N ews 1eltlter The Society of American A rchivists SAA Elects New Leaders SAA members have elected Trudy Peterson, National Archives and Records Administration, as the Society’s vice president for 1989-90. She will assume the vice presidential post at the 1989 annual meeting in St. Louis and will serve in that capacity until the 1990 annual meeting, when she will become SAA’s 46th president. The membership also selected three new council members: Terry Eastwood, University of British Columbia; James Fogerty, Minnesota Historical Society; and Robert Sink, New York Public Library. The election yielded three members for the 1990 Nominating Com­ mittee: Bruce Bruemmer, Charles Babbage Institute; Lynda DeLoach, George Meany Memorial Archives; and Kathleen Roe, New York State Archives and Records Administration. Joining them on the committee May 1989 will be two of the three council members whose terms end in 1990. This year the SAA ballot booklet contained a Survey of Archivists, along with a confidential return envelope. Approximately fifty-one percent of SAA’s eligible voting members participated in the election and survey. Of the record high 1,400 responses mailed back to SAA by CONTENTS members, more than 1,200 envelopes contained both ballots and com­ Institutional Evaluation News Briefs p, 2 pleted surveys. A summary of the survey’s findings will be printed in Beat p. 3 Awards Available Washington News p. 4 the SAA Newsletter this summer, and a full report will be Preservation Focus Copyright p. 6 Automation Notes issued at the annual meeting in St. Louis. p. 6 p. 6 SAA is now collecting candidate recommendations for the 1990 p. 7 election. Please send your recommendations for Vice President, p. 8 Council, and the 1990 Nominating Committee to the Society of American Director’s Desk p. 9 From the Executive p. 10 Archivists, 600 S. Federal, Suite 504, Chicago, IL 60605. Mount Sentenced Charles p. 12 Meeting Roundup Annual p. 13 SAA Notes Notes p. 14 International p. 14 Transitions 1990 Proposals 1990 p. 15 Send Proposals Now for 1990 Guidelines for p. 16 Certification Update Program Proposal p. 17 Annual Meeting ProfessionalBack cover Opportunities New SAA Manual The Program Committee for the 1990 SAA annual meeting in Seattle, Wash ington, is currently soliciting proposals for all types of sessions, including traditional open sessions, workshops, works-in-progress, special focus ses­ sions, and panels. Program proposals may be directly submitted to the Program Committee or through specif«? sections, roundtables, or task forces. The Program Committee is particularly interested in proposals that ad­ dress the issues raised by the SAA Committee on Goals and Priorities (CGAP), Important Annual which includes: automation, appraisal and documentation strategy, institu­ Meeting Informa­ tional evaluation, planning, communication, and the educational potential of archives. tion on page 4. Please contribute your ideas, suggestions and proposals to members of the 1990 Program Committee. The "Guidelines for Proposals" form is on pages 7 and 8 in this Newsletter. If you have any questions or would like additional copies of the program proposal form, contact any member of the Program Committee listed on page 7. Send complete program proposals to committee co-chair, Brenda Banks, Georgia Department of Archives and History, 330 ISSN 0091-5971 Capitol Avenue S.E., Atlanta, GA 30334, (404)656-2374. From the Executive Director’s Desk by Donn C. Neal SAA’s many non-serial publica­ publications list that includes al. Another idea that has come tions—that is, those other than over sixty SAA titles, largely up is a guide for those inter­ The American Archivist and from the late 1970s and early ested in starting an archives. this newsletter—are important to 1980s, and a growing number of (See the story on back page archivists (members and non-mem­ titles of other publishers. for more details.) bers alike), who depend upon them The non-serials editor will Together, all of these actual for professional guidance and become part of a publications and possible titles reflect the intellectual stimulation. These program that is already beginning Society’s renewed commitment to a publications are also important to grow. The new titles being comprehensive catalog of vigorous to the Society itself, which prepared promise to serve the and authoritative publications relies upon their sale for a Society’s members and to make that will continue to be of substantial portion of its annual significant contributions to the immediate and practical help to revenues. archival literature. Bill Maher In recent years the Editorial is completing a manual for Continued on page 3 Board, led by Chairs Ned Berkeley college and university archives. and Susan Grigg, has made great Faye Phillips is hard at work on strides in appraising the present a publication, cosponsored by collection of SAA publications ALA, that will address the and in inviting, selecting, and handling of local history