Save the date for our annual section meeting in July! On July 12, 2-3:30 p.m., four presenters will share a sneak peek into their 2024 NAGARA presentation titled “Records Management Resurgence: Using Outreach, Education, and Cross-departmental Partnerships to Revive or Jumpstart a Records Program.” In this panel discussion, records management professionals from four different types of institutions will share methods they’ve used to bolster support and appreciation for the work RIM professionals provide.
With over 260 participants, and led by the fabulous and insightful Trevor Owens and Chris Prom, this year’s SAA RMS Records Management Month Colloquium was a success! Thanks so much to everyone involved.
This year we will be highlighting two leaders in information management (and two wonderful humans) as they reflect on digital preservation and email archiving and their relationships to records management: Christopher Prom, author of The Future of Email Archives and Trevor Owens, author of The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation.
With a delayed start, please welcome this year’s talented Society of American Archivists Records Management Committee. We have some wonderful upcoming events including:
Coffee Chat: Starting a Records Management Program, Feb 5th 2024 3pm EST (information forthcoming)
Coffee Chat: Records Management and Institutional Change, Mar 11th 2024 3pm EST (information forthcoming)
Records Management Colloquium (Email Archiving, Digital Preservation, and AI & Records), April 2024 Stay tuned! The colloquium will highlight three of our favorite experts in the archives, records, and information fields.
Records Management Annual Section Meeting, July 2024! We will be soliciting for lightning talks from our community!
Jessika Drmacich, Chair, former 2021 Chair:
Jessika, Records Manager and Digital Resources Archivist at Williams College Special Collections (Libraries), leads Williams’ campus-wide Records Management Program, web archiving, and digital preservation. Over the past ten years at Williams, Jessika worked closely with the Vice President of Finance, Administration, and Treasurer’s Office to establish a Board of Trustees Approved Records Management Policy and Program. Jessika is passionate about institutional histories, collaborating with campus leadership, committees, student groups, and all units to document and preserve diverse campus conversations. By helping records “get to the right place at the right time” she advocates for campus histories, better business workflows, and for destruction of records that reach disposition. As part of the Records Management Program, Jessika works closely with campus IT, leading records management trainings including: email archiving, digital file management for committees, individualized records trainings for offices/ departments, and most recently the Declutter Your Digital Life series.
Jessika is incredibly enthusiastic about advocating with her colleagues and communities that records management should be a field of creativity and that personal curation, being your own archivist, and records management, in itself, is more important than ever!
Sophia McGuire, Vice-Chair
Sophia has been working in government records and archives for the majority of her nine years working professionally. She currently serves the City of Gahanna, Ohio, as the city’s records management analyst, where is she resurrecting a records management program. Sophia’s focus is educating others on the importance and value of a records management program, as well as collecting and preserving city history. She is currently working toward her Certified Records Manager designation. Outside of work, Sophia spends her time with her large family and their newest member, a leopard gecko named Rosemary.
Ryan Leimkuehler, Recent Past-Chair,
Ryan Leimkuehler is an accomplished professional with a diverse background in library science, history, and records management. He earned his Master of Library Science with a focus on Archives from Emporia University in 2017, following his completion of a Master of Arts in History at Missouri State University in 2012 and a Bachelor of Science in History and Education in 2010 from the same institution. Currently serving as the Associate Professor and University Archivist at Kansas State University since December 2022, Ryan is responsible for leading the development of the university archives program. His expertise extends to archival theory, records administration, and compliance with archival standards and legal regulations. Ryan has also been involved in academia as an Adjunct Instructor at Emporia State University since 2019, teaching courses on records management and introduction to archives. Prior to his current role, he served as the University Records Manager at Kansas State University from August 2017 to December 2022, where he played a pivotal role in establishing records management priorities, training program, and ensuring compliance with the Kansas Open Records Act.
