MARA Blog

MARA Blog

Profile on MARA Alumna Kristen Cook

Published: December 22, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Several graduate students officially completed the requirements of the Master of Archives and Records Administration program and earned their degrees in December 2016. One of these graduates is Kristen Cook.

Cook works at ESPN, managing projects for the internal creative agency that produces web banners, videos, advertisements, and brand standards. She started the MARA program in August 2012 in order to develop a foundation in best practices for managing the information generated in her department and to cultivate a better relationship with the technology owners she works with. Her goal is to “get away from making the donuts,” and transition her role into one that manages processes, workflows and operations.

MARA Blog

International Directory of National Archives Seeks Students, Alumni for Spring Semester

Published: November 29, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Books have been written about national archives in the past, usually focusing on the national archives of a particular nation. However, none have concentrated on the national archives of all 195 countries recognized through the United Nations (plus Taiwan, which is not so recognized). The International Directory of National Archives, to be co-edited by Dr. Anthony Bernier and Dr. Pat Franks, will serve as a single source of information about national archives around the globe.

MARA Blog

A Profile on MARA Student Morgan King

Published: October 20, 2016 by Anna Maloney

The Master of Archives and Records Administration program at San José State University educates students from a variety of professional backgrounds and experiences. For example, students in the program range from fresh out of their undergraduate studies to having worked in the records and information management field for most of their careers. Morgan King, who is in her last semester of the MARA program, is currently working in the RIM field and earning a MARA degree to advance her career.

MARA Blog

Archives and Sensory Experience

Published: September 28, 2016 by Anna Maloney

The spring/summer issue of The American Archivist, the biannual publication of the Society of American Archivists, was arranged around the theme reconsidering archives. In his introduction to the issue, Editor Gregory S. Hunter explains that the goal is to compel archivists to “look again at the ‘stars’ that guide the archival profession.”  One of the articles closely aligned with this theme is Anna Chen’s “Perfume and vinegar: Olfactory knowledge, remembrance, and recordkeeping,” which explores the role that the sense of smell plays in personal remembrance and society stereotypes.

MARA Blog

NARA Opens Comments for Revised Social Media Strategy

Published: September 21, 2016 by Anna Maloney

In 2010, the U.S. National Archives released its first social media strategy. The three-page document covers NARA’s core values for social media (collaboration, leadership, initiative, diversity, community, openness) and strategies for revolutionizing communication and collaboration within the staff community, engaging with the government community, and building and strengthening relationships with researchers and citizen archivists. It is, in a word, quaint.

MARA Blog

Profile of MARA Alumna Amanda Stowell

Published: September 14, 2016 by Anna Maloney

While finishing up a museum archives internship in the Portland area, Amanda Stowell, ‘16 MARA, was hired on as the first-ever records administrator of ESCO Corporation, a multinational manufacturer of mining equipment with a corporate history dating to 1903.

With her newly minted master’s degree in hand, Stowell found herself the custodian of over 100 years of records. She describes the state of the records at ESCO as a “worst case scenario.” But the daunting nature of this assignment has not quelled her unabashed enthusiasm for records management.

MARA Blog

Survey identifies skills needed of future RIM professionals

Published: September 8, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Each year, the agencies of the U.S. federal government complete the Records Management Self-Assessment, and the statistics generated by these results are pretty telling. The 2015 Self-Assessment revealed that “only 50 percent of federal records officers are dedicated full-time to their agencies’ records and information management (RIM) programs.”

MARA Blog

Students, Faculty to Begin Work on International Directory of National Archives

Published: September 7, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Earlier this year, SJSU iSchool professors Dr. Pat Franks and Dr. Anthony Bernier submitted a proposal to the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing group to compile and publish an International Directory of National Archives. This summer, their proposal was accepted and the two faculty members began working to recruit students and alumni who would be interested in participating in the project for course credit or as volunteers.

MARA Blog

Records in Context–Call for Comments

Published: September 285 2016 by Anna Maloney

The International Council on Archives (ICA) Experts Group on Archival Description (EGAD) has announced the release for public comment the initial draft of the first part of a two-part standard for archival description named Records in Context (RiC).

MARA Blog

Records Retention

Published: August 31, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Each spring, the MARA program offers MARA 210 – Records Creation, Appraisal and Retention. In this course, students learn about the processes of creation and appraisal and design a records retention plan.

MARA Blog

Digital Asset Management

Published: August 24, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Digital Asset Management (DAM) is a hot topic. This collective term describes the process of storing, cataloging, searching, and delivering digital assets (computer files), whether they are videos, audio clips, images, office documents, or 3D models.

MARA Blog

Transferring President Obama’s Records to NARA

Published: August 3, 2016 by Anna Maloney

In a few months, Americans will take to the polls to elect a new president and in January, that person will be sworn into office. But NARA isn’t waiting until next year to begin planning for President Obama’s transition—this process has already been in motion for several months.

MARA Blog

Summer Projects for MARA Students

Published: July 27, 2016 by Anna Maloney

Whether you have a box full of photographs from past family vacations or a smartphone picture album of your most recent weekend getaway, there are many free tools to help you manage your digital assets.