Workshop Catalog

Presenter: Clare Flemming, Consulting Archivist. Accessioning is a crucial step in acquiring materials at any collecting institution, as the process by which legal and physical ownership is transferred to the organization. This webinar will address the importance of accessioning, as well as essential components of an accessioning policy, accessioning workflows, and how to handle “found in collection” items.

Lost records have left their original owner's custody without permission. These records may have been stolen, forgotten, or accidentally left behind, and are now in the custody of new owners.

This workshop:

• Examines how records become lost
• Shows how to keep records in custody
• Outlines strategies to regain custody, if necessary
• Discusses issues to consider when donating archival records to another organization

This workshop will introduce techniques to identify records that are necessary for adequate documentation of local governments and the communities they serve. Identifying records which have enduring value is one of the most challenging tasks of an archival program.

Through lectures, cases studies, and exercises, participants will explore the current methodology for appraising records, learn how to use State Archives schedules in identifying archival records, and discuss how to apply the techniques to their own local governments' records.

• Series of brief, pre-recorded, lectures presented by DHPSNY staff 
• Mini-quiz checkpoints to test your knowledge 
• Interactive discussion boards 
• Comprehensive resource guides

April is National Records Management Month and the State Archives is planning to mark the occasion by holding a forum where state agencies and local governments can ask their most pressing records management questions.

Join us in this webinar to Ask Us Anything…About Records Management.

Come prepared with your questions or just join us to hear what others want to know and learn more about records management.

If you’d like, you can send in your question early to recmgmt@nysed.gov with the subject line “Ask Us Anything” and we’ll answer them during the webinar. 

Determine whether your organization’s program meets basic requirements and includes key functions to properly manage records and protect your organization from potential risks.

Presenter: David Neary, Project Manager, Media Preservation Initiative, Whitney Museum of American Art. Audiovisual materials are abundant in collections - from moving images on film or video, to audiocassettes, CDs and DATs. Despite their constant presence on the shelf, the data they hold is at risk from the threats of degradation and obsolescence. Transferring to more durable formats will help ensure their preservation, but where do you start? Reformatting projects can be overwhelming, and this webinar is intended to help you get started. Topics addressed will include what you need to know before planning a reformatting project, reformatting in-house, and knowing when to seek out a vendor.

Today most records are created electronically yet many state agencies and local governments still struggle to manage mounds of paper. This webinar will explore some of the reasons this problem persists, and suggests some practical solutions that will help agencies and governments reduce the amount of paper to be managed and better manage their digital records.

Presenters: Gillian Marcus, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY; Jennifer Palmentiero, Digital Services Librarian, Southeastern New York Library Resource Council. Many collecting institutions have newspaper in their collections, from clippings to entire runs of publications. There are myriad issues with newspaper collections that can impede access to important information. This webinar will focus on the common problems with newspaper collections and what steps institutions can take to prevent deterioration. Presenters will also discuss the importance of digitization, microfilming and current programs that support this work for newspaper collections.

Presenter: Susan Weinrich, Vice President of Organizational and Community Development, New York Council of Nonprofits. Boards can use committees to get their work done effectively and efficiently- or they can become frustrated by the lack of leadership, engagement, and clearly defined purpose. This session will explore best practices and creative strategies for using committees to increase engagement, focus, and productively.

Presenter: Andrew Marietta, Vice President of Regional Development, New York Council of Nonprofits. This session will provide an overview of how board members can foster a pro-active approach to financial resource development including policy making, planning, fundraising, and strategy development. We will also define and explore the various active roles board members can play as donors, ambassadors, advocates, and askers.

Membership programs can offer plenty of benefits to organizations, however, it can be more difficult to build a thriving membership program than many nonprofits expect. This presentation will cover steps organizations can take to revitalize their membership programs, including understanding the value of a membership program; surveying the membership on their engagement; reviewing and reenergizing membership benefits; and rethinking the membership relationship from a transaction for benefits to an investment and partnership.

Susan Weinrich, Vice President of Organizational and Community Development, New York Council of Nonprofits. Board leadership and engagement isn’t happened upon through luck, nor is it something to be taken for granted. Board building should be an ongoing process with year-round activities and clear strategic goals. In this session we will explore board recruitment, engagement, and assessment, strategies, and identify and recognize what motivates board members to excel in their roles.

Presenter: Amelia Parks, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY. Having essential policies and procedures in place is crucial for a properly functioning and thriving collection. This webinar focuses on one of these, the Collection Management Policy (CMP).

Presenter: Anastasia Matijkiw, Program Coordinator, DHPSNY. This webinar provides an introduction to collections care basics through the ten agents of deterioration: physical force; theft and vandalism; fire; water; pests; pollutants; light; incorrect temperature; incorrect relative humidity; and custodial neglect.

Presenter: Amber Hares, Book Conservator, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. The second presentation in our Common Collection Conditions series, this webinar discusses how to identify common condition problems found in book collections and introduce five priority levels that can be utilized to categorize collection items based on the urgency of conservation needs.

Presenter: Benjamin Iluzada, Housing Technician, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. The third presentation in our Common Collection Conditions series, this webinar will discuss common housing issues found within an institution's collection, as well as recommendations for how to address them both in-house and externally.

Presenter: Heather Hendry, Senior Paper Conservator, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. Every collection will have some condition issues, and every organization has limits on the level of collections care they can institute. However, by both understanding the overall condition of a collection and identifying urgent items, organizations can determine how to best allocate resources within an overall preservation plan. This webinar will discuss how to identify common condition problems found in paper objects and introduce five priority levels that can be utilized to categorize collection items based on the urgency of conservation needs.

