Seattle Area Archivists Winter Meeting

Seattle Area Archivists Winter Meeting
Date: Thursday, March 9 - 2:00-4:00
Location: University of Washington, Suzzallo Library Basement, Room B69

Topic: The Washington Film Preservation Project will be the feature of the winter Seattle Area Archivists meeting. Nicolette Bromberg will talk about a
consortium of institutions with a common goal of caring for film collections. She will speak about film preservation, goals of the consortium, and holdings of participating institutions. If you come you will leave feeling more excited about your film holdings and more comfortable handling film!

Directions: University of Washington, Suzzallo Library Room B69. Go to the lobby of the Allen Library North where the information desk is located. You will see crows hanging from the ceiling. Take the elevator in that lobby to the basement. When you get off the elevator, turn to your right. The classroom is the first door on your right.

Message from Great Northwest Region Coordinator

Resilience, the Stepping Stone to a stronger ARMA and RIM Profession

Resilience is the ability to recover rapidly in the face of change. I heard this word recently and thought about the multitude of changes our association and the RIM profession has weathered from inception to our current state. As with any other change, it is either embraced or looked on with fear and trepidation. How do we both as RIM professionals and within our chapters and region, retain our resilience, look to the future proactively, and be a leader within the industry?

Your chapter and each of you as a RIM professional have the opportunity to prove how resilience is a stepping stone and can build a stronger force within our association and especially the RIM profession.

How do we as a region, and also individually in our chapters build this resilience and stay one step ahead of all the changes we continually face each day? I remember one scene in the “Wizard of Oz”, when Dorothy asks the Wizard how she will get back home. The answer was already within her reach, she just needed to believe. Just as Dorothy, we need to believe in our abilities and support our chapters to build resilience and widen our opportunities to grow.

I am continually amazed at the level of professionalism and true commitment to RIM within our region and our association. This, in itself, is an attribute to our profession. What elements can help us gain resilience? We already do many things to help this endeavor. One of the most important ways is to keep the lines of communication open within our chapters and provide networking opportunities to all members, not just those that show up to monthly meetings and seminars. It is our responsibility to share our knowledge and experience with each other and show pride in our unique skill sets. I know I always search for new and exciting developments within RIM. Education is the key to staying resilient and prepared to take on any challenge.

Another way to stay resilient within RIM is to collaborate with other professions and functional areas that share a common ground. One prime example is to form a partnership with IS/IT and build a communication channel and level of understanding to address current issues in the management of records and information. Just a simple agreement as to core RIM and IT terms can go a long way to bridging the communication gap! Finally, resilience is the ability to think outside the box and step above an issue to look at the global implications.

In summary, each of us as RIM professionals have the ability to build resilience into our
RIM programs and individual tool kits to meet the needs of the future. ARMA provides both networking and educational opportunities that will help you as an ARMA member stay resilient and build a strong RIM program that will weather the challenges we face both today and in the future.

Fran Blaylock
Great Northwest Region Coordinator

New Chapter Pin to Debut at Conference

Region Conference Registrants to Receive New Chapter Emblem

The Board of Directors of the Greater Seattle Chapter of ARMA International, host chapter for the Great Northwest Region Conference, have announced that attendees at the conference will be given the chapter's new pin with an exciting new design. The pin will be introduced either at the opening reception at the Space Needle on Sunday, March 12, 2006, or at the beginning of the conference at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 13.

Chapter pins are highly prized items for trading and collecting among many who attend the ARMA International Conference each fall. Most designs feature local landmarks, state shapes, or area characteristics. The Portland, Oregon Chapter, for example, designed its pin in the shape of a raindrop. Seattle's current pin features Mt. Rainier and the Space Needle.

"Many chapters have been seduced by the electronic appeal of the flashing light. When walking through the International Conference vendor area, some have found the blinking very distracting," said chapter president Roger Winters. "Nancy Yarges, a chapter member with The Boeing Company, took on this project and presented the board with an exciting design with no batteries, flashing, or moving parts; it was a design we couldn't refuse."

The design is being kept secret until its unveiling at the Region Conference. While conference participants will each be given a pin, it will be for sale thereafter at a price yet to be announced.