Outreach

Kate Theimer is the author of the popular blog ArchivesNext and a frequent writer, speaker and commentator on issues related to the future of archives. She is the author of Web 2.0 Tools and Strategies for Archives and Local History Collections and the editor of A Different Kind of Web: New Connections between Archives and Our Users, as well having contributed chapters to Many Happy Returns: Advocacy for Archives and Archivists, The Future of Archives and Recordkeeping, and the Encyclopedia of Archival Science. She has published articles in the American Archivist and the Journal of Digital Humanities. Kate served on the Council of the Society of American Archivists from 2010 to 2013. Before starting her career as an independent writer and editor, she worked in the policy division of the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland. She holds an MSI with a specialization in archives and records management from the University of Michigan and an MA in art history from the University of Maryland. Kate Theimer is the 2014 recipient of the Society of American Archivists’ Spotlight Award. The Spotlight Award recognizes the contributions of individuals who work for the good of the profession and archives collections—work that does not typically receive public recognition. Since 2011, Theimer has used Facebook, Twitter, and her blog to raise money for Spontaneous Scholarships that help unemployed, underemployed, and underfunded archivists to attend SAA’s Annual Meeting. The first year the scholarships were offered Theimer raised $5,504 to assist 18 students and 8 SAA members at the full registration rate; the program continued in 2012 and 2013 resulting in a total of more than $20,000 in donations and almost one hundred archivists assisted over the first three years. Theimer recently launched a campaign to raise funds for the 2014 scholarships.

• Introduction1. The Oregon Archives Crawl: Engaging New Users and AdvocatesDiana Banning, Mary B. Hansen, Anne LeVant Prahl, Portland Area Archivists2. Moved by the Spirit: Opportunistic Promotion of the Hamilton Family Séance CollectionShelley Sweeney, University of Manitoba3. Working Within the Law: Public Programming and Continuing EducationLeigh McWhite, University of Mississippi4. Staying Connected: Engaging Alumni and Students to Digitize the Carl “Pappy” Fehr Choral Music CollectionAmy C. Schindler, College of William & Mary5. “Pin”pointing Success: Assessing the Value of Pinterest and Historypin for Special Collections OutreachMark Baggett, Rabia Gibbs, Alesha Shumar, University of Tennessee6. Creating a New Learning Center: Designing a Space to Support Multiple Outreach GoalsDorothy Dougherty, National Archives at New York City7. "Wikipedia is made of people!”: Revelations from Collaborating with the World's Most Popular Encyclopedia Sara Snyder, Archives of American Art8. 21 Revolutions: New Art from Old ObjectsLaura Stevens, Glasgow Women’s Library9. Happy Accidents and Unintended Consequences: How We Named Our TribbleRachael Dreyer, American Heritage Center10. Navigating Nightingale: Creating an App Out of ArchivesGeof Browell, King’s College London11. DIY History: Redesigning a Platform for a Transcription Crowdsourcing Initiative Jen Wolfe and Nicole Saylor, University of Iowa12. Taking Preservation to the People: Educating the Public About Personal Digital Archiving William LeFurgy, Library of CongressAbout the EditorIndex

These case studies are a broad range of ideas that. . . .are applicable to a variety of situations, with approaches that include long-term planning or short-term implementation. Using both electronic media and face-to-face interactions, the intended goals of these projects include pre-determined learning outcomes, encouraged support for the special collection or long-term interaction with potential users. . . . Examples come from a range of situations, including a public continuing education law course using Mississippi law archives and an interactive 'archive crawl' in Oregon and should serve as a source for further ideas.