SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA FORUMFORUMARCHIVES 360º: 75TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hosted by SAA’s Communications Technology Working Group

WHY ARE WE HERE?

We want your input! How can communications technology help SAA

communicate better with its members?

Which communication technologies should SAA use?

How well is SAA currently using communications technologies?

WHAT ARE WE DOING TODAY?

Introductions (5 minutes)Orientation (10 minutes)Open discussion (1 hour)

Our goal is to conduct an informal SWOT analysis

WHO IS CTWG? Rebecca Goldman, Digital Archives Technician at Drexel

University; author of the web comic Derangement & Description

Brad Houston, University Records Officer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, home of the SAA Archives

Elizabeth Skene, Curator and Archivist at the Arab American National Museum

Eliot Wilczek, University Records Manager in the Digital Collections and Archives Department at Tufts University

Elizabeth Yakel, Associate Professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan

Brian Doyle (Chair), SAA Director of Member & Technical Services

“WHAT IS YOUR QUEST?”

CTWG’s official charge is:

“To investigate, evaluate, and recommend strategies for the effective management of online content created and/or maintained by the Society.”

WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY?

SAA’s Strategic Plan includes the following desired outcome:

“SAA will make increasingly effective use of current and emerging technology in order to enhance communication with internal and external audiences and stimulate collaboration among its constituents.”

WHAT IS CTWG DOING ABOUT IT?

The SAA Council asked CTWG to conduct an environmental scan of communication technologies currently in use by the Society and assess their effectiveness: Create an index of existing technologies, projects,

and procedures in use by SAA, by official component groups, and by ad hoc member groups;

Convene a public forum to present preliminary findings and solicit input to identify what resources and capabilities members need.

Compile and disseminate online the information received.

WHAT IS CTWG GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

This coming fall, CTWG will use your input to:

Analyze functional gaps;

Identify priority areas; and

Submit recommendations to the Council for consideration at its Winter 2012 meeting.

WHICH TECHNOLOGIES IS SAA ALREADY USING?

HERE’S A PARTIAL LIST:

Drupal content management systemComponent group microsites

SAA list serverArchives & Archivists ListStudent Discussion ListComponent group discussion lists

SAA Facebook page Twitter LinkedIn

WHAT’S A SWOT ANALYSIS?

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a venture.

It involves:•Specifying objectives•Identifying internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve those objectives.

Source: Wikipedia

FROM QUEST TO QUESTIONS…Restatement of objectives:

1. Enhance communication with internal and external audiences.

2. Stimulate collaboration among SAA constituents.

Discussion questions: What STRENGTHS in SAA’s communications technologies

help foster a sense of community among constituents?

What WEAKNESSES impede fostering of community?

What OPPORTUNITIES can the Society leverage: To enhance communication between

internal and external audiences? To stimulate collaboration among constituents?

What THREATS may undermine or decrease the effective use of communication technology now and in the future?

OPEN DISCUSSION

WHAT’S NEXT?

Continue the conversation online at:www2.archivists.org/ctwg

Invite your friends and colleagues to participate.

CTWG members will analyze feedback, identify priorities, and draft recommendations for the SAA Council’s Winter 2012 meeting.