Category Archives: Member Satisfaction

We Want You….To Vote in this Year’s SAA Election

This post was submitted on behalf of Amy Schindler, Chair and the other members of the Nominating Committee.

As flowers peek out alerting us that the winter of the polar vortex in the lower 48 is ending, another annual rite of spring is underway across the SAA membership. Online voting for SAA’s 2014 Election opened March 13th and ends April 13th. Fourteen great candidates are vying for positions in the annual elections for Vice President/President-Elect, Council, and Nominating Committee. Continue reading

The Jobs Thing…

Special thanks to Nancy Beaumont and Kathleen Roe for their input on this post.

When I came back from Chicago after the SAA Council and Foundation Board meetings I had planned to write a brief post noting some of the highlights of both meetings. I was excited that we got our strategic plan actions finished and that we have a living document that will help guide us for the next few years.   We also reviewed six issue briefs created by the Committee on Advocacy and Public Policy that we hope to have available in May, did background work to inform SAA’s next budget and reviewed the annual reports of the sections, roundtables, committees and task forces of the Society.  The Foundation Board began discussing fund raising opportunities but also how the funds raised could support ongoing research projects and new educational programming.

But there is one issue that continues to be at the forefront for many of our members. It’s one we discussed several times during our Council meeting including spending one half day totally focused on this one issue. Before I could get unpacked and attack the massive piles on my desk, I felt it was important to share information on the topic of employment because it is of serious concern to our membership and to Council. Continue reading

Celebrating National Mentoring Month

This post was written by Kathryn Dundon, co-chair of the SAA Mentoring Committee. And if you need additional gentle reminders about the SAA Mentoring Program you may wish to review the blog posts written by me and past president Jackie Dooley on this very subject. Continue reading

From the Desk of the Vice President – Getting Involved in SAA

It is with great pleasure that I present a few words from Kathleen Roe, SAA’s Vice President. She is at the beginning of the appointments process, probably the most difficult responsibility of the Vice President.

We both have been asked how to get involved in SAA. Following up on my comments from last week, is her outstanding response. I hope you will respond to her call for comments and questions. Continue reading

We Are SAA!

It’s been a very interesting transition becoming president of the Society of American Archivists. I joke about my second full time job and the joys of balancing my paid position with my unpaid one. I have people genuflecting and asking if they should call me “Madame President”. (I tell them to just call me “Danna”) I also hear from people who think that I am SAA and that they have no voice in the activities and plans of the Society. I am here to tell you that is absolutely incorrect. Continue reading

Internships, Privilege and SAA: A Council Member Responds

Michelle Light is the Director of Special Collections at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She is also a second year member of SAA Council.  Though her comments in response to the discussion of Jackie Dooley’s presidential address are a bit long, they are thoughtful and detailed and compelling. I hope you will read and comment. Continue reading

Go ahead, let me have it!

My SAA presidential address, Feeding Our Young, has generated quite a firestorm on Twitter. My aim was to provoke discussion within the Society and the profession about these issues, and it looks like I succeeded! I also wanted to throw down the gauntlet to the SAA leadership (of which I’m no longer a formal member as of 3.5 hours ago, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be tuning out) to find a way to address the jobs issue, broadly raise the awareness of  members who may not know how tough things are out there, and various other things.

No doubt some of you out there have reactions but aren’t on Twitter. Or maybe you want to utter more than 140 characters’ worth of response. Anyway, if you’d like to say something to me, or to your colleagues, here’s a place to do it.

Fire away! — Jackie

P.S. I’ll be talking to the SAA office about getting the talk posted somewhere on the website.

Have an opinion about SAA’s social media presence? Act fast!!

May 4th is your deadline for submitting comments on the Communication Task Force‘s preliminary recommendations regarding the future of the Society’s social media presence, online publications, website, and more. The draft includes a bit more explanation, but here’s the gist: Continue reading

More, less, different? Preliminary recommendations of the SAA Communications Task Force

Today’s guest blogger is Beth Kaplan, SAA Council member and liaison to the Communications Task Force. The group’s draft recommendations were posted today, and we eagerly await your comments, which are due by 4 May. Please weigh in with your opinions! –Jackie

Continue reading

Volunteer to be an SAA mentor! Yeah, I’m talking to ***you***!!

Listen up! Do you care about the future of our profession? If not, read no further. But since you’re tuned into Off the Record, I’m guessing you do care. Continue reading