Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 9th, 2025

Getting off the plane in OKC for the 2025 National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) Annual Conference, I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect. I knew that I would be surrounded by colleagues and maybe some future friends, but I don’t usually go in for this type of thing. With gentle urging of Dr. Hofman, I decided to take the leap, and am certainly glad that I did. From the outset everyone was warm and friendly, especially when seeing that I was a first-timer. The whole convention was very well planned and organized. I found the general sessions to be engaging, inspiring and interesting, and the flow of each day was orderly and fun.

I will say that I could have done a better job networking, but I did make sure to talk to people wherever I went, as getting outside one’s comfort zone is just as important as continuous learning. I found everyone to be friendly, and the coded stickers and ribbons that were provided helped as conversation starters and to identify “your people”. The stickers were to identify Federal, State, Local, Tribal and Student attendees. Students got the loveable trash panda!

The sessions were a highlight for me; I sat in on the (free) Preservica Precon, which was very helpful. I got out of my shell and talked to others in a group that I was in, sharing stories, which is always a great way to build conversational bridges. There were 35 different sessions throughout the conference, and I had trouble picking from the offerings for each time block. The first session I chose was “Box of Records,” which was a timed group activity where we were to inventory a box of important (and not so important) items, according to retention policies. It was really fun and a great way to start off the conference. Next was “When the Medium Has No Message,” which was a presentation in regard to legacy media (my favorite) and when & how to say no to those donations. Very thought-provoking and useful. I felt I had found “my people” in that room. Another seminar focused on using AI to enhance access to legacy records regarding slavery. It was fascinating to see how bleeding-edge technology allows us to help share stories of voices that were long silent. I attended seven sessions in total. What I was happy to see was that the presenters didn’t just share theory; they shared war stories, successes and failures, lessons learned the hard way, and creative solutions I’m eager to bring back to my own workplace.

I took a lot of notes in the great notebook that was part of the swag bag (a water bottle was included; I feel like this is now a required item in swag bags) and tried to split my attention between recording and actively listening. Luckily, as an added bonus, each workshop and seminar was recorded. I eagerly await the release of these recordings, not only to listen to what I was unable to attend, but also to relisten to the presentations that I attended and reach out to the presenters.

At first, I thought I would bypass the vendors/exhibitors area. I didn’t think that there would be anything relevant to me. However, the reps at the ICRM booth were quite helpful, as they talked me through what to expect for the CRM exam and what to focus on for preparation. Also, I visited several other booths, including Preservica, that were relevant to my own archival history initiative that I have been working on for several years. I found my nervousness (and imposter syndrome) fading as I found I had relevant questions for them and could field intelligent follow-ups to their specific questions about my project.

Finally, I visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It was certainly an awe-inspiring and touching space, heightened by the sunset. The field of empty chairs stood silent, and the dark shallow pool was still, mirroring the gates that mark the time before and after the tragedy as the day’s last light softened into gold.

Beyond the discount for the conference ticket, I am glad I joined NAGARA, as I am already taking advantage of free webinars that the membership provides. I left the conference with a notebook full of experiences and new ideas, a stack of new resources from the vendors, and the kind of professional motivation you can’t download or read in a book. More than anything, I left knowing I’m part of a vibrant, collaborative community that’s shaping the future of records management and archives.