Hillary Gatlin, Committee Member
Hillary Gatlin is the Records Manager for the Duke University Archives. She works with offices and departments across the university to help them identify and transfer their historical records. Prior to joining Duke University in 2018, Hillary worked as the University Records Manager at Michigan State University and as a Records Management Specialist at George Mason University.
Daria Labinsky, Committee Member
Daria Labinsky has been a records and information specialist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since May 2021. She is the regional records officer for the Mountain Time Zone offices and is based in Lakewood, Colorado. Previously she worked as an archivist and preservation technician for the National Archives and Records Administration. She has an MLS from Emporia State University and a BS and MSJ from Northwestern University. She loves to travel, and years ago, she and her family spent 15 months living on the road, mostly in an RV. She is the coauthor of several books, including the historical biography Frank Applegate of Santa Fe, and used to write and edit publications about craft beer and brewing.
Autumn Oakey, Committee Member
Autumn Oakey is a Library Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she has worked in archives and libraries for three years. She manages physical records transfers, provides staff and departmental records management training, and updates university retention schedules. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in history in from UW-Whitewater in 2021 and is currently studying archives in the MLIS program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
More soon on other committee member, Jennifer Motsko!
The “View Ballot” link will direct users to the usual SurveyMonkey election ballot. Users must be logged in to access the page. Once they submit one ballot, users will be redirected back to the main page to complete their next ballot.
Information on candidates:
Ballot choices
Vice-chair/chair-elect (one vacancy): Ryan Leimkuehler
University Records Manager and Assistant Professor at Kansas State University
Biography: As the records manager for KSU for the past 4 years he has focused on training, outreach, and records retention guidance for the university community. Ryan is a member of the Midwest Archives Conference, Kansas City Area Archivist, and the Society of American Archivists and serves as a steering committee member for the Records Management Section. Ryan also holds both a Certified Archivist and Digital Archives Specialist credentials. Candidate Statement: I am interested in the position of vice chair/chair elect for the upcoming election cycle. As a current member of the steering committee, I have seen the passion, work, and efforts first hand and I would like to continue to give support and guide the RMS into the future. I am interested in the multiple opportunities throughout the year to interact with RM colleagues and provide avenues for professional growth or ways to share the expertise in our community. If elected I look forward to continuing the activities and energy provided by the RMS into the future.
For steering committee (one vacancy):
Jennifer Motszko Digital Scholarship & Preservation Archivist, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Biography:
For steering committee (one vacancy):
Jennifer Motszko holds a BA in History from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has Master’s Degrees in History and Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She has over fourteen years of experience working in both corporate and academic archives. Jennifer began her archival career with the Harley Davidson Motor Company as a museum technician, but spent over ten years as manuscript archivist for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2018, she moved back to Wisconsin to head the Archives and Area Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she manages university records, genealogical resources, and manuscript collections that document the agricultural, business, and supernatural history of Southeastern Wisconsin. In her role as the UW-Whitewater Records Officer, Jennifer manages University records for temporary and permanent retention.
Candidate Statement:
In her role as the UW-Whitewater Records Officer, Jennifer manages University records for temporary and permanent retention. While this is only one part of her job, Jennifer enjoys educating faculty and staff on public records and ensuring the proper retention and disposition of materials. Records management in a University setting presents many challenges and the SAA Records Management Section has been a great resource to ask questions and see the issues that others face. As part of the steering committee, she will share her insight as it pertains to the academic records management setting.
For steering committee, early career (one vacancy):
Jennifer Dantchev Graduate student at Long Island University – Post Campus
Biography: I will be starting the Master’s program in Library and Information Science this upcoming Fall 2021 with an emphasis in Rare Books and Special Collections. I will also be concurrently completing a Certificate in Advanced Study in Archives and Records Management also offered through the program. My career goal is to become an Archivist and/or Records Manager. I had previously looked into graduate programs in Library and Information Science over 10 years ago but was unfortunately not in a position to take on such a program at that time. I am now on track to begin my studies and am excited to finally be able to work on a degree in something I’ve had an interest in for more than a decade.
