Blog and Newsletter

MAC is soliciting applications for the 2021 Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Students of Color 

(​http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley​). The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival administration and to encourage ethnic diversification of the MAC membership and of the archival profession as a whole. Two $750 scholarships, accompanied by one-year memberships to MAC, will be awarded.

In order to be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must be of African, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Latinx decent; must be a student currently enrolled in or accepted in a graduate, multicourse program in archival administration; and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their academic program. If the program is not listed in the SAA Directory of Archival Education, ​http://www2.archivists.org/dae​, the applicant must provide proof of the multicourse standard by submitting copies of course descriptions from the institution’s current departmental catalog. The applicant must also be either a resident of the MAC region or registered in a qualified program, onsite or online, that is based in the MAC region.

Applications are due ​March 1, 2021​ and must include the following documents:

• ●  Completed Application Form, available at ​http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley

• ●  Transcript from the applicant's most recent academic program (unofficial transcript is acceptable)

• ●  Essay of not more than 500 words outlining the applicant's interests and future goals in archival administration

• ●  Two letters of recommendation.

Completed applications should be sent to:

Rebekah McFarland 

Certified Archivist

Sisters of the Living Word 
rmcfarland@slw.org

Applications must be emailed by March 1, 2021. 
Awards will be announced no later than June 1, 2021.

STQRY (formerly oncell) is offering to MAM members a 20% discount on their standard app plan and a reduced set up fee of $495 (set up is regularly $1,995!).

This offer extends through the end of 2020.

Check out the flyer for some more details and how to receive the discount.

Check out the discounts regularly available to MAM members through partner businesses.

The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce that applications for $16 million in Save America's Treasures funding are now open on Grants.gov. Deadline for applications is January 26, 2021. 

The SAT program is administered by the NPS in cooperation with its partners, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).The NPS manages the preservation grants and the IMLS the collections grants, once awarded. 

Apply to SAT Preservation Grants via Grants.gov. Eligible Preservation projects must be listed currently ​as: 

1. Individually listed as a National Historic Landmark or be a contributing property within a National Historic Landmark district.
2. Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places for national significance (properties listed at the state or local significance are not eligible) or be a contributing property within a nationally significant National Register Historic District. Properties include buildings, sites, structures and objects.

Apply to SAT Collection Grants via Grants.gov. Eligible Collections projects must be determined to be of national significance based on the supportive description of its significance within the application. Collections include artifacts, documents, sculptures, and other works of art.

SAT Factsheet

Learn more about the SAT Grant Program

The Save America’s Treasures (SAT) program is funded through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) using revenue from Outer Continental Shelf oil lease revenue, not tax dollars.

The Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant program was established in 1998 and first awarded grants in 1999 to help preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections that convey our nation’s rich heritage to future generations. Since 1999, there have been more than 4,000 requests for funding totaling more than $1.54 billion. More than $315,700,000 has been awarded to 1,300+ projects. 

Awarded Projects for FY2020 

Save America's Treasures (SAT) Application Webinar

Apply to SAT Preservation Grants via Grants.gov SAT- Preservation - P21AS00202

Apply to SAT Collection Grants via Grants.gov SAT-Collection - P21AS00203

Congress has appropriated $16 million for the SAT Grant Program.

Applications are due January 26, 2021.

Farmington Underground and Washburn-Norlands Living History Center recently completed their collaboration on a guided mystery tour through the month of October. The private tours featured historical stories and information about the Norlands property as well as interactive puzzle elements designed by Farmington Underground. 

Over 200 people came to the site and completed a mystery tour, entitled “Tale of the Forgotten Son”, over the 4-week period. The goal of the collaboration was to increase engagement with local history in a safe and fun way. Over the past few months, Farmington Underground has worked with other organizations to design new ways of engaging the public with historical and artistic collections, and they are looking for other organizations that may be interested in a collaborative project.

More information about the mystery tour can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/FarmingtonUnderground/posts/945098425977828

The Society of Southwest Archivists, in partnership with Louisiana State University, will host a virtual annual meeting May 17-21, 2021. The theme this year is Going with the Flow. As we have all faced numerous challenges over the past year, SSA would like to learn about barriers faced, creative solutions, and what the “new normal” looks like for your archive.

Session proposals are welcome on any subject or skill relevant to the archives or records management professions. Proposals will be evaluated on the completeness of the description, the originality of the topic, and the diversity of speakers. In addition, the Program Committee will prioritize submissions with a strong equity, diversity, & inclusion component. 

SSA hopes that the virtual format for 2021 will make the conference more accessible for various groups, including those located outside the Southwest region. SSA encourages proposal submissions from non-SSA members and those located outside of the Southwest.

Find guidelines, a spreadsheet to facilitate collaborations, and the submission form on the SSA Call For Proposals page.

The deadline for submission is Friday, December 18th, 2020.

MAM member STQRY (formerly OnCell) is hosting a free webinar this Wednesday, October, 28 at 2pm EST. The topic will be Digital Media & Holocaust Museums in a Post-Survivor Era.

The webinar will discuss navigating difficult history and review some case studies of how organizations are implementing digital technology to educate and share stories effectively. I thought this webinar may interest some of your members so feel free to share if you would like! 

Join using this link: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9616037279948/WN_kys318I4R6G88C0DPakXiQ

Are you interested in learning more about Museums for All, an initiative dedicated to expanding community access? Mark your calendar to join staff from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Association of Children’s Museums on November 19 at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn more about how and why almost 600 museums participate in the program. 

Click here to register for the webinar.

Maine Preservation is pleased to announce that the 1772 Foundation has announced a round of grant funding in 2021 to support historic preservation efforts in the State of Maine.

Maine Preservation is partnering with the 1772 Foundation to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations with eligible preservation projects. Funding in the form of 1:1 matching grants of up to $10,000 will be made available for the following project types: exterior painting; finishes and surface restoration; fire detection/lightning protection/security systems; repairs to/restoration of porches, roofs and windows; repairs to foundations and sills; and chimney and masonry repointing.

Letters of inquiry will be accepted until November 6, 2020. 

Learn more and apply

The National Endowment for the Humanities has recently opened applications for its Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions. The program is intended to help small and mid-sized institutions improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. NEH is encouraging applications from small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant.

More info can be found here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=329203.

Robert Perret, Special Collections Librarian and Archivist for the University of Idaho, is doing research and conducting a survey regarding the work experience of people with dual roles as archivists and librarians.  If you fit this description and would like to take the survey, please click the link below! 

https://uidaho.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8uo3HsmEwmyQgRv