The Nevada State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) is pleased to announce the first of the winners of the 2024 Scholarship for archivists and associated professionals working to preserve Nevada's historical documents to attend the 2024 CIMA annual meeting and any workshops offered as part of the conference. This scholarship was funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Congratulations to Emily Fellmer, Senior Collections Manager at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas!
Post by Emily Fellmer:
"Soaking in Reno’s historic neon after the ‘Dine-Around’ event was the perfect way to kick off the conference" ~ Emily Fellmer
Attending the Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA) was an insightful and inspiring educational and professional development opportunity. This years’ focus of ‘Back to the Basics, Into the Future’ was a perfect blend to refresh core concepts and practices in the field but with the thought to advance those practices further with delving into newer trends with digital preservation and ways to streamline processes. The ‘Approaches to File Naming’ session encapsulated the theme by discussing multiple ways that institutions have used technology to assist with creating an efficient workflow while keeping professional standards in mind.
As a recipient of a SHRAB CIMA scholarship, I was able to attend the CIMA conference for the first time. The sessions gave great insight into such a wide range of subjects from Email Preservation to Accessibility to Finding Aids. Many of the sessions showed creative methods of how to successfully execute a project with limited resources, something many institutions navigate regardless of their size. The session on ‘Backlogs’ and ‘Archiving the Archive’ gave many tips that I’ll be able to apply to my institution. The Poster Sessions created a great blend of learning about emerging projects at various institutions and allowing a space to ask questions. During the post sessions, I was able to talk to colleagues about projects that I’ve implemented similar to theirs and talk through what went well for each of us and brainstorm on ways we can streamline processes.
As a first-time CIMA attender, the community was so welcoming, inspiring, and encouraging. Making connections at this conference has widened my professional network by discussing trends in the field and projects with colleagues from other states and other institutions within Nevada. The Local Arrangements Committee and CIMA Board curated thoughtful networking experiences by hosting the reception at a local museum and ‘Dine-Around’ events at historic properties, which allowed additional educational opportunities while networking. The tour of the University of Nevada, Reno Special Collections and Basque Library were very informative on the scopes of their collections and their prioritization of accessibility. The conference sparked many ideas on how I can implement these new concepts at my institution.
Thank you to SHRAB and NHPRC for granting me this opportunity to attend the CIMA conference to expand my knowledge of current best practices and standards in our field.
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