Presenter: Barbara Lemmen, Senior Photograph Conservator, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. The fourth presentation in our Common Collection Conditions series, this webinar will discuss how to identify common condition problems found in photograph collections and introduce five priority levels that can be utilized to categorize collection items based on the urgency of conservation needs.

Presenter: Kate Philipson, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY. Inventorying collections is one of the most crucial parts of any collections management program. A thorough inventory underpins good intellectual control, emergency preparedness and response, security, and helps to determine preservation priorities. This webinar will discuss the process and principles for carrying out a basic inventory of your archival, library, or museum collections.

To have an efficient and functional records management program it is critical for governments to maintain an up-to-date inventory of their records. This webinar introduces participants to the planning, implementation, and analysis of a records inventory for paper records.

The program will discuss:

• How a records inventory can help you control records
• How to plan for and carry out a records inventory
•  Identifying records to inventory
• Collecting meaningful inventory data
• Analyzing the results of the inventory
• How to identify retention periods for records

This webinar will present strategies for filing records that you can apply to paper or electronic records. It will focus on how to develop a filing system that will keep your records organized, accessible and easy to identify for disposition.

As collection caretakers, we often have to balance the primary goals of care and access. Setting safe boundaries for physical access to collections can be accomplished by providing consistent handling procedures for anyone using collection materials. In this webinar, DHPSNY Preservation Specialist Amanda Murray will discuss writing handling guidelines, training both staff and researchers on how to properly handle materials, determining specific guidelines for particularly fragile materials, and housing considerations for heavily used materials.

Presenter: Barbara Lemmen, Senior Photograph Conservator, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. This webinar covers the types of materials that benefit most from or are unsuited to cold storage conditions, concentrating on photographic materials. The differences between cold and frozen systems, such as equipment types and preparation and access to a collection, are also explored.

• This class will help you develop your knowledge of the scope of your electronic records collection – its size, the range of formats, and the themes it covers.
• Provide tool to inventory e-records
• It will help you understand which records in your collections are at the highest risk for degradation and most in need of preservation.
• Finally, the class will help you to develop an Action Plan to address E-Records priorities.

This webinar identifies the key components for developing, renewing, or reviving a successful records management program. Each program may be a little unique due to the size of the government and its resources, but a successful program is not a task to be tackled by the records management officer acting alone.

The DHPSNY team is excited to continue to offer Planning & Assessment Services in 2021, having spent time in 2020 perfecting our approach to a safe, virtual delivery. On March 10th, Join Program Manager Anastasia Matijkiw to learn more about DHPSNY’s Planning & Assessment Services, including what virtual assessments entail, how to apply, and more.

DHPSNY’s Planning & Assessment Services consist of Archival Needs Assessments, Preservation Surveys, Condition Surveys, and Strategic Planning Assistance. In each instance, our services aim to improve adherence to best practices and are tailored to an organization’s unique circumstances. The deadline for the next round of applications for DHPSNY planning and assessment services is March 26, 2021.

• How to select records to scan
• How to plan for and carry out a successful imaging project
• Discussion of Imaging Guidelines/standards
• Determining who will do the work of records preparation, scanning, verification and project management
• Discussing the costs of scanning: in house vs a vendor
• How to establish and maintain an imaging program/system

Presenter: Bonita Weddle, Coordinator of Electronic Records, New York State Archives This webinar focuses on simple, practical first steps small repositories can take toward digital preservation and points you to a wide array of helpful resources.

Disasters are all too common in New York State. Each year, records are damaged and information is lost as a result of floods, arson, fires, collapsed roofs, or computer viruses. Participants will complete, as part of the workshop, a draft disaster plan that can become the outline of a final plan focused on the protection of their organization's permanent and vital records.

This workshop will explain:

• How to judge your organization's risk of experiencing a disaster
• How to reduce the chances that a disaster will destroy your records
• How to prepare your organization for a disaster
• How to respond to a disaster safely and effectively

When disaster strikes is your organization ready? Is your organization able to respond safely and quickly to protect its vital records and information assets? Do you have a plan in place to mitigate or avoid a records disaster?

During this webinar examples from real life disasters and recovery efforts will help you learn what to do when a disaster strikes and how to get ready for it in order to mitigate the damage.

Although imaging systems can store and quickly retrieve a large volume of documents, they can rarely be justified on that basis alone. To make optimal use of this technology, state agencies and local governments must understand standards and best practices for scanning records and maintaining them in these systems.

This workshop will cover:

• Current imaging and scanning practices
• What you need to know to prepare for a scanning project
• How to incorporate Records Management principles into scanning your records
• Strategies and best practices for conducting your own scanning project 

Presenter: Susan Weinrich, Vice President of Organizational and Community Development, New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. This session provides a broad overview of the fiduciary, ethical, and policy making responsibilities of the board. It covers the key functions of the board and provides practical guidance and an overview of best practices for board members to individually and collectively achieve excellence in governance performance. Participants will gain an understanding of how to develop and maintain an engaged board focused on ensuring mission alignment, planning for the organization’s future, ensuring adequate resources and strong financial oversight, and for those organizations with employees, building a strong working partnership with staff leadership.‌

Along with the growing numbers of electronic records being created in government today comes the growing need to provide appropriate data storage. This non-technical workshop is intended to provide records managers with a basic overview of common ways electronic data is stored and an understanding of how it fits in with records management.

