Digitization is one of the most requested, most expensive, and most influential programs in an archives' public service model. Archivists often find themselves juggling donor and patron expectations, ever-shrinking budgets, and our own obligation to advocate for the highest availability of our materials.
Like many institutions, Northern Kentucky University faces increasing demands for digitization of archival materials and simultaneously shrinking budgets. In this session, NKU's former head of Special Collections and University Archives and current librarian for Archives draw on their experience forming a digitization initiative with cost-efficiency and a lens for the ease of patron experience. Regardless of the size and style of your archives, you will leave the session with practical solutions for creating a digitization program with the needs of both your users and units in mind.
Topics discussed will include evaluating and utilizing equipment (new and outdated,) storage and software suggestions, digitization workflows that work for you, and our efforts to automate a process that is simultaneously deeply critical and time-intensive.
Speakers Gideon McDaniel, Dayton Metro Library (Session Chair) Michael Providenti, Northern Kentucky University
Nonexistent accession records, the consequences of a “weed nothing” mindset, and a lack of collections policy are not the kinds of things library school really prepares you for. But for many solo archivists and archival workers placed in brand new or undermanaged archives, it is your responsibility to bring order to potentially decades of chaos, ready or not. This presentation aims to be an informative support group; to provide both emotional catharsis and practical recommendations from the case studies of two early-career solo archivists doing the underdiscussed work of inheriting an archival collection with little to no institutional memory or few policies to guide the process.
The presenters of this session both come from small archives, tasked with (re)building the infrastructure of their departments while also handling the reference inquiries and processing activities that keep their archives moving into the future. Presenters will share their experiences and offer their solutions to common problems faced by solo archivists and archival workers in similar situations, including building workflows and collection policies, recovering institutional histories, and taking on work that is beyond your current expertise. Contributions to this session will also be made by the registrar who was assigned to the archives previously, prior to the hiring of the archivist.
Speakers Jenna Kish, Ohio Genealogical Society (Session Chair) Autumn Muir, University of Michigan-Dearborn Hannah Zmuda, University of Michigan-Dearborn
The Columbus Metropolitan Library is the fourth-most followed public library in the country, due in part to a dynamic, educational, and at times, “unhinged” social media strategy that promotes library services and collections, while not taking the medium too seriously.
Digital Storyteller Specialist Grayson Kelly will share about the overall social media strategy CML employs, including its roughly 20 percent allocation to education and history content. This includes the library's incredibly popular “Then and Now” weekly series, which annually includes some of the library’s top-performing posts. Local History & Genealogy Librarian Grace Freeman will talk about the process to select sites, highlight collection materials and the community, and create content through this historic lens.
Kelly and Freeman will share how they have successfully highlighted library special collections, archives, and digital assets across social media platforms while engaging their community. They will also discuss how their unique areas of expertise allow them to make authentic historic content digestible to followers and to encourage future engagement with collections.
Outreach to those not in our libraries can be hard, but these strategies help bridge the (digital) divide.
Conducting institution-wide inventories can be a challenging adventure. The size and scope of such a project, the unexpected roadblocks, and the surprising finds are sure to keep things interesting. This session will describe how three institutions tackled these challenges, including lessons learned and tips for anyone interested in embarking on their own journey.
Come hear how staff at Wayne State University systematically inventoried its 75,000-linear-foot collection, dealing with physical challenges, staying flexible, and grappling with legacy record-keeping practices; how the University of Wisconsin-Madison is surveying over 28,000 linear feet of collections to identify shelf locations, collection size, physical condition, materials types, un-accessioned collections, and undocumented digital materials; and how the University of Minnesota has used a digital inventory to track 350 TB of digital materials across multiple collecting areas for the past 10 years. We are confident these shared processes are scalable to institutions of various sizes and hope to encourage you to dive in and see what you can find in your institution!
Speakers Stefanie Caloia, Wayne State University Elizabeth Clemens, Wayne State University Carol Kussmann, University of Minnesota Mackenzie Ryan, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The histories of our institutions, spaces, collections, and communities come to life through the stories we tell with exhibits. As a tried-and-true way to promote collections, facilitate collection development, and engage users, the best exhibits go far beyond strategic goals and informational value. Exhibits have the power to connect people.
As technology changes and our audiences evolve, exhibit strategies and impacts evolve, too. This session explores four recent case studies of exhibits, both physical and digital, pop-up and longer term, that support a range of outreach, deep collaboration, and collection development opportunities.
Projects from Ohio State, Iowa State, Illinois State, and Bowling Green State illustrate multiple ways that exhibits can engage. Capitalizing on significant university milestones and special collections, these case studies cover diverse approaches to exhibit formats, multi-year and short-term partnerships, and building sustainable practices. The projects include working across library departments to create digital exhibits; collaborations with faculty, alumni, and university departments on curation and promotion; development and enhancement of related digital and physical collection building; instruction, outreach, and extending the life of exhibits; and aspects of community building around exhibit work that center viewers and provide ample space for them to share their perspectives.
Specifically, panelists will discuss the development of their exhibits; tools and platforms used; collaboration, promotion, and engagement strategies that worked (or didn’t); the impact on using and generating collections; and takeaways for you to consider at your institution.
Speakers Jaycie Vos, Iowa State University (Session Chair) Jolie Braun, The Ohio State University Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Illinois State University Jennifer Long Morehart, Bowling Green State University
Academic archivists and librarians dedicate significant time, energy, and resources to outreach programming with the goal of encouraging students to visit, donate to, and use campus archives. A*CENSUS II reports that external outreach is a primary job duty for 17 percent of those working in archives. Yet, the literature consistently shows that student awareness of archives is low, which means that students are highly unlikely to engage with archives as researchers or donors. Because college and university students are at a point in their studies when they develop critical thinking skills through more intense research, academic archives are a prime entry point for students to familiarize themselves with the essential evidence of our societies and our cultures. So, what forms of outreach will not only catch the attention of our students, but also promote collaboration and foster a sense of belonging in the archives?
This IMLS-funded study aimed to fill a gap in the literature by developing a data-driven, cost-effective, best-practice model for student-centered outreach in academic archives. To achieve this goal, we conducted a series of focus groups in 2025 that brought together undergraduate and graduate students, academic library and archives practitioners, and faculty from across the country to discuss major themes of outreach, awareness, and engagement and make suggestions for improving existing outreach programming. We gained valuable insight into how students perceive the archives, how they could see themselves engaging as researchers or donors, and how practitioners and faculty members might best encourage meaningful student engagement with the archives. Our presentation will discuss highlights of our data, share our initial model for student-centered outreach, and offer insight into how the model can be implemented at a range of institutions with diverse populations, varying resources, and unique outreach goals.
Speakers Bryan Whitledge, Central Michigan University (Session Chair) Brittany Newberry, Georgia State University
Saturday May 16, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT Theatre, 1st FloorOhio Union