materi­ commissioning manuscripts for als by libraries and other repos­ several new SAA titles. At its itories. Ann and Bill Newhall, Donn C. Neal Executive Director meeting in St. Louis in October, the one an archivist and the the Editorial Board will focus other an architect, have been Bernice E. Brack special attention on planning new asked to co-author a manual Membership Assistant directions for our publications intended to help those who are Teresa M. Brinati program. planning, renovating, or building Managing Editor To assist the Editorial Board an archival facility. Tim Walch Paid Conway in this work, the SAA Council is revising his excellent manual Preservation Program Officer recently revived the position of on security. "non-serials editor," someone who All of these titles are in Al Correa will play a key role in strength­ addition to the Archival Fun­ Publications Assistant ening and expanding the Society’s damentals Series, which will Tim Ericson publications program. Over the include Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler’s Education Officer next few years, this person will revision of her SAA manual on Joyce Gianatasio help implement the Editorial conservation, a new version of Program Assistant Board’s efforts to rationalize the glossary of archival terms Marion Matters SAA’s publications program and to (co-edited by Lew and Lynn Automation Program Officer develop this valuable SAA service Bellardo), and five new manuals to its members, and to the (being written by Jim O’Toole, Georgcann E. Palmer Fred Miller, Jerry Ham, Mary Jo Office Mattager/Director profession at large. o f Membership Services Working closely with the Pugh, and the team of Tom Wilsted Editorial Board, the non-serials and Bill Nolte). Jim Sauder Even more titles are still in Director o f Financial and editor will be responsible for Automated Operations editing SAA publications other the idea or development stages. than The American Archivist, They include a possible manual on Troy Sturdivant the new Archival Fundamentals consultants and consultancies; a Publications Assistant Series, and the SAA Newsletter. proposed resource directory on David Klaassen (These are ably edited, respec­ automated records and techniques; Editor, The American Archivist tively, by David Klaassen, Mary a prospective business archives The Society of American Archivists Jo Pugh, and Teresa Brinati.) He manual and bibliography; and a 600 S. Federal, Suite S04, Chicago, Illinois 6060S or she will inherit an extensive potential public relations manu­ (312) 922-0140 2 May 1989 SAA Newsletter Executive Director’s Desk New SAA Staffer Continued from page 2 archivists everywhere. Helping SAA welcomes back Joyce Gianatasio, who has served on its staff several the Editorial Board to bring all times and now takes over from Nancy VanWieren as Program Assistant in or most of these forthcoming and the Education Office. In that capacity, she will help Tim Ericson and proposed publications into print Marion Matters in putting together SAA’s array of continuing education will be the first set of chal­ workshops. Joyce will also handle the SAA Placement Service. lenges for the new non-serials We acknowledge with thanks Nancy’s fine work with SAA and wish editor. her well in her new position. In addition, the new non­ serials editor (can someone suggest a better moniker? I someone who, like Dave Klaassen, welcome suggestions!) will can persuade his or her institu­ augment the Editorial Board’s tion to release some time for Charles Mount recent efforts by recommending service to the Society. new titles that are needed, The editor will have to view soliciting manuscripts, evalu­ this project as a long-term Gets 5 Years ating proposals, and then working investment, for publications take with authors to ready manuscripts much time to develop, from the in Fraud for actual publication. The new idea stage to actual publication. editor will, by bringing a rich Several years from now, however, archival knowledge and experience the results of work begun in 1989 Art Historian and portrait artist to bear, help the Society to take and 1990 should be obvious. Charles Merrill Mount was sen­ an overall view of its publica­ In order to give SAA members tenced last month to five years tions: the strengths of the additional time to consider in federal prison. This followed current catalog, which titles volunteering for this important his conviction in Washington, should be revised or replaced, assignment, the Editorial Board D.C., on 17 counts of receiving the gaps that SAA needs to plug, has extended the deadline for documents stolen from the Nation­ and new publishing directions applications until June 15, 1989. al Archives and the Library of that we should be exploring. Consult the box on page 8 of the Congress, and four counts of mail The right person will also be March issue of the SAA Newsletter fraud involving some of those able to make some good sugges­ for details about how to apply.