This workshop will cover:

• Terms and strategies commonly used
• How electronic data storage fits in with records management
• How to determine your data storage needs

Many people believe that an electronic content management system (ECM) is merely an electronic document imaging system, but it is actually a software system that allows for the creation, indexing, management, and retrieval of documents in various formats (including image files) through a single interface.

After a brief introduction to electronic documents, the bulk of this workshop will address:

• Types of technologies and strategies required for their management
• How governments can determine whether or not they need an ECM
• How to plan for, implement, and maintain an ECM

• RMO and IT decision making
• Cloud Computing
• email management
• social media and local government
• preserving electronic records
• eRecords and the law
• inventorying automated systems
• policies and procedures

• Assess your organization's risk of experiencing an electronic records disaster
• Reduce the chances that a disaster will damage your electronic records
• Salvage various types of electronic media
• Recover data stored on damaged electronic media

This workshop specifically focuses on electronic records disasters. Electronic records are susceptible to damage from water from floods or fires, heat from fires, power surges, computer viruses, and accidental or intentional destruction of data. Participants will learn how to mitigate these risks and respond should disaster occur.

This workshop will explain:

• How to assess your organization's risk of experiencing an electronic records disaster
• How to reduce the chances that a disaster will damage your electronic records
• How to salvage various types of electronic media
• How to recover data stored on damaged electronic media

Many governments have inventoried their paper records. For a number of reasons, however, governments tend not to inventory their electronic records. As the volume of electronic records continues to grow, it is increasingly important for governments to know their electronic records and develop a plan for managing them systematically. This workshop will provide an overview on how to conduct an electronic records inventory and the action steps to take when the inventory is complete.

Topics will include:

• Reasons to conduct an e-records inventory
• Identifying records to inventory
• Collecting meaningful inventory data
• Analyzing the results of the inventory
• Developing an e-records plan and program

Email messages can be official records when created or received in the transaction of public business. The workshop will discuss how to

• Identify emails that are records
• Identify the retention period for e-mail records
• Consider the best retention strategies
• File, maintain, and preserve e-mail
• Develop an e-mail policy covering the management and acceptable use of e-mail

• Identify emails that are records
• Identify the retention period for e-mail records
• Consider the best retention strategies
• File, maintain, and preserve e-mail
• Develop an e-mail policy covering the management and acceptable use of e-mail

Presenter: Amelia Parks, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY
One of the most important steps any cultural institution can take to safeguard its collections is to be prepared in the event of an emergency or disaster. How do you get started on this process? This webinar will focus on the first steps an institution should take, including drafting a Pocket Response Plan (PReP), determining salvage priorities, and establishing a cache of disaster supplies.

What should you think about when establishing an environmental monitoring plan? What is a datalogger, and how do you select the right one? What are the basic tools needed to implement an environmental monitoring plan? Join Chloe Houseman, Paper Conservator at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, as she explores the importance of managing the environment in collections spaces and offers guidance on how to do so.

Written policies and procedures establish a permanent foundation for records management programs. They are an essential key to success as a Records Management Officer. This webinar will explore practical ways to develop and implement basic records management policies and procedures, discuss important components, how to use them as a training tool, and evaluate real-world samples.

Fast and accurate retrieval of active office records is critical for the efficient operation of government.

This workshop will discuss how to:

• Assess how well your filing system is working
• Conduct space planning for filing systems
• Use color coding to improve filing systems
• Maintain file security
• Revamp and improve paper and electronic filing systems

The workshop will also provide a number of tips and tools for people who must manage the ever-increasing volume of information that crosses their desks or awaits them each morning on their personal computers.

Presenter: Amelia Parks, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY. This workshop covers the basics of collection-level finding aids and focus on content and formatting as governed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS), the descriptive standard for archival materials.

Join DHPSNY Archives Specialist Kate Philipson as she explores practical steps to help you create finding aids on a basic level. In this webinar, Kate will discuss how to prioritize the required elements of a finding aid so that archival description feels attainable, while building upon the 2017 DHPSNY webinar about finding aids. She will also share further details about Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) by discussing the DACS update process, and examining how the DACS Principles help to frame description work. We will look at some examples of finding aids and take questions, but we will also invite you to a future conversation on September 22, 2021 where we can more directly address your active description challenges and questions about producing finding aids for your organization.

Learn the importance of defining a five-year plan for your records management program, how to get your plan started and keep the momentum going once you get it off the ground.

Without some system to manage inactive records, you are not dealing with a core issue of records management. When we speak of an inactive records system, we are envisioning a life cycle—an annual process of transferring less active records from office filing equipment to an inactive records storage site, disposing of obsolete records, and providing appropriate storage conditions so that records can be preserved. In addition to this cycle, one must be able to find inactive records in a timely and efficient manner. This webinar will introduce the basic principles of managing inactive records.

This webinar focuses on

• Developing an inactive records storage site
• Environmental and security control of storage areas
• Supplies and equipment needed to manage inactive records
• Transferring records to inactive storage and disposition of obsolete records
• Preservation of permanent and historical records
• Improving access to inactive records 

Photographic materials in all their variety are among the most difficult records to manage and make accessible. With the dawn of new digital technologies, you are now able to share your historical photographs with a wider audience and save wear and tear on the originals. Digitizing your photographic collections opens the door to creative and interesting applications never before dreamed possible. Consider the blossoming world of blogging, websites, e-publications, social media, and so forth as natural venues to share your visual historic treasures. But there are many issues to consider as one prepares for such an endeavor. This webinar will introduce the basic principles of scanning historical photographs.