Candidate Statement: When I discovered SAA, I immediately became a member. The organization is a wonderful opportunity to learn, explore, and network with people engaged and interested in the field. The opportunity to become an Early Career Member of the Records Management Section would be an exciting way to participate, learn, and help the RMS Section and interested SAA members. I am always eager to listen and learn from those who have experience and wisdom to share!
Please check out our list of records management focused sessions for this year’s SAA Annual Meeting. This list is dynamic and we will be adding more content (if needed). Have fun at the meeting, all!
Agenda: 1. RMS Committee Annual Overview (Jessika Drmacich, Chair; Krista Oldham, Vice-Chair) 2. Panel Discussion: “Presidential Records and Presidential Transitions: The View from NARA”
Presidential Records and Presidential Transitions: The View from NARA Two National Archives leaders who work closely with the White House will be joining us to talk about how the Presidential Records Act really works on the ground. Our speakers will be Gary M. Stern, NARA General Counsel, and John Laster, Director of NARA’s White House Liaison Division, both of whom have been through multiple presidential transitions. John and Gary will talk about how the National Archives works with the White House during an administration, what authority NARA has (and doesn’t have) under the law, and how physical records, electronic records, and museum objects are managed at the end of an administration. The speakers will address how the 2021 transition was the same and how it was different from past transitions, and they’ll bring you up to date on the current status of the Trump records. Bring your questions!
SPEAKERS
John Laster, Director of the White House Liaison Division, NARA He has been with NARA since 1996 when he began his career as an archivist at the George Bush Library. He transferred to Washington in 2001 and served as a senior policy archivist and then Director of the Presidential Materials Division before assuming his current position. Laster received a MA in History from Auburn University. John’s office has the lead responsibility for managing the transfer of records and artifacts from the White House to NARA. He works closely with the White House Counsel’s Office, the White House Office of Records Management, the National Security Council, and various other offices on records management, access, and transition issues.
Gary M. Stern, General Counsel, NARA Gary M. Stern has been the General Counsel of the National Archives and Records Administration since 1998, and also serves as NARA’s Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer, Senior Agency Official for Privacy, and Dispute Resolution Specialist. Gary provides legal and policy guidance with respect to NARA’s implementation of the Federal Records Act, the Presidential Records Act, and all of the other statutes, regulations, orders, and directives that govern NARA’s multiple archival and records-related responsibilities. Gary earned his law degree in 1987 from Yale Law School and his AB in Ancient Greek from Vassar College.
The SAA Records Management Section invites you to attend our free (!) RIM month virtual colloquium highlighting records and information management issues. Mark your calendars for April 7th, 2021 1pm-3pm EST.
Outline of Event:
7 wonderful presenters working in records management, with 7 minute lightning round presentations (see below!).
30 minutes will be allocated for discussion and questions following the lightning rounds.
This short presentation will discuss the ways that RIM is incorporated into the onboarding and offboarding of employees at the Office of the Governor of Texas. In addition to presenting at New Employee Orientation on a biweekly basis, the Records Management Officer developed RIM Entrance & Exit Checklists to ensure smooth transitions. The checklists are required for all incoming and departing employees and were developed in consultation with IT, Legal, and HR.
Hillary Gatlin, Duke University
Surveying and Collecting Electronic Records
With COVID-19 restricting our ability to collect and preserve physical materials, Duke University Archives has changed its focus to collecting electronic university records of historical value. This presentation will discuss the process of surveying and reviewing these records in situ, provide examples of inventories that are useful for Technical Services staff, and discuss lessons learned as the Records Management program continues collecting university records despite physical restrictions.
Betty Shankle, University North Texas Health Science Center
Wrangling a Struggling RIM Program
Backlog of records awaiting transfer to off-site storage, check; outdated records management software, check; dated records transmittal and disposition forms, check; and no RIM workflow in place, check. Inheriting a struggling records management program can be daunting; however, it is manageable. From creating a network of Records Management Representatives across campus to upgrading RIM software that is seven versions behind, step by step records management can be wrangled.
