A Collection of Conundrums
May 21, 2025 / 9:30 to 3:00 • Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, NH
May 21, 2025 / 9:30 to 3:00 • Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, NH
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Join the New Hampshire Archives Group on May 21 at Canterbury Shaker Village for its Spring 2025 workshop.
IntroductionThis workshop examines a few conundrums now faced by libraries, archives, and museums in areas ranging from challenged materials to disappearing funding to de-accessioning materials. And because we are hosted at a large outdoor museum with dozens of buildings, we will also look into the role of archival collections in New Hampshire's historic preservation. Speakers will include Tanya Marshall (Vermont State Archivist), Paul Wester (formerly of the National Agricultural Library and National Archives), Martha Cummings (formerly director of the NH Boat Museum), and James Garvin (former NH State Architectural Historian).
ProgramWe are pleased to offer the following presentations (click on title for synopsis & presenter):
Archivists: This is our time to shine
As we face an increasingly complex landscape of disinformation and misinformation, access to authentic and trustworthy records and information is more important than ever. Who knows and understands this need more than archivists? This is our time to shine! Let’s get out of the shadows and show what we do, how and why we do it, and what we will do to continue being the light many seek. Tanya Marshall is Vermont’s Chief Records Officer and State Archivist. She also directs the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division of the Secretary of State’s Office that administers the Statewide Records and Information Management Program for local and state government and leads legislative research and reporting in support of government accountability and transparency. From Provenance to Chaos and Back Again: Archives and Libraries in Search of a Sustainable Future
Archives and libraries are foundational to an informed democracy. They are also relatively conservative institutions that have reacted in various ways to the radical transformation of our information management environment brought on by the intersection of cultural, political, and technological developments in wider society. In the context of our cultural, political, and technological moment, both citizens and government officials have developed new and broader expectations of what archives and libraries should provide. This presentation will explore recent changes in federal government archives and libraries, the implications of our current moment of existential crisis, and speculations on how archives and libraries will return to a more manageable and sustainable equilibrium, and continue to play their central role in our democratic society. Paul Wester held a variety of senior leadership positions in government archives and libraries over a three-decade career in Federal Service. Before retiring in May 2024, Mr. Wester served as the director of the National Agricultural Library, one of five U.S. national libraries and the departmental library for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015 - 2024). Prior to his service at USDA, Mr. Wester had a 25-year career at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) that culminated in his appointment in 2011 as the first Chief Records Officer for the U.S. Government by David Ferriero, the 10th Archivist of the United States (2009 - 2022). In this and related positions at NARA, Mr. Wester led federal records appraisal and electronic records management policymaking. Paul holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maryland. In 2015, Mr. Wester received the Distinguished Terrapin Award from the University of Maryland's College of Information for outstanding professional achievement, service to the college, cultivation of a culture of philanthropy, and advancement of the Dean’s strategic priorities. In retirement, Mr. Wester is an avid bagel maker, enthusiastic golfer, and amateur cellist. the role of Archives in historic preservation
Archival collections play a critical but often overlooked role in the preservation of historic places like Canterbury Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark. Not only are historic maps, photos, and contracts used to understand these structures, but equally important are the diaries, letters, and other manuscript materials which provide cultural context and impart local (or national) significance to New Hampshire's historic properties. In this talk Jim Garvin will reflect on archival research over his career, starting in Portsmouth but then expanding statewide. James L. Garvin served as curator at Strawbery Banke (1963-74) and Portsmouth Athenaeum (1971-73), before assuming that role at NH Historical Society (1976-87). He then worked at the NH Division of Historical Resources, retiring as State Architectural Historian (1987-2011). Jim holds a MA in Early American Culture and a PhD in American Studies. He is the author of A Building History of Northern New England among many other works. reappraisal & de-accessioning materials in museums and archives
The reappraisal and de-accessioning of materials held in archival collections is usually an afterthought — the tail end of a long, convoluted process and often only pursued when shelf space grows tight. But there are real costs to storing and preserving materials of all kinds (even digital), so keeping more than fits within your collections policy often represents a significant and unnecessary expense. Martha Cummings is consulting with MCR (Museum & Collector Resource) after working as executive director at the NH Boat Museum in Wolfeboro/Moultonborough and at the Rufus Porter Museum in Bridgton, Maine. Prior to that, she worked at Longyear Museum on Mary Baker Eddy properties in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She holds an MA in Historic Preservation. Post-workshop optional tour: Canterbury Shaker Village and its archives. |
Handouts, Resources, etc.
We've added a resource page for "Conundrums" to provide handouts and other resources for workshop participants. And here's a bonus: You can browse resource pages from past workshops... Just choose your topic!
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