This webinar focuses on

• What photographic materials you can scan and how
• Selecting a scanner and software to use and how to get the best possible image from them
• How to plan for and carry out a successful photographic imaging project step by step
• State Archives technical standards for file format, image resolution, bit depth, and compression
• Creation of metadata and descriptive information for images
• Options to increase access to your digital images

Presenter: Lee Price, Director of Development, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. Viewers of this webinar will learn how to effectively develop and implement a funding strategy to raise money for collections, including the planning process that funders want to see in place and the elements of a successful grant proposal.

Presenter: Lee Price, Director of Development, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. In DHPSNY’s second webinar in our funding series, learn more about crafting a successful narrative for your grant applications. With examples drawn from success stories at museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives, this webinar will explore the delicate balancing act of meeting all guideline requirements while telling a compelling story.

Presenters: John Diefenderfer, Archival Advisory Services, New York State Archives; Barbara Lilley, Library Development Specialist, New York State Library. This informational webinar presents two funding sources available to collecting institutions in New York through state funding: The New York State Discretionary Grant Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials (C/P Grants) and the Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) Grants. Presenters discuss eligibility, fundable activities, and the application process for their respective programs.

Whether your relocation project requires moving objects within your building, to temporary storage, or to a new institution; moving archival collections can be a big undertaking for institutions. In 2017, a team from the New York State Archives moved roughly 1500 cubic feet of civil court records from the New York County Clerk's Office in New York City to the New York State Archives in Albany. The collection included 1,100 boxes of records, around 900 volumes that were not in boxes, and about 500 rolls of microfilm to be packed and moved. In this webinar, Maria Holden, former Preservation Officer at the New York State Archives, will share her experience with this major moving project, as well as tips and tricks for how to plan your own move. Aside from the physical move, other considerations that may need to be taken into account when relocating collections, including cost, data collection, intellectual control, and contingency planning will also be discussed.

Presenter: Amelia Parks, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY. Having a regular housekeeping program is essential to the preservation of collections. Clean conditions are important for long-term collections care and for good emergency preparedness. This webinar will address how to develop and maintain a housekeeping program for small- and medium-sized institutions, including policies, schedules, and recommended cleaning products.

Presenter: Gillian Marcus, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY. This webinar guides you through the process of becoming an informed consumer in an often confusing world of products marketed as “archival” or “conservation-grade.”

“Process and purge" - magical words for those who love records management! But what about the rest of us? Faced with mountains of boxed records, how does one process these for efficient storage and access? And how does one appropriately separate obsolete records that may be purged from those that must still be retained? This webinar will walk you through this journey from start to finish sharing 25 years of processing and purging tips and tricks along the way. We will touch on transferring records to inactive storage, identifying and organizing records, applying retention schedules, destroying records, and so much more. Leave your fears behind as you learn to dive into records like the deep end of a swimming pool!

Endangered media formats such as floppy disks, u-matic tapes, and data tapes pose difficult preservation questions for collecting institutions. These increasingly obsolete media formats are sometimes pushed to the side when organizing and preserving archival collections, simply because we often don't know what to do with them. Join Julia Novakovic, Archivist at The Strong National Museum of Play, as she shares her experience with identifying and caring for endangered media formats. This webinar will also address topics such as developing surveys for media collections, finding reference information on these formats, and determining next steps for what you might want to do once you have these numbers.

Presenter: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. Advocacy is not only external—it is crucial for collecting institution staff to be able to advocate internally as well, to co-workers, board, and administration, in order to assure that resources are best allocated. This webinar will explore routes for both external and internal advocacy with a focus on collections care: securing time and funding for preservation initiatives and conservation treatment. It will also discuss opportunities for incorporating information about preservation into all advocacy efforts.

Presenter: Tamara Talansky, Preservation and Imaging Coordinator, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
This webinar provides a basic overview of some of the considerations institutions should make when digitizing materials, including prioritization and selection criteria, handling practices while scanning or photographing, and storage concerns for digital media.

• Manage electronic record keeping systems of varied sizes and types
• File and maintain access to electronic records
• Control the retention and disposition of electronic records
• Develop security and other management controls over electronic records
• Preserve electronic records over long periods of time

Presenter: Samantha Forsko, Preservation Specialist, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts Emergency preparedness is one of the most important steps any cultural institution can take to safeguard its collections. This webinar provides a “big picture” overview of emergency planning and preparedness.

Historical or archival records have long-term value not only for the organization that created them, but also for use in research.

This workshop will discuss methods to ensure that these records are identified, organized, properly stored, available for use, and preserved. It will also suggest ways to develop support for these activities. Attendees will be encouraged to discuss issues related to their historical records with the instructors and with other attendees.

Presenter: Gillian Marcus, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY. This webinar provides an introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for cultural institutions. Topics include the basic principles of prevention, monitoring, identification, and response/recovery, as well as resources for setting up a pest management program.

• The attributes of a good records management program
• Tips for building a records management program and maintaining support over the long term
• How a records inventory can help control records
• How to plan for and carry out a records inventory and analyze the results of the inventory
• How to develop, apply, and update schedules and examine the schedule review and approval process
• A review of the services offered by the State Archives to organizations that want to establish a records management program

Managing electronic records is one of our most timely challenges. It’s increasingly important for records managers to know their electronic records and develop plans to manage them. An effective way to begin this process is to conduct an electronic records inventory. This webinar will discuss how to identify key e-records systems, collect meaningful data, analyze the results, and develop an e-records management plan.

