MARA Blog

Overview

MARA Blog

Students in the MARA program and those interested in archives and preservation, electronic records management, information governance, and related fields are highly encouraged to visit this blog often. Managed by MARA Program Coordinator Darra Hofman and written by a current MARA student, this blog will keep you current with the MARA community and what’s happening in the profession.

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MARA Blog

RIMPA Live 2021
Call for Papers 11-14 October Canberra: seeking international experts.

Published: February 2, 2021 by Melissa Prunty Kemp

Posted on behalf of the Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (RIMPA)

The RIMPA Live Convention has a reputation for being innovative and thought-provoking as well as friendly and inclusive – so whatever you want to talk about, we’d like to hear it! Delivered as a hybrid event the possibilities are endless in today’s convention world!

MARA Blog

Digital Preservation Coalition Training

Published: February 1, 2021 by Melissa Prunty Kemp

Are you interested in digital preservation methods or contemporary techniques?  The Digital Preservation Coalition is an invaluable resource for training and research in this area.  An upcoming 2-day training course - Novice to Know-how – could help you reinforce or learn new digital preservation skills. Learn more here.

MARA Blog

Resources for Job Seekers – Call for Applicants
The Lorenzo State Historic Site

Published: January 28, 2021 by Melissa Prunty Kemp

The Lorenzo State Historic site, located in Cazenovia, NY, is seeking a Project Archivist to establish intellectual control over its archival holdings.  The archive consists of about 280 linear feet of material, including land records from the Holland Land Company and family records covering more than 150 years of continuous residence at the mansion.

MARA Blog

2021 – Into Your Future

Published: January 27, 2021 by Melissa Prunty Kemp

Happy 2021 to all new and continuing students!  It’s great to see you all back and ready to absorb, expand and innovate in your disciplines. If this is your first semester,  you may feel a mix of  excitement, anticipation,  even a little fear. You will find plenty of support and assistance from faculty,  fellow students,  and through iSchool MARA advising, all online and always available. 

MARA Blog

ARMA InfoCon
The Virtual Experience

Melissa Kemp

Published: November 6, 2020 by Kenna Wulker

Melissa Kemp is completing her first year in the MARA program. She is a former English professor of 28 years. She taught literature, composition, business and technical writing, and organizational communications. Melissa has been archiving for the past eight years for an international cultural organization. She has owned a professional writing and arts consulting business for 31 years, her current job, and she performs a variety of jobs for the archiving client. She aspires to help cultural organization archive and digitize their collections for long-term preservation and public dissemination. 

MARA Blog

What We Wish We Would Have Known
Tips from Current and Former MARA Students

Published: September 15, 2020 by Kenna Wulker

Fall semester is here and now that we’re about a month in, hopefully, you all are getting into your routine. Oftentimes, navigating online programs can be challenging. We’ve all heard the generic tips for success in school – study, get some sleep, be prepared, etc. However, as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. When you’re at the end of your MARA journey, it’s natural to look back at your time in the program and all you’ve accomplished. Read on to hear what some current and past MARA students wish they would have known when they started out.

MARA Blog

Summer Semester: Staying Motivated

Published: June 18, 2020 by McKenna Wulker

Summer School…

Summer is here and we’re three weeks into the semester already. Can you believe it?! For some of us, summer classes feel like a much needed break, but for others, it’s a daunting and exhausting experience. With so many more things happening during the summer months, it can be hard to stay focused and motivated. Read on for some tips and tricks to get you through these busy months.

MARA Blog

April is RIM Month
An Interview with Nick Inglis, Executive Director of Content and Programming at ARMA International

Published: April 1, 2020 by Kenna Wulker

April is Records & Information Management Month! This month is designed to celebrate the RIM profession and bring awareness and recognition to our practice and practitioners. Nick Inglis is the newest member to the MARA Program Advisory Committee, graciously joining us from  ARMA International. Read on to learn more!

MARA Blog

#SpotlightSeries: First Year MARA Student, Rebecca Sharp

NARA Logo

Published: February 20, 2020 by Kenna Wulker

Our MARA students come from a variety of career backgrounds. Some may already be in the Archives/Records Management profession, while others are continuing their education in hopes of landing that perfect position. First year MARA student Rebecca Sharp shares her experience working for NARA, the National Archives and Records Administration, while taking on the MARA program. Read on to learn more!

MARA Blog

#SpotlightSeries: MARA Alumna, Junia Yasenov

Junia Yasenov

Published: January 6, 2020 by McKenna Wulker

Are you thinking about what happens after graduation? What kind of job you should or could get? There are so many opportunities, where do you start?! Read on to learn about Junia Yasenov, a former MARA student, and her journey post graduation, finding work at the Capuchin Archives in Detroit, Michigan.

MARA Blog

#SpotlightSeries: Getting Involved
MARA Student Nick Zmijewski is appointed to ArchivesSpace board

Published: December 3, 2019 by Kenna Wulker 

Getting involved in the professional archives and records organizations can be a great way to network, learn, and gain valuable experience. Organizations such as ARMA, SAA, AIIM, and others are great places to get started. Current MARA student Nick Zmijewski did just that and was recently appointed to the board of ArchivesSpace as the vice chair of governance board! Read through this interview to learn about Nick’s experience.

MARA Blog

ARMA InfoCon: The Download
My Experience as a First Time Attendee

SJSU Meet Up

Published: November 12, 2019 by Kenna Wulker

Have you ever felt like your brain is stuffed with so much information that it might explode? That’s how my first time at ARMA InfoCon felt. InfoCon 2019 was held in Nashville, Tennessee from October 21-23. Registrants were able to attend workshops, lectures, and vendor booths while discovering new & best practices, experimenting with technology and gaining valuable experience.

MARA Blog

It’s National Archives Month!

American Archives Month

Published: October 14, 2019 by Kenna Wulker

October is American Archives Month! This month is all about raising awareness for the archiving profession and remembering why archives are important to our society and history.

MARA Blog

High School Students Aiding in Centuries Old Archives

Published: September 16, 2019 by Kenna Wulker

Deep within the Vatican is a highly secretive archive containing centuries of documents, decrees and correspondence. The archival collection has remained largely untouched and public access shut off. However, in a massive attempt at increasing accessibility, high school students are aiding artificial intelligence in digitizing these collections.

MARA Blog

Smithsonian Acquires Art Dealer’s Archives

Andrea  Rosen

Published: August 26, 2019 by Kenna Wulker

Art dealer Andrea Rosen is donating her gallery papers to the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art (AAA). With over 250 linear feet of documents, the archives contain quite a bit of history that will now be safeguarded by the AAA.

MARA Blog

An Upgrade for the Wilcox Archives

William Way LGBT Community Center Logo

Published: August 19, 2019 by Kenna Wulker

Thanks to a $300,000 grant, archives at the William Way Community Center in Philadelphia, PA are finally getting the treatment they deserve. In this collection are thousands of various items detailing the history of LGBTQ+ life.