The SAA Diversity Committee will facilitate a Listening/Strategy Session to reflect on the SAA Council Statement on Black Lives and Archives and brainstorm ideas about creating change from top to bottom within the Society, with a particular emphasis on ensuring accountability to reduce harm to Black and brown people and begin repairing centuries of violence committed against Black people in our society and in our profession. This event is open for everyone.

A recording of this event is now available here. 

The SAA Council invites you to join us for a conversation about SAA’s financial outlook, budget, and how it all works.  All are welcome to attend!

Friday, July 17, 2020
3:00 pm – 4:15 pm ET (12:00 pm PT / 1:00 pm MT / 2:00 pm CT)

July 9, 2020—To date, the Archival Workers Emergency Fund has supported 139 archival workers in need! Thank you to the AWEF Review Committee for their diligent work each week to get these fund dispersed!

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2020—The National Archives and Records Administration is releasing its Digital Preservation Framework, following the release of drafts for public comment in September 2019, which consists of their approach to determining risks faced by electronic record files and their plans for preserving different types of file formats.

July 7, 2020—The SAA Council on June 30 approved a Fiscal Year 2021 budget of $2,107,623 in revenues, $2,161,883 in expenses, and a net loss of $54,260. Contributing to the projected net loss are anticipated declines in SAA membership and Annual Meeting revenues, due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 6, 2020 – The SAA Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) Subcommittee is seeking new volunteers to fill three open positions. The subcommittee was recently expanded and is seeking two volunteers to fill new four-year positions, as well as one volunteer to fill a mid-term vacancy through 2022.

July 6, 2020—SAA has signed on in support of an ALA-led legislative initiative—the Library Stabilization Fund Act—that would establish a $2 billion fund to address financial losses and bolster library services, with priority to the hardest-hit communities. The fund would be administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The bill was introduced on July 2 by Senator Jack Reed (RI) and Representative Andy Levin (MI-9), with some three dozen bipartisan cosponsors.

The funding would provide:

June 24, 2020—Minutes from the May 12-13, 2020, Council virtual meeting are available now here. 

For highlights from this meeting, see this news item.