The COVID-19 public health emergency has resulted in an unprecedented level of documentation - both of the pandemic’s impact on communities and governments' response to the pandemic. Local governments and state agencies seeking guidance on managing and preserving these records are welcome to join us as we provide some insight on managing records in a remote environment, applying appropriate retention schedule items, and identifying records of enduring historical value.

Presenter: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. This presentation covers key collections management topics such as acquisition, appraisal, documentation and deeds of gift, inventory, and deaccessioning. Issues such as “found in the collection” items and abandoned property are also addressed.

Presenter: Anne Karle-Zenith, Associate Director of Business Development, Metropolitan New York Library Council; Jennifer Palmentiero, Digital Services Librarian, Southeastern New York Library Resource Council. This webinar provides an introduction to copyright law for archival and special collection managers. Fair use and special exemptions for libraries and archives are also covered. The presentation concludes with a discussion of copyright considerations related to deeds of gifts, donor agreements, reuse of collection materials, and permission and fee policies.

Presenters: Clare Flemming, Consulting Archivist; Brandon Zimmerman, Consulting Archivist. Collecting institutions are regularly faced with ethical decisions, from questions of access and privacy to authenticity and copyright in collections. This webinar will discuss some of the more common ethical issues and the professional codes of ethics governing archives and libraries.

Presenter: Erin Richardson, Director of Collections, Farmers’ Museum. Designed for any staff or volunteers involved in collections care, this webinar is a primer on how institutions should address their trickier holdings: old loans, abandoned property, and materials “found in the collection.”

The purpose of Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) grants is to help local governments establish records management programs or develop new program components. 

• We will provide an overview of our eGrants system, which will allow you to apply online for an LGRMIF grant
• We will talk about what is new with our grants program, provide tips on preparing an effective application, and describe the review process

Presenter: Heather Hendry, Senior Paper Conservator, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. Light is one of the ten agents of deterioration, making it especially crucial that collecting institutions know how to control and mitigate exposure to light during storage and exhibition. This webinar discusses basic principles of managing light exposure in collections, including identifying light sources commonly found in institutional storage, measuring and understanding visible and UV light values, current standards for light exposure during exhibition, and preventive measures to avoid unnecessary exposure to light. The light sensitivity of materials commonly held in archives, museums, and libraries is also discussed. Several case studies will show how small and large real world institutions have protected their collections.

Local history provides such color and depth to an otherwise bland panorama of dates, events and places. It offers unique information and creates a context for regional, state and national history. But what is the documentary basis for excellent local history and what is the local historian’s role in identifying and promoting historical records in a community context? This webinar will explore these questions as they relate to the primary roles of local historians – interpreting the past through research and writing, teaching, organizing, advocacy and historic preservation. We will consider the nature and challenges associated with local records, where they may be located, and options to preserve and make accessible these local treasures. This presentation will be valuable to records management officers, historians, and all those charged with overseeing the rich history of their communities.

Managing the annual flow of records from active offices to inactive storage and their regular disposition is the foundational principle of records management. This is the pivotal key to maintaining an inactive records storage area or facility. In the end, having this process down will determine the quality and efficiency of your entire records program. If managed well, this one thing will make you look like a records superstar, otherwise – not so much.

This one-hour webinar will review amazing tips and tricks that will help you manage the annual flow of records like a champ. We will discuss all of the tasks required to maintain a well-run inactive records facility, from small vault areas up to gigantic warehouse-sized programs. It will touch on maintaining organization and access, disposition of obsolete records, and a few ideas on archiving historical records.

This webinar will definitely be appreciated by all individuals who manage inactive records.

Today, most records are born digital, but many are still printed to paper, often unnecessarily. This workshop will explore strategies to manage these records digitally throughout their lifecycle and make the printer obsolete. This workshop will discuss the challenges of managing born digital records and give participants practical solutions to the problems of managing born digital records including access, retention, disposition, and preservation of these valuable records.

• Identify pitfalls and benefits associated with case file management
• Consider methods to improve access
• Show how case file retention schedules can simplify disposition
• Examine modern storage equipment and filing strategies
• Evaluate benefits of digital imaging and electronic case file management

Many New York State municipalities have courts. The records these courts create pose special challenges for these local governments. Court records are governed by different rules than the rest of local government records, including separate records retention and disposition schedules. Geof Huth, Chief Records Officer for the Office of the New York State Unified Court System, will explain how to use these schedules, how to organize files, how to properly dispose of court records, and other special rules those who manage court records should be aware of.

Careful management of inactive records storage is critical to the success of a records management program.

This workshop will discuss:

• The importance of inactive records storage
• The basic steps involved in setting up a facility, whether in-house or off-site
• Ownership and custody of inactive records
• Equipment, supplies, and safety concerns
• Cost-benefit analysis, and space planning
• How to develop inactive records facility policies and procedures A case study approach will be used as workshop participants plan an inactive records storage facility.

Careful management of inactive records storage is critical to the success of a records management program, allowing agencies to more efficiently manage their records and office space.

This workshop will discuss:

• Discuss the importance of inactive records storage
• Discuss the State Records Center and its services
• Review the basic steps involved in setting up a facility, whether in-house or off-site
• Provide an overview of records ownership and custody issues
• Discuss how to develop inactive records facility policies and procedures

Many state and local government entities in New York State engage the public through social media, but few of those properly manage the records created on social media platforms. This webinar will demonstrate how social media content can be a government record and provide guidance on using social media effectively. A major focus of the webinar will be how to capture and preserve social media records to ensure the retention of the records for the full extent of their retention periods.

