Upcoming Webinars
Register for free by clicking the links below and join us for our informative webinars!
Beyond the Community Attic
Two 90-Minute Workshops for Small Museums and Archives
Many organizations find themselves with materials they neither want nor need—items accepted without clear purpose that now clutter their collections, like an attic full of forgotten odds and ends. So, how do you address this challenge?
This two-part workshop series provides actionable strategies to help small museums and archives reclaim control of their collections, align with their mission, and create room for growth.
Provenance & Original Order
Understanding a document’s provenance provides essential context for its creation and significance. This webinar explores key archival principles—provenance, original order, chain of custody, and respect du fonds—and how they guide ethical archival practices. Presented by archivist Genna Duplisea, M.A., M.S., this session will examine how these concepts influence the organization and preservation of archival collections.
Monday, April 21st @ 5 pm CT via Zoom.
Archival Hierarchy: Fonds, Series, Subseries, File, Item
Understanding archival hierarchical structures is key to effective collection organization and access. In this webinar, archivist Brittany Fox will break down each level—fonds, series, subseries, file, and item—explaining their significance and practical application through real-world examples. She will also discuss how to balance granularity with effort, considering factors like time, collection complexity, and intended outcomes. Finally, the session will cover how these intellectual levels integrate with the EAD schema, including its 12-nesting component limitation.
Monday, May 5th @ 5 pm CT via Zoom.
MODS Metadata Object Description Schema
Feeling limited by the simplicity of Dublin Core but overwhelmed by more complex metadata schemas? Enter MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema). This webinar explores one archivist’s journey to understanding and implementing MODS in a digital preservation environment. Presented by archivist Genna Duplisea, M.A., M.S., this session will provide insights into the advantages of MODS and its practical applications.
Monday, June 23rd @ 5 pm CT via Zoom.
Sanborn Maps
Originally created for fire insurance purposes, Sanborn maps have become an essential tool for historical and archival research. In this webinar, archivist Brittany Fox will discuss their origins, how they can be used beyond their original intent, and where to find them both online and in person. Participants will also learn how to read and interpret Sanborn maps, with real-world examples illustrating their practical applications in research and preservation.
Monday, July 7th @ 5 pm CT via Zoom.
DACS
Archivists love an acronym, and DACS is an important one. Describing Archives: A Content Standard guides archivists through the description of archival collections so that finding aids present users with consistent information. This webinar will outline the types of information DACS standardizes and how DACS interacts with other archives concepts like Encoded Archival Description and Dublin Core.
Monday, August 4th @ 5 pm CT via Zoom.
MPLP
The influential processing methodology of "More Product, Less Process" proposed a revolution in archival practice, and has become a cornerstone of archivist education and productivity standards for grant-funded projects. For its proponents, MPLP promises a drastic reduction in backlogs through elimination of some preservation and description tasks; for its skeptics, it disengages archivists from their collections. This webinar will summarize the main points of MPLP, the conversations it has sparked in the archives field for the past two decades, and practical examples of appropriate uses for this methodology.
"Monday, September 8th @ 5 pm CT via Zoom.
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