President's Welcome

Join Us in San Diego to Celebrate Professional Collaboration!

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Collaborating and cooperating with our colleagues both within and beyond our profession is the road to the future. Please join us in San Diego in August for Beyond Borders: The 76th Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists – your best opportunity all year to stretch your imagination, expand your contacts and networks, look beyond your institution’s walls, and interact with colleagues in archives and other information fields.

If you’ve attended SAA Annual Meetings before, you know the excitement that comes from hearing about innovative approaches to archival activities, from exploring new ideas, and from meeting colleagues and renewing friendships. If you’ve never attended an Annual Meeting – or haven’t joined us in recent years – you’ll find a broad array of opportunities to learn, explore, collaborate, and celebrate the world of archives, including:

• In-depth pre-conference workshops and provocative plenary sessions that give you direct access to experts in the field and voices from beyond our professional circles.
• Exciting program sessions (choose from 70 of them!) that deliver the latest ideas and techniques in an environment in which you’ll feel comfortable asking questions.
• Section and roundtable meetings that put you in touch with colleagues who share your specific interests and concerns and provide a wonderful venue for collaboration.
• The Beyond Borders Expo, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to talk with our industry partners, express your ideas and opinions, and learn what’s new in the field.
• And because we don’t believe in “all work and no play,” the Host Committee has lined up a diverse itinerary of repository tours, open houses, and on-your-own explorations and we’ve planned a fun and casual All-Attendee Reception at which you can catch up with your friends.

At Beyond Borders you’ll meet, learn, network, and collaborate with colleagues from across the country (and around the world) who share your interests, your concerns, and your on-the-job challenges. You’ll benefit from our profession’s diversity of ideas, methods, and experiences – and we’ll learn from you.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the field, an experienced archives professional, or somewhere in between, you’re sure to find wonderful opportunities to collaborate at Beyond Borders. I look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

Gregor Trinkaus-Randall
SAA President, 2011-2012