Topics covered by this webinar will include:

• Managing social media content as official records
• Assessing the risks of engaging in social media
• Developing a social media plan
• Writing social media policies
• Retaining and preserving social media records

Many state and local government entities in New York State engage the public through social media, but few of those properly manage the records created on social media platforms. This webinar will demonstrate how social media content can be a government record and provide guidance on using social media effectively. A major focus of the webinar will be how to capture and preserve social media records to ensure the retention of the records for the full extent of their retention periods.

Topics covered by this webinar will include:

• Managing social media content as official records
• Assessing the risks of engaging in social media
• Developing a social media plan
• Writing social media policies
• Retaining and preserving social media records 

Presenter: Maggie Downing, Manager of Digital Imaging, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. This webinar will focus on the basics of managing digital collections and will address born-digital material as well as items that have been converted to digital format. Maggie Downing, Manager of Digital Imaging at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, will discuss scalable strategies that can be implemented by institutions of all sizes.

This workshop presents strategies for taking physical and intellectual control of photographs to ensure their long-term access and use.

This workshop:

• Discusses methods of organizing and making accessible photographic material
• Provides preservation guidelines for photographs
• Outlines reference, exhibition, and outreach strategies

Presenters: David Lowry, Head, Local Government Advisory Services, NYSA; Jennifer O’Neill, Supervisor, Scheduling and State Agency Services, NYSA. Institutional records are crucial for administrative, legal, and operation requirements. A records management program allows institutions to have systematic control over the creation, use, maintenance, and disposition of their records. This webinar will cover the basics of implementing and managing a records management program at a collecting institution, regardless of size.

Presenter: Dacia Metes, Digital Archives Manager, Queens Public Library. What is metadata? And why does it matter? This webinar will answer these questions and more! Intended to help those just getting started with metadata, topics covered will include best practices for item- and collection-level metadata, file naming, and systems for capturing metadata. Dublin Core and Encoded Archival Description (EAD) will also be addressed.

Presenter: Gillian Marcus, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY. This webinar covers the basics of mold: what it is, why it happens to archival and library materials, how to recognize it, as well as strategies for prevention and recovery. Resources for responding to a mold outbreak are also discussed. Note: In the slide titled “Inactivating Mold: Freezing,” it should say “Below -20°C/-4°F” instead of “Below -20°F.”

Presenter: Amanda Murray, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY. Visual materials are a ubiquitous part of many collections that pose specific challenges to providing access. This session will discuss important considerations for the successful arrangement and description of visual materials in order to gain intellectual and physical control, improve accessibility, and provide for preservation.

Many local governments and state agencies begin records management improvements with great gusto and enthusiasm, but over time they begin to lose control of their records and their systems begin to backslide. Often this is caused by a lack of policies and procedures, or a situation where these procedures are not followed. During the workshop, participants will write draft policies and procedures and discuss them as a group. The workshop will also provide participants with a sample policy manual covering all aspects of records management.

This workshop focuses on:

• The value of documenting policies and procedures
• How to develop policies and procedures and make sure they are followed
• How to keep policies up to date and relevant
• Why to develop records management policies and procedures
• How to write records management policies and procedures
• How to develop and promote a records management policy manual

Presenter: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. Permanently removing accessioned materials from your holdings can be daunting. However, deaccessioning is an important collections management tool, particularly for institutions that are overcrowded or have accepted every donation that came their way. This webinar will address best practices when it comes to deaccessioning, including policies and suggested workflows.

Presenter: Amelia Parks, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY. This webinar covers strategies for planning and installing exhibits of archival collections using preservation quality materials and following best practices for preservation strategies.

With ever-changing technology and the short life expectancy of the media on which they are stored, electronic records pose a special challenge to governments' preservation. Governments' electronic records can be found not only on computer media, but also on audio tapes and videotapes.

This workshop will discuss:

• different types of electronic media
• techniques for preserving electronic records
• how to maximize longevity of electronic storage media
• how to preserve electronic media through proper storage techniques
• how to maintaining intelligible access to electronic records

• Describe the different types of electronic media
• Provide practical guidelines about various preservation techniques
• Provide information about proper storage methodologies
• Discuss how to maintain access to records

Providing access to records to the public is a frequent occurrence at local governments and state agencies. This workshop will discuss access responsibilities such as making information available while protecting the records at the same time. Information will also be provided on the use of FOIL (Freedom of Information Law), the Patriot Act and FERPA (Family Rights and Privacy Act).

This workshop will

• Define access and its value
• Review physical vs. intellectual access
• Determine when access is allowable
• Discuss how to provide a functional research area
• Identify types of researchers
• Assist in handling challenging researchers
• Offer access options such as reformatting and donating or depositing records

Verifying that each page of each document was scanned and a true legible copy of the original is the most important step in any imaging project, but the one that is most often ignored. This webinar will explain why this step is so critical to any successful imaging project and review each step in the process of quality control and verification.

Electronic content management systems (ECMS) enable organizations to scan and store images of documents to improve access to records, as well as eliminate paper. ECM systems are also software systems that allow for the creation, indexing, management, and retrieval of documents in various formats through a single interface.

