Society of Florida Archivists Annual Meeting 2025
"Repair, Restore, Recover"

Annual Meeting Schedule

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

8:00 - 8:45 am: Registration and breakfast (coffee and pastries available)

8:45 - 9:00 am: Welcome and introductions

• Dr. Arianne Johnson Quinn, SFA President
• Laura Marion and Keila Zayas Ruiz, Planning Committee Co-Chairs

9:00 - 9:45 am

Offsite, But Never Off My Mind: Moving Collections Material to Offsite Storage

Members of Florida State University Special Collections & Archives (SCA) Collections Management Team will discuss the tools and workflows created to complete a move of 15,000 linear feet of materials from a flooded subbasement to Iron Mountain offsite storage facilities. This presentation is in part a follow up to a panel given at the SFA annual meeting in 2023 on the Great Holiday Flood of 2022. In addition to discussing planning and workflows for major collections moves and implementing remote storage service models, the session addresses how the move has significantly changed the roles and responsibilities of the collections management team.

Presenters: Hannah Davis and Haley McGuyre (Florida State University)

9:45 - 10:30 am

Connecting Students, Communities, and Archives at UNF

This panel discussion examines several initiatives at the University of North Florida that connect students and community members with materials held in UNF’s Special Collections and University Archives and other local repositories. These include the Archivist-in-Training program, which gives students hands-on experience and mentoring, the Archival Studies Track within UNF’s Africana Studies major, which provides students with opportunities to engage with archives related to African American history, editing the Eartha M.M. White Collection, a collaborative digital editing project, and the Viola Muse Digital Edition, which published online the papers of a Florida Federal Writers Project employee. The panelists will discuss these projects, the connections among them, and the opportunities that they create for students, faculty, and the North Florida community.

Presenters: Tru Leverette Hall, Laura Heffernan, and Clayton McCarl (University of North Florida)

10:30 - 10:45 am: Break

10:45 - 11:30 am

From Campus to Community: Repairing, Restoring, and Recovering Local History

This presentation highlights three preservation and digitization projects undertaken by emerging archivists at Florida Gulf Coast University Archives and Special Collections. Panelists discuss a project to process a collection focused on the university's history and Susan Evans, a founding staff member of FGCU. The second project involves collaborating to digitize the Lee County Black History Society’s records, including a focus on restoring the history of Dunbar High School and its contributions as a center point of the community. The goal of the third project was to preserve and digitize materials documenting the life of World War II veteran, Lt. Lawrence Quinn. The panelists discuss how these collaborative efforts expanded access to resources, enabling a wider audience to engage with local history in Southwest Florida.

Presenters: Cameron Kryder, Xena McKinley, and Alejandra Velez (Florida Gulf Coast University)

11:30 - 12:00 pm Lightning Talks

Challenges with Chamber Papers: Working with Judicial and Unofficial Court Records

The archival record of our judicial branch offers unique perspectives and challenges for practitioners and researchers alike. The goal of this session is to generate discussion and comparative analysis among both new professionals and experienced practitioners regarding judicial and court records found in historical societies, academic institutions, and government archives. Using the Historical Society of the United States

District Court for the Middle District of Florida as a case study and drawing on the Federal Judicial Center’s publication “A Guide to the Preservation of Federal Judges’ Papers,” this session will explore the care and

management of collections featuring court history, chamber papers, and the personal manuscripts and effects of federal judges.

Presenter: Erin Mahaney (Historical Society of United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Inc.)

Conscious Editing: The Search for Mrs. Husbands-Name

This session discusses the position of Conscious Editing Assistant at FSU Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives Department, including working with legacy metadata, analyzing and editing information which may be outdated, offensive, or perpetuating erasure. The purpose of this position is not to erase history or the way it was originally recorded, but to make an effort to fairly represent all sides of history; effectively illuminating the voices of those previously underrepresented. The goal of the presentation is to share some of the important aspects and benefits of legacy remediation as well as some of the obstacles that might be faced. This presentation will discuss several ongoing conscious editing projects at FSU, focusing on the Mrs. Husband-Name project, which aims to bring visibility to women of the past.

Presenter: Gaby Franqui-Perez (Florida State University)

From Vaults to Feeds

Social media has revolutionized how archives engage with their audiences, transforming hidden treasures into accessible narratives that resonate with diverse communities. This lightning talk will explore innovative strategies implemented at FGCU Archives and Special Collections that leverage social media to impact key areas of archival practice and amplify the value of our students, staff, holdings, and services. The discussion will also evaluate how our archives can use qualitative and quantitative assessments to measure our efforts to improve user experiences, ensuring social media initiatives align

with institutional and community needs. By making our collections count for our audiences, faculty/staff, and stakeholders, social media is shown as catalysts for transformation in the archival field.