Alexander Hughes and Shannon Gavin Johnson, Troup County Archives
Redeveloping relationships with records creators
The Troup County Archives works with three different local government entities to provide records management services. These relationships began in the 1980s but became strained within recent years. Troup County Archives leadership worked to redevelop these relationships and found great success. A budget increase and an intergovernmental renovation of the largest records storage facility occurred in 2019. This presentation seeks to show how these relationships were redeveloped and archival advocacy occurred.
Beth Cron, National Archives and Records Administration
Records Management Requirements for Systems
Have you ever been tasked with coming up with records management requirements and don’t know where to start? Beth will share how you can use NARA’s Universal Electronic Records Management Requirements as a starting point when identifying how to meet records management requirements when procuring or implementing a new system.
Jessie Graham and Anita Vannucci, University of Virginia
Going Remote: Moving RIM Training to a Virtual World
The move to remote work at UVA during the COVID-19 pandemic called for a new approach to RIM training. The RIM Team identified cheap and easy ways to take training virtual via live Zoom sessions and on-demand pre-recorded courses. In this session, the RIM Team will discuss ways we modified content and made virtual training more accessible. We will look at the tools we used and lessons learned along the way.
Please join the Records Management and College & Universities Sections as they co-host our next coffee chat on the exciting topic of email archiving! Our fabulous chat guides will be Krista Oldham of Clemson University and Jessika Drmacich of Williams College. Come participate, listen, or just observe!
Teasers below!
Krista Oldham, Clemson University
A Record is a Record is a Record. Sound familiar? I bet that if you are a records manager, or have records management responsibilities, you have probably heard this phrase if you haven’t said it yourself. I can certainly say that I’ve used this phrase countless times when speaking with records creators about their digital records-especially email. During that conversation I inform them that emails, like paper records, need to be managed in accordance with federal and state laws and university policies. At some point, I also get to inform them that not all records are valued equally and the ones that, as the University Archivist, I am concerned about are the emails that have enduring value. After this statement I am usually met with a “Well how do you do that?” or a “Do you have a system in place that takes care of all of that?” My response of late has been “We’re working on that.” Preserving emails is not a small undertaking. Email by its nature presents challenges to archival preservation including the variety of email message formats, message components, and the interrelationships between messages and attachments. Managing email at a large scale presents another significant challenge. Before identifying the technology/application(s) needed and developing workflows for email archiving, archivists and records managers should focus on having policies and partnerships in place to encourage compliance and buy-in from their record creators. For the past six months, the Records Management Team at Clemson University has been doing this type of work. At our next coffee chat I will share my experience and encourage conversation with attendees and their experience nurturing collaborative partnerships for email archiving.
Jessika Drmacich, Williams College
Effectively navigating email collection, preservation, and access involves extensive work in the beginning of emails’ lifecycle. Institutional cultural change and building effective technical workflows are also crucial. At Williams College, email is considered record of the College as stated in our records policy; however, compliance for email as record is entirely another story (in other words, it’s super hard!). As Records Manager, I work with units helping them identify records and help guide records to their appropriate destination at the end of their life cycle. As digital resources archivist, I create access for and preserve digital materials. With these areas of focus with my work, I decided to start small in my venture to collect email as record. Working with a colleague in IT, we created a sustainable workflow for capturing both MBOX format and PDFs of email as artifact. Also, I worked with administration to be added to various all-campus listservs. This grouping of all-campus emails are now my first *email as record* accession. At our upcoming coffee chat I hope to discuss my own workflows, but also ponder:
Is pdf format enough to capture email as artifact and record?
Creating access for email collections: RATOM, EPADD.
Incorporating access for embargoed emails. Example: preserved emails only available to a small section of campus?
What about cultural shifts? How do we effectively advocate for email to be considered record at private institutions?
Email in the time of Covid: more important than ever. Let’s reflect!
The Schedule 