This workshop will present three examples of different ECM systems currently being used by local governments and state agencies. The presenters will demonstrate how their systems manage records and discuss various aspects of how to plan for, implement, and maintain an ECMS. The presentations will be followed by time for questions.

Presenters:

Katie Palmer-House, Town of Dover Town Clerk. Katie will provide practical advice for ECMS scanning projects related to her town’s implementation and use of shared Laserfiche system.

Chuck Piotrowski, Knowledge Management Team, New York Power Authority. Chuck will discuss his work digitizing large format records of the NYS Canal Corporation and managing them with SharePoint.

Joanne Fazzari, Corporate Records Manager, New York Power Authority. Joanne will explain their use of shared metadata across platforms and how this has allowed them to get the most out of their ECM, OpenText Content Server.

Discover all the ways regular, routine disposition of records will benefit your organization!

This session will discuss RMO responsibilities, the benefits of setting up a team of records liaisons and what their roles – as liaisons – can be in terms of achieving your records management goals and making your records program strong and efficient.

This workshop discusses the importance of records management, general records management principles and activities, and tips and strategies to help your organization move forward with implementing the things you learn.

Presenter: Samantha Forsko, Preservation Specialist, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
This webinar explores the basics of conducting a risk assessment at your institution. Conducting a risk assessment is one of the first steps an institution can take in the preparation and updating of an emergency preparedness and response plan.

Scanning (digitizing) your historical photographs is the perfect way to increase use, share and preserve these visual treasures. But there is a lot to consider in terms of scanners, software, file formats, image resolution, bit depth, compression, preservation . . . the list goes on and on. Anyone can create a digital image from a photograph, but in this workshop, we will unveil the secrets to creating the highest possible quality scans of your photos. We will provide everything you need to know to take your scans from blase to brilliant in a very practical, informal presentation. Come and have some fun learning the true art of scanning. Whether you are a newbie or have serious experience scanning, this workshop will open your eyes to new techniques that will dramatically improve your digital results.

Presenter: Gillian Marcus, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY. This webinar provides an overview of collections security with a focus on protection from theft and vandalism. Topics will include secure storage, protection of materials while in use, and security policies and procedures.

Presenter: Jason Henn, Manager of Marketing & External Relations, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Social Media is an excellent platform for sharing information about your organization and highlighting the collections under your care. This webinar will address the basics of establishing a social media presence for your organization on two popular platforms, Instagram and Facebook, and how they can be used to build audiences, share stories, and promote events.

Presenter: Maria Holden, Preservation Officer, New York State Office of Cultural Education. Archives, libraries, and museums of all sizes face challenges when considering how to make the most of collections storage spaces, particularly when space is limited. The presenter will discuss strategies for making the most of precious storage space as well as ways to prioritize best practices and current standards for housing and storing institutional collections.

Presenters: Amy Heuer, Manager of Marketing and Engagement, CCAHA; Lee Price, Director of Development, CCAHA
This webinar looks at fresh strategies to build audiences, promote collections, and connect with new audiences, with additional discussion of how to leverage your stories for fundraising.

Find out what you need to focus on to ensure staff understand what records they are creating, what records management is, and their role in it. 

Implementing cold storage solutions at your institution can pose unique challenges. Obtaining funding, purchasing equipment, packaging collections, and figuring out how to monitor temperatures are just a few of the hurdles involved in this process. In this webinar, Christine Perche will share insight and lessons learned from the implementation of cold storage solutions at Storm King Arts Center.

Presenters: Tammy Gobert, Preservation and Access Archivist, Institute Archives and Special Collections, RPI Jenifer Monger, Assistant Institute Archivist, Institute Archives and Special Collections, RPI Dealing with a large mold outbreak is one of the most difficult situations an institution can face; in this webinar, staff from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Library share insight and lessons learned after they tackled a large mold outbreak in the collections.

Presenter: Gillian Marcus, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY
Providing stable environmental controls is one of the most important steps an institution can take to preserve its collections. As strict parameters for temperature and relative humidity can be expensive and difficult to implement for many institutions, efforts should be focused on maintaining environmental conditions that are attainable, sustainable, and cost-effective over the long term. This webinar will cover the impact temperature and relative humidity can have on collections, as well as ways to mitigate the risks posed by fluctuations or extremes. Establishing and maintaining an environmental monitoring program will also be addressed.

Sometimes it’s important to get back to the basics. If you’re looking for a refresher course or you’re new to records management this webinar is for you. We’ll discuss why records management is so important, the basic principles of records management, and basics of records management activities such as retention, access and preservation.

Presenter: Susan Weinrich, Vice President of Organizational and Community Development, NYCON. Does your institution have a strategic plan? If not, this webinar will convince you to start the process!

• Explain the legal requirements of a records management program;
• Review federal and state laws that greatly impact records management 
• Review court cases that affect records management; 
• Explain how the legal discovery process works;
• Explain the consequences of not preserving records; and 
• Provide practical steps for going forward.

Presenter: Kate Philipson, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY. Processing archival collections, which is the work of arranging, describing, and housing materials, can sometimes feel overwhelming. Creating an initial processing plan helps to make these activities more manageable, as it proposes a clear guide to understanding any given collection and the resources that are necessary to make it accessible. This webinar will address the reasons for utilizing processing plans in your workflows, as well as the details of how to write one and implement it effectively.

Congratulations, you are an RMO! Welcome to the role of Records Management Officer. This webinar will explain why this essential position exists, what its key responsibilities are, and how you and others in your organization can work together to build and maintain a strong records management program.