Presenter: Emily Murray (Florida Gulf Coast University)

Mapping Downtown Jacksonville with the Loyd Sandgren Photography Collection and JaxGIS

The intention of this lighting talk is to share digital curation progress on the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Neighborhood Project site in conjunction with the Loyd Sandgren photo archive and the City of Jacksonville GIS department using CONTENTdm. This presentation will cover the revival of a legacy GIS mapping project, its expansion, selections of Sandgren’s work, and a demonstration of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Neighborhood Project. While there is something for everyone in this talk, it may appeal most to those who are interested in photography archives, GIS projects, civil planning, and digital curation. The session will briefly showcase the Sandgren archive specific to downtown Jacksonville, the image selection progress, and CONTENTdm records to the Neighborhood GIS tool.

Presenter: Jennifer Morgan (Jacksonville Public Library)

Upping Our Game: Integrating New Technologies at the McKay Archives

This session highlights current initiatives at Florida Southern College to modernize archival access through the implementation of new technologies. The presentation addresses the challenges of preserving

and providing access to historical materials by moving beyond traditional, static methods, with the hope of engaging with new audiences. We will detail our experiences transitioning from outdated systems to modern platforms, focusing on two key areas: enhanced finding aids and dynamic digital exhibits. Migrating to ArchiveSpace, a Web-based archival management system, enabled improved organization and a user-friendly online interface, significantly improving researcher access to our collections. Creating engaging video exhibits offers a richer, more immersive experience for online visitors, broadening our reach and fostering greater public engagement with our collections.

Presenters: Samantha Redmond and Jeffrey Zines (McKay Archives - Florida Southern College)

12:00 - 1:00 pm: Boxed lunch and vendor table browsing

1:00 - 1:45 pm

Can You Read a Ruler? I Thought So, Too!

Preserving rare materials requires careful precision, including the design and construction of custom housing. Proper housing prevents damage from handling, light exposure, and environmental factors, ensuring that fragile items remain accessible for generations to come. This presentation will explore the various preservation methods available, why they matter, and how to put them into practice. The session features a worksheet and calculator designed to streamline the box-making process, ensuring accurate measurements while minimizing material waste. Using a cooking show-inspired format, attendees will be guided through each step, demonstrating how the calculations translate into physical components. Pre-cut and pre-assembled pieces will be shown, offering a visual of how everything folds together. The ability to create in-house enclosures is an invaluable asset for archives, libraries, and museums, allowing for tailored protection that meets the needs of each item.

Presenter: Alyson Hamilton (Florida State University)

1:45 - 2:30 pm

Increasing Access and Engagement Through Digital Collections

Digital collections provided a way for libraries and archives to share their unique materials with their communities and served as the basis for new programs, funding opportunities, and educational initiatives. This panel presentation will demonstrate the ways two public libraries have used digital collections to connect with their communities in a variety of ways through programs, teaching, exhibits, and advocacy, and how the Sunshine State Digital Network is working to increase the capacity of organizations across the state to increase the accessibility of these collections through partnerships and training. The panel will also explore ways these ideas can be implemented to ensure continued engagement and discourse with local history, art, and other online and special collections.

Presenters: Keila Zayas Ruiz (Florida State University), Imani Philips (Jacksonville Public Library), and Jessica J. Miller (Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library)

2:30 - 2:45 pm Break

2:45 - 3:45 pm SFA Business Meeting and Awards

3:45 - 4:00 pm Break

4:00 - 4:30 pm

The Ybor City Dwellings Project

This presentation details how a recently digitized photo album, which shed light on Tampa’s early slum clearance efforts, sparked collaboration across USF’s main research library, and resulted in its addition to an exciting new project called the Tampa Through Time Portal. This portal is a free resource that combines archives, digital tools, and mapping to allow users to immerse themselves in Tampa's rich history. The Ybor City Dwelling project provided an opportunity to try out HuMap software, which has been utilized to develop the Portal and is ideal for creating map-based exhibits and tours. USF librarians curated the photos as part of an interactive map, and geolocated spaces that no longer exist. With this map, viewers can explore the images and other digitized archival documents for further research. Join the project team as we trace our steps in this spontaneous new initiative, inspired by untapped materials and new technical capabilities.

