It’s been a rough year and it may not get easier any time soon. When we’re going through difficulties, it’s important to take time to celebrate and find joy in our lives. One of the things we at Atla are finding joy in right now is planning for Theological Libraries Month, which takes place every October! This year is Atla’s 75th anniversary as an association, and we’re excited to reflect on our past and look forward to our future. We’ve got a great list of webinars, presentations, and panels for you this month, so without further ado, let’s get ready to celebrate!
Telling Your Story: Articulating Your Value as a Technical Services Librarian
by Leslie Engelson and Christina Torbert
Did you miss Leslie and Christina’s March webinar on technical services and how to promote yourself? Get ready for this remount of their wildly popular presentation, “Telling Your Story: Articulating Your Value as a Technical Services Librarian,” on October 6, 2020, at 1 p.m. Central Time.
“If you can translate your skills and achievements so others see their value and impact, everyone wins.
Whether justifying the need to fill an open position, writing a tenure or promotion narrative, or even carrying on a conversation with a colleague, librarians who work in Technical Services are often challenged to articulate what they do and the value it brings to the institution they serve. In this webinar we will discuss:
• The challenge of defining value in the context of technical services
• Assessment measures that determine the impact of technical services “products” on users
• Connecting the impact of technical services to the mission of the institution
• Developing a 30-second elevator speech to explain the value of technical services to those outside the library
Presented by Leslie Engelson, Metadata Librarian, Murray State University, and Christina Torbert, Head of Continuing Resources and Acquisitions, University of Mississippi.”
After They Graduate: Best Practices for Promoting Research Tools to Alums and Beyond
Next up, we have Atla Product Specialist Cristina Ochoa leading a panel with three guests on how to help your alumni utilize research tools on October 13, 2020, at 11 a.m. Central Time.
“Does your library offer research tools and databases to alums? Local clergy? Other groups? How do you decide what to offer, and what are some best practices for licensing, promotion, and use of the materials? What are the challenges and opportunities? Join this session which will be followed by an interactive discussion.”
Librarians Across Disciplines: Mitigating Archival Chaos
by Caitlin Reeves Greenamyre
Double feature! On the same day, we have Caitlin Reeves Greenamyre presenting on how to untangle and organize your archival collections. Join us on October 13, 2020, at 1 p.m. Central Time to expand your knowledge!
“Librarians across disciplines unexpectedly inherit archival collections and are often faced with supervising materials despite lack of expertise and training. This situation proves especially challenging for theological libraries because of the variety of materials these collections include. Ranging from ephemera and photographs, to diaries, bibles, and congregational records, these collections offer hidden resources that document local communities and organizational history. Taking the time to minimally organize these collections creates opportunities to connect with faculty and patrons, and supports institutional and alumni relationships.
This session seeks to equip librarians and library administrators with basic tools to gain control of archival collections. Particularly geared towards small theological libraries with minimal archival staff, we will discuss basic archival principles, and outline steps for inventorying, describing, and digitizing archival objects. Participants will leave with tasks that can be introduced into workflows to mitigate archival chaos. The realization that taking even the first step towards archival control will give attendees great confidence in tackling their “stuff” and advocating for institutional support.
Outcomes:
- Gain understanding of the importance of archival collections and the ways they can be leveraged to support institutional goals.
- Obtain awareness of basic archival principles, including accessioning, arrangement and description, and processing.
- Acquire a number of achievable tasks that incorporate archival control into diverse settings and workflows.
Presented by Caitlin Reeves Greenamyre, Archivist, Columbia Theological Seminary.”
Celebrating and Preserving the Past through Digitization and the Atla Digital Library
by Christy Karpinski, Huw Sandaver, David Stiver, and Carol Smith
Just what sort of things does the Atla Digital Library contain? Find out on October 22, 2020, at 3 p.m. Central Time when three of our Digital Library partners with show us their fascinating collections.
“During this webinar, three contributors to the Atla Digital Library will showcase current interesting and unique digitization projects at their institutions. These projects aim to preserve content in theology and religion and offer Atla constituents opportunities to interact and utilize legacy content.
- ‘Goold Collection Digitization Project’
Mannix Library, University of Divinity - ‘Sacred Dance’
Graduate Theological Union - ‘Digitizing the Records of Philadelphia’s Historic Congregations: Providing Documentation for the Political, Cultural and Social Developments in Philadelphia’
Christ Church Preservation Trust
Presented by Huw Sandaver, University of Divinity; David Stiver, Graduate Theological Union; Carol Smith, Christ Church; and Christy Karpinski, Atla.”
Forum on Theological Librarians Around the World
by the International Theological Librarianship Education Task Force (ITLE)
To close out the month, we are thrilled to have the International Theological Librarianship Education Task Force presenting a forum on what it’s like to be a theological librarian all around the globe. Join us on October 27, 2020, at 10 a.m. Central Time to tune into this riveting discussion. More details to follow!
If you’re excited about Theological Libraries Month 2020, feel free to tweet at us or post on our Facebook about which sessions you can’t wait for and how you plan to celebrate!
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