Webinars & Workshops

The following formats, Occasional Lecture Series and Workshops, are regularly organized and offered by the MARAC Education Committee. Workshops and other educational programming are offered online via Zoom, in person, and the day before in-person conferences.  Other educational proposals are welcome and will be considered – they do not need to fit into the proposed structure. Proposals for new educational offerings are always welcome!

The Education Committee follows the MARAC Privacy and Confidentiality Policy for all communications with instructors and participants.

Upcoming Events

TITLE: Communicating Your Collection: Making Short Video Content for Outreach and Education (two-day workshop)

When: November 18, 9:00 am-12:00 pm EST (15 minute break)
            November 19, 9:00 am-12:00 pm EST (15 minute break)

Where: Virtual (MARAC Zoom)
Instructor: Alexandra (Allie) Alvis (she/they), Curator, Special Collections, Winterthur Library
Cost: $100.00
Registration Limit: 10
Stay tuned for registration form

Workshop Description:
Your archives are ready for their closeup!  This two-day workshop will introduce the whys and how-tos of using Instagram to create short educational videos about your collection using your smartphone.  Allie Alvis (aka @book_historia) will walk you through the rationale behind using short video as a communication tool, how to select an object and film it, how to edit that video in the Instagram interface, how to write and perform voiceover, and how to post your finished product.  Allie will also cover posting your video to other platforms including TikTok, and how "the algorithm" can be both a friend and enemy.  This workshop will be recorded.

Please note: Participants should come prepared to the session with one multi-page item or small group of shorter items that they would like to make a video about.

About the Instructor: 
Allie Alvisis Curator of Special Collections of the Winterthur Library, where they are responsible for the stewardship and engagement of the collection.  They have previously worked as an antiquarian bookseller at Type Punch Matrix, and as the special collections reference librarian for the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.  You may also be familiar with Allie as Book Historia on various social media platforms, where they have a combined following of over 362k followers.  They post informational videos about books and manuscripts as objects, highlighting exciting examples from libraries and collections around the world. Allie's research is diverse and far-reaching, with interests in physical patterns of use in books, the history of ephemera, and communication using rare materials. 

ARCs: 2

Register online at https://marac.memberclicks.net/communicating_collection

Questions? Contact Elizabeth Wilkinson at [email protected]

Webinars

45-90 minutes, lecture-based instruction with 10-30 minutes of Q&A

  • Share your expertise/experience in an Archival Community of Practice Discussion.
  • 45 to 90 min informal discussion and/or presentation with discussion/Q+A (some combination thereof)
  • Typically online via zoom in webinar or informal formats
  • These are free events and are typically recorded unless otherwise requested. (Q+A is never recorded)
  • Any CE points must be sought by the participants individually
  • Can also be in the format of a community of practice conversation

Conference Workshops
60 minutes – 6 hours, instruction includes participation such as hands-on activities, discussion, break-out sessions (more than a lecture or webinar)

  • In person workshops. Half-day: 3 hours (9-12 or 1-4) with one (1) fifteen minute break with light refreshments; Full-day: 6 hours (9-4) with two (2) fifteen minute breaks with light refreshments and one hour lunch break on your own. Workshops typically take place the day before the conference starts.
  • Workshops (with participation) are not recorded; question and answer sections of webinars will not be recorded. 

Off-Conference Workshops
60 minutes – 6 hours, instruction includes participation such as hands-on activities, discussion, break-out sessions (more than a lecture or webinar)

  • In person and/or virtual. Off-conference events have more flexibility and will be determined by the venue, instructor, and content. Virtual workshops over 3 hours will typically be split into 2 days.
  • Workshops (with participation) are not recorded; question and answer sections of webinars will not be recorded. 

Workshops Pricing & Compensation

The standard cost of attending a workshop is between $50 and $100, depending on the length of the workshop. Instructors for workshops are compensated based on current rates. (Please contact us for details.)

Instructor Expectations

Workshop Instructors are expected to meet the Society of American Archivists' Archival Continuing Education (ACE) Guidelines regarding instructor qualifications, delivery methods for adult learning, and areas of archival knowledge.

Wherever possible, resources will be made available to participants (slides, handouts) and to members via the digital repository (DRUM).  If you cannot make resources available, please explain why. 

Accessibility guidelines - presentation and materials must comply with accepted practice. If you cannot make resources accessible, please explain why.

Workshop Proposals 

Please visit our Previous & Upcoming Workshops page for information on accessing or attending workshops. If you are interested in giving a workshop, please submit a proposal on this Google Form. Other educational proposals are welcome and will be considered – they do not need to fit into the described structure.

 Last revised May 2025