Presenters: Stephanie Mackin and Andy Huse (University of South Florida)

4:30 - 5:00 pm

“Where’s our Archive?”: Expanding the African American History Digital Community Archive at the Jacksonville Public Library

In 2024, The Mellon Foundation granted the Jacksonville Public Library $1 million to expand its Memory Lab services and its African American History Collection. The Digitization Department has used these funds to purchase equipment and tools to translate the work the Special Collections department has done into a digital context. In this presentation, panelists will share their experience working with community partners to collect and digitize local records, as well as the processes we follow to ensure that records of Black Florida History are emphasized within our digital collections without being separated from our other long-standing collections. Panelists will discuss the unique challenges that digital public archives face, how we were able to create strong community partnerships that achieve our goal of service to the community and which strengthen the collection, the equipment and tools our department acquired, and how that translated into ContentDM Usage data as well as Google Analytics data.

Presenters: Jennifer Morgan, Erika Alfieri, and Mitchy Reid (Jacksonville Public Library)

5:30 - 7:00 pm

Reception at the Oldest House Museum Complex (St. Augustine Historical Society)

271 Charlotte Street St. Augustine, FL 32084

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

8:00 - 8:30 am: Registration and breakfast (coffee and pastries available)

8:30 - 8:45 am: Welcome and announcements

Combined Session 1

8:45 - 9:30 am

Get It Right The First Time: Accessioning as Processing in Florida Academic Archives

This session will encourage an interactive and engaging discussion of "accessioning as processing". The accessioning process is at the heart of the archival enterprise, and many impactful decisions are made at the point that archivists take intellectual and physical custody of materials. During accessioning, archivists routinely decide which descriptive information will be recorded, how materials will be prioritized for processing, whether or not materials will be accessible prior to processing, and what resources will be allocated for further appraisal, preservation, arrangement, and description at the point of accessioning. Presenters will briefly summarize accessioning practices and decision-making at Florida State University and the University of Florida and how practices have evolved over time. Panelists will pose a series of questions to the audience to encourage attendees from a variety of repositories to share their knowledge and experiences.

Presenters: Rory Grennan and Kacee Reguera (Florida State University) and Matt Kruse and John Nemmers (University of Florida)

9:30 - 9:45 am

Transference of Use: Projecting Miami-Dade Public Library System’s 16mm Film Collection Into the Future

This session focuses on the 16mm Film Collection of the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Special Collections & Archives Division, which dates to 1956 and was developed as an educational resource to be utilized for public programming. While a circulating film collection, awareness of 16mm film as a media resource, projection equipment, as well as knowledge of such equipment were lacking, resulting in low circulation and interest. The presenter initiated the AV CLUB series of programming, bringing regularly occurring, well-researched, and thoughtfully curated screenings to different locations in the library system and the community. The session addresses how the program has served as an effective tool to engage patrons, increased circulation of the films, and ensured that they receive regular maintenance. Also addressed is the development of the AV CLUB series, the challenges of reactivating a dormant collection, and how new policies and workflows were implemented to ensure the longevity and intended use of the collection.

Presenter: Katharine Labuda (Miami-Dade Public Library System)

9:45 - 10:00 am

Uncharted Territory: Digitizing Maps to Restore Access to Legacy Collections

This presentation discusses an ongoing project at Florida Gulf Coast University Archives and Special Collections to digitize and describe a large collection of regional maps that illustrate social and ecological changes in Southwest Florida. The physical map collection has been underutilized as the needs of researchers have changed along with the rapid advancement of technology. The presenter discusses how this project aims to restore the collection's utility by redescribing the maps to align with the needs of the community and digitizing portions of the map collections. The session also addresses the technical challenges and opportunities with scanning and displaying large digital objects, as well as efforts to develop relationships with faculty from the Water School and other environmental scientists on campus.

Presenter: Victoria Jones (Florida Gulf Coast University)

10:00 - 10:15 am Combined Session Q & A

10:15 - 10:30 am Break

Combined Session 2

10:30 - 10:45 am

Building on the Past: Managing Backlogs Without Reinventing the Wheel

Since its inception, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County has served as the repository for the region's history. However, with a growing collection comes the challenge of managing backlogs and ensuring that new archivists understand the legacy of previous acquisitions. This session explores the role of historical societies in collecting, managing, and preserving historical information, with a focus on how current cataloging practices can build upon the legacies of past collections. The discussion will address how archival cataloging should be approached not only as a procedural task but as an in-situ practice considering the context of the materials and their history within the organization. By looking at past practices and their implications, archivists can better address the challenges of backlog while preserving the integrity of the collection for future generations.