Understanding the 10 Agents of Deterioration is a 2-week, virtual course that will cover basic knowledge needed to identify and understand the 10 Agents of Deterioration that may threaten your collections: Light; Incorrect Temperature; Incorrect Relative Humidity; Fire; Water; Pests; Pollutants; Physical Forces; Theft & Vandalism; and Custodial Neglect. Risk assessment and mitigation strategies will also be discussed.

This online course is intended for individuals who manage cultural collections, with a focus on those who are new to archival preservation, who may not have had formal preservation training, or who are looking to brush up on their knowledge.

Instructors:

• Amanda Murray, Preservation Specialist, DHPSNY
• Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, CCAHA
• Emelia Boehm Emig, Preservation Specialist, CCAHA
• Kate Philipson, Archives Specialist, DHPSNY
• Liyah Desher, Education & Outreach Specialist, DHPSNY

Dates: Monday, September 27 - Friday, October 8, 2021

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the DHPSNY Understanding the 10 Agents of Deterioration Online Course, participants will:

• have an increased awareness of what the 10 agents of deterioration are and the risks they pose to collections
• gain an understanding of basic strategies to manage and/or mitigate these risks
• be able to successfully implement planning tools such as security and disaster recovery plans at their institution

Register by Sunday, September 19, 2020. Please note that this program has limited registration and is only offered to constituents representing institutions in New York. If you are registering from outside of New York State, your registration may be denied.

• updates to the Fiscal Operations section of the Schedule to cover records related to the Statewide Financial System (SFS) and to standardize most retention periods to 6 years         
• waiver of the imaging certification statement and requirement that agencies submit a separate  records disposition request for destruction of original records after scanning or microfilming
• updates to existing items based on changes to legal requirements since the last revision of the Schedule

The historical records of towns, villages, cities, counties, school districts and other local governments are among the most amazing treasures for those conducting family and local history. They have the ability to paint beautiful panoramas, providing detail and color to otherwise bland lists of names, dates and places. But accessing these records, knowing what is available and where to find them, can be rather daunting.

This one-hour webinar will outline the types of historical records available at many local governments. It will explore where you may find them and the kinds of information they contain. We will also discuss some of the challenges and approaches you might use to successfully access these treasures.

This webinar will be really valuable for researchers, historians, and for all individuals who care for and make accessible historical records in local governments.

The New York State Archives is responsible for storing state agency records with long-term historical value, and is critical in ensuring their preservation and access for future New Yorkers.  This workshop will discuss the importance of transferring your agency’s archival records to the State Archives. It will outline the transfer process, review policies and procedures for requesting and using materials at the State Archives, and examine the conditions under which records may be loaned back to agencies.

The New York State Archives develops retention schedules to help local government officials efficiently dispose of records they no longer need to keep, but we sometimes feel a little uneasy about this process. This webinar will introduce the foundational principles of using state archives retention schedules.

This webinar focuses on

• How to use State Archives local government retention schedules effectively
• How to identify specific records in a schedule
• How to avoid common pitfalls using retention schedules
• How to develop office retention schedules
• How to appropriately dispose of obsolete records

This one-hour webinar will outline the importance of retention and disposition schedules to state agencies.  We will discuss how to develop, apply, and update schedules, examine the review and approval process, and explore why retention scheduling is such an integral part of an agency’s overall records management program.

The New York State Records Center (SRC), operated by the New York State Archives, provides efficient, low-cost, inactive records storage and retrieval for New York State agencies. This workshop is intended to provide agencies with further information on how the SRC operates and how they may utilize its services.

This workshop will:

• Provide step-by-step instructions for transferring paper records, microfilm, and computer media to the SRC
• Demonstrate how to prepare records for transfer to the SRC
• Discuss how to gain access to records stored at the SRC
• Review records disposition and destruction at the SRC
• Provide an overview of the billing process and recent changes in billing
• Review changes in records center policies and procedures

Moving records from active offices to inactive storage and their regular disposition is essential to maintaining an inactive records storage area or facility. This webinar will discuss some of the basics and provide some helpful solutions to the different challenges inactive records present. It does not matter if you work with records stored in a small vault with a few shelves or a humungous warehouse, there will be some of the same fundamental information you need to maintain a well-run inactive records facility. This webinar will discuss organization and access of inactive records, disposition of records no longer needed and how to create the best environment to ensure you have the best records storage area you can. Anyone who deals with inactive records is bound to learn something new.

Genealogist are, by far, the largest user group of New York State local government historical records. This webinar will help local government officials understand what the genealogist is looking for and why. It will provide tips and strategies on records access that help make things easier for you and the genealogist.

By State Education Department Regulations, Local Governments must have a designated Records Management Officer (RMO) who is responsible for its Records Management Program. This webinar will explain why this essential position exists and review the role of the RMO. In addition, this webinar will discuss the attributes of a good Records Management (RM) program and provide the tools necessary for building and maintaining a successful program. Finally, we will review the services offered by the State Archives and other organizations that can help provide support for your Records Management program.

By State Education Department regulations, each state agency must have a Records Management Officer (RMO) who is responsible for managing its records management program. This workshop looks at the role and responsibilities of the RMO.

This workshop will:

• Review the the role of Records Management Officer (RMO)
• Identify the responsibilities of the RMO and others
• Discuss the attributes of a good records management program
• Provide tips for building a records management program and maintaining support over the long term
• Provide a forum for sharing strategies on maintaining support
• Review the services offered by the State Archives to organizations that want to establish a records management program.