing and mask wearing. However, this year’s MayDay Appeal reminds us that some things don’t change – severe and unpredictable weather events, aging infrastructures, and human errors continue to take their tolls on buildings, collections, ...
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Recommendations Sent To Biden Transition Team

By CoSA News posted 12-03-2020
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A joint statement issued by the Council of State Archivists, the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators, the Regional Archival Associations Consortium, and the Society of American Archivists regarding Federal Archives and Records Management Issues was sent to the Biden Presidential Transition Team on December 1st. The statement's recommendations span a range of topics, including records management responsibilities of public officials, federal electronic records management, federal funding for archives, and compliance with FOIA. Representatives from this joint working group will be meeting with a representative from the transition ...
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CoSA Issues Statement on Cultural Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access

By CoSA News posted 11-02-2020
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The CoSA Board of Directors approved a statement last month committing the organization to examining its work and supporting member organizations as they address societal inequities and build a diverse and inclusive future. The statement offers a variety of reflective activities to assist organizations, including review of mission, vision, and values statements to examine historical biases, and promoting open and honest dialogue about the institution’s past and plans for its future. Download the Statement #Advocacy #CouncilofStateArchivists
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ARM Survey FAQ

By CoSA News posted 09-25-2020
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Now that we are a few weeks into CoSA’s biennial Archives and Records Management survey collection, some Frequently Asked Questions have emerged. Where are my surveys? Several states have had issues with the SoGo Survey emails going to spam or junk mail folders. If you have not received six emails with links to the surveys, check there. If you still can not find them, check in with Veronica Martzahl at veronica.martzahl@gmail.com . Things are crazy right now with COVID-19, elections, and natural disasters. Why does Veronica keep bothering me to see if I have received my surveys? With so many states having their surveys sent to spam or junk mail, ...
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CoSA-Ancestry Leadership Awards Nominations Due 11/2

By CoSA News posted 09-16-2020
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The nomination period for the CoSA-Ancestry Leadership Awards is now open, with nominations due on November 2. Please see the full announcement for more information and detailed application procedures. CoSA appreciates the generous support of Ancestry in supporting this award that furthers CoSA's commitment to developing next-generation leadership. All nominations are submitted via email and must include the following items: CoSA-Ancestry Leadership Award Nomination Form Essay addressing the criteria listed by discussing the accomplishments and ongoing work of the nominee. Letter(s) of support from at least one person familiar with the nominee's ...
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It's (A)Live!!

By CoSA News posted 09-07-2020
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The biennial Archives and Records Management Survey is live! By Veronica Martzahl On Friday, September 4, 2020, state archivists received a series of surveys that compose the FY2020 ARM Survey. Respondents also received a PDF copy their state or territory’s FY2018 completed survey as a reference. A separate, slimmed down survey for Records Management Only programs has been sent out in the hopes increasing participation in this sector. This year we are using a new survey tool called SoGo Survey. Also, the survey is broken down the into shorter parts. Respondents do not have to complete each part at one time but can save and return to the survey later. They ...
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CoSA Joins Call for Federal Relief to State and Territorial Governments

By CoSA News posted 07-30-2020
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The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) endorses the call by the National Governors Association, the Council of State Governments, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and others for flexible, substantive fiscal relief by Congress to the state and territorial governments. The government archives of the states, territories, and District of Columbia preserve records that protect citizens’ civil and property rights, ensure access to evidence of actions and decisions of their government, and provide rich research materials to the public. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on these government archives have already included reductions in appropriated revenue, ...
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New Emergency Preparedness Documents Available!

By CoSA News posted 05-21-2020
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New Emergency Preparedness Documents Available! A new series of four emergency preparedness guidance documents was released this month by CoSA with the generous corporate support from the Polygon Group. “These resources are based on CoSA’s work for the Intergovernmental Preparedness for Essential Records (IPER) Project, which trained state and local government officials in every state and territory in emergency preparedness and ensuring the safety of essential records,” said Lisa Johnston, CoSA’s administrative coordinator and a former IPER trainer, adding, “We are pleased we’ve been able to repurpose this information.” Johnston and a group of volunteers ...
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FY 2020 Archives and Records Management Survey (ARMS) Committee Launched

By CoSA News posted 04-27-2020
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Just when you thought you’d finished digesting the data from the FY2018 State of State Records survey it’s time to start thinking about the next one! On Monday, April 13th New York State Archivist Tom Ruller convened the inaugural call of the FY2020 ARMS Committee. The committee finalized the timeline for distributing the survey and discussed breaking the survey into smaller, more easily manageable parts that may not be so overwhelming for respondents. The group also agreed to look more closely at three sections of the survey for the next meeting, as well as consider areas to add specifically around documenting the broader record-creating context in our states ...
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New Infographic: When to Trust Your Eyes

By CoSA News posted 04-13-2020
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Pictures are compelling – articles and posts with photos have higher click-through rates than those without. But it is also easier than ever to create or alter images to influence how people think about the world. To help people identify altered images CoSA, CoSLA, and NASS worked together to create an info-graphic. When to Trust Your Eyes: How to Catch an Altered Image . This info-graphic has five tips to help make sure you know which pictures to trust and which to view skeptically. It encourages you to consider several categories when evaluating an image: Bends and distortions Reflections and light Look for the blur Check the date Get help from ...
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State Archives Donate Personal Protective Equipment to Hospitals

By CoSA News posted 03-30-2020
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As we continue to practice social distancing, hand washing, working from home, and contemplating the future of COVID-19 curve-flattening, several state archives are answering the call for donations of personal protective equipment (PPE). Archivists regularly use masks, respirators, gloves, and related tools when dealing with disaster response for damaged records or conserving moldy or dusty materials. CoSA members are sharing equipment from their archival supplies and disaster relief materials. Among them, the Maryland State Archives’ Conservation Lab , which maintains a stock of masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment for working with moldy ...
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Parsing the State of State Records Report: The Wrap-Up

By CoSA News posted 03-23-2020
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By Veronica Martzahl Over the past posts I’ve posited some thoughts on how the survey went, areas for further explorations and ways to improve the next survey. This post will summarize those thoughts and serve as the springboard for our next series of posts: Planning the FY 2020 State of State Records Report. The most impactful change we can make would be to ensure that each state or territory submits a single unified survey. At the most basic level, when we have multiple responses from a single state or territory, it limits our ability to use the analysis tools available in SurveyMonkey. More significantly, however, the multiple responses are often in ...
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Government Archives’ Online Resources Remain Available

By CoSA News posted 03-19-2020
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As the nation grapples with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many state agencies, including state archives, have temporarily closed their physical locations to the public and curtailed in-person services. While some archives are continuing to respond to reference questions by phone and email, the best place for the public to find out what’s available is to visit state archives’ websites, blogs, and social media pages. The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) maintains a directory of state and territory archives , which includes contact information and website links. The majority of state and territory archives offer searchable online collections databases, ...
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Parsing the State of State Records Report: Digital Preservation Programs

By CoSA News posted 03-06-2020
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By Veronica Martzahl Since 2011, the Council of State Archivists has been focused on digital preservation through its State Electronic Records Initiative (SERI) programming. The results of the FY2018 survey highlight that progress has been made, but there is still more work to do. Of the 56 respondents, 25 reported having a digital preservation repository or system in place with an additional five reporting that they are utilizing electronic records management systems and content management systems for some preservation activities. Of the remaining 26 programs, eight are actively exploring repository options, testing systems, or developing Requests for Information/Proposals. ...
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