MARAC Workshops

MARAC is committed to providing a harassment free environment for its members and others who participate in its conferences, events, and meetings. All attendees at MARAC workshops are required to comply with our code of conduct.

Workshops at Spring 2020 Harrisonburg Meeting
Full and half-day workshops, offered on Thursday, April 16, will explore archival basics, rare book stabilization, transforming narratives through community partnerships, and more!  Visit Spring 2020 Conference for program and registration

W1. Collective Archivism: Transforming Narratives Through Civic Experiential Learning
Time: 9am-1pm (half-day workshop)
Cost: $60
Instructors: Steven Thomas, Northeast Neighborhood Association; Meg Mulrooney, James Madison University; Carah Ong Whaley, James Madison Center for Civic Engagement

This workshop will offer participants a community experiential learning opportunity, visiting local sites to better understand how community-based organizations, libraries, and universities can authentically partner to redress systemic erasures of the narratives of traditionally marginalized and underserved communities. The instructors will also explore how to develop living collections to transform our understanding of the social, political, structural and historical issues that contribute to persistent political and socioeconomic inequalities, while celebrating the contributions of social justice movements to American society and democracy.

This workshop will include a bus and walking tour and will conclude with lunch, reflection, discussion and idea generation for developing a collective experiential archive.

W2. Understanding Archives: An Introduction to Archival Basics
Time: 9am-4pm
Cost: $90
Instructor: Dyani Feige, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts

Proper archival procedures enable safe and effective management of collections. Topics covered during this workshop include the fundamentals of archival appraisal, acquisition, and access; proper storage materials; and the most common preservation problems found with paper-based archival collections. The session will also touch on processing, arrangement, and description. This workshop is appropriate for individuals who may have found themselves in the role of archivist without formal training in the profession, or for those seeking a refresher course.

W3. Map Cataloging Basics
Time: 9am-4pm
Cost: $90
Instructor: Paige Andrew, Penn State University

This workshop will give participants the basic knowledge and skills needed to create accurate, high-quality bibliographic records for sheet maps, either by original or copy cataloging. The workshop will cover various elements related to historic and contemporary maps and participants will come away with an understanding of the differences between maps and other formats and the variability likely to be encountered on each map, as well as the confidence to apply cataloging skills and standards to maps in an understandable manner.

W4. Stabilization Techniques for Book Collections
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $45
Instructor: Jill Deiss, Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding

This hands-on workshop will teach participants techniques for repairing and stabilizing minor damage to cloth and leather books including damaged corners, split joints, and tattering at the head and tail of a book’s spine. These minimally invasive repairs are designed to be reversible and utilize pH-neutral and acid-free materials. In some cases, these treatments will serve as an intermediate state prior to later conservation treatment, while in other cases these books will be adequately stabilized with these minimal treatments.

Please feel free to bring your own books to work on. If you have no books to bring, you can use books supplied by the instructor. If you have bookbinding hand tools, feel free to bring them, but it is not necessary.

W5. On a Roll: Storage and Handling of Rolled, Oversized Paper Collections
Time: 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $45
Instructor: Amy Sullivan, George Mason University

Storing oversized paper items such as blueprints, tracings, and maps presents a challenge for many archives. This workshop will review various preservation techniques and considerations for housing these oversized materials.

Stay tuned for information on our off-conference workshops in 2020.

For additional information about workshops, contact Paige Newman, 804.340.2280 or [email protected]