Presenter: Rose Guerrero (Historical Society of Palm Beach County)

10:45 - 11:00 am

Beyond the Berkeley of the South: Navigating Undergraduate Archival Research Projects at the University of Florida

The session will present the methodology and findings of a research project conducted by a University of Florida (UF) undergraduate student under the mentorship of the University Archivist to outline and cohere a comprehensive history of student protest at UF. The research relied on primary sources from the University Archives, including the use of mixed media materials, such as books and videos, and archival material such as documents from UF’s presidential paper archives and the electronic archive of UF’s historic student newspapers, The Alligator and The Independent Florida Alligator. The presenters will share valuable insights about how undergraduate students approach archival research, as well as both the successes and challenges a mentor-mentee relationship can yield.

Presenters: Sarah Coates and Aron Ali-McClory (University of Florida)

11:00 - 11:15 am

Metrics: How to Count in Archives – Or, Making Archives Count

This session examines how to quantify collections, including ways to create metrics, analyze space and labor, and talk about archival materials in quantifiable terms. Drawing from literature, experience, and interviews, the presenter will explore how to build and track relevant quantitative and qualitative data in order to justify continued existence to funders and other stakeholders. The session will explore spreadsheets, visualizations, charts, and other tools to help communicate the value of the work - and how much work - it takes to maintain and protect these materials. This presentation will be of particular assistance to lone arrangers and other silo’ed staff, especially those without access to cataloging software or other industry standard tools.

Presenter: Cara DeSimone (National Park Service - SEAC)

11:15 - 11:30 am Combined Session Q & A

11:30 am - 1:00 pm Keynote Address and Networking Luncheon

Keynote speaker: David Nolan

1:00 - 1:45 pm: Poster Sessions

Community Collaborations: Fostering Existing Relationships and Building New Ones

Public library archives, like the Mount Dora Archives at the W.T. Bland Public Library, serve as invaluable resources for communities, preserving historical documents, manuscripts, photographs, and various media. This poster details how building new relationships and maintaining existing ones with patrons, organizations, and professionals ensures that archives continue to thrive and meet the evolving needs of their communities. This includes fostering awareness and engagement, promoting the importance of archival research, encouraging resource-sharing and collaborative projects that enrich the library’s collections, finding support through donations and volunteer work, or contributions of historical material, and promoting ownership and pride in the library’s role as a steward of local history. Moreover, fostering strong relationships with peers such as archivists, librarians, and other professionals allows for the sharing of best practices, collaborative research efforts, and the continued development of the archival field.

Presenter: Erin Creel (Mount Dora Archives)

Digitally Archiving City Council Minutes: Enhanced Access to Local Governance Documentation

In late 2023, spurred by concerns about the fragility of the original documents and a desire to improve access to the city's history, the City of Jacksonville City Council Secretary approached the Jacksonville Public Library with a partnership opportunity to digitize and archive over 370 books (estimated to be about 300,000 digitized pages) containing various Duval County and City of Jacksonville City Council and Commissioner meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and ledgers dating back to 1870. This poster will highlight the critical role that digitally archiving city council minutes plays in documenting local governance, introducing the Library’s objective for the City Archives project and outlining the project’s key benefits: enhanced transparency, protection of historical records, and increased civic engagement through collaboration between the city and the public library.

Presenter: Jess Salvato (Jacksonville Public Library)

Excavating Jacksonville’s Civil Rights Legacy: Cultivating Truth and Justice from the Seeds of Ax Handle Saturday

This poster session examines Jacksonville, Florida's civil rights movement, particularly Ax Handle Saturday (1960) and its enduring impact on racial justice. Through a combination of archival photographs, oral history excerpts, and mural representations, this session intends to explore the fight against historical erasure and systemic racism in Florida today. Attendees will engage with primary sources such as newspaper clippings, photographs, and community-driven archives, gaining insight into how historical events shape ongoing struggles for racial equity. The poster also highlights modern-day preservations efforts such as the Lift Jax Mural and the role of digital archives in sustaining Black history.

This session is ideal for those interested in historical preservation, racial justice, and community-based research. Attendees will be offered a visually engaging and interactive experience.

Presenter: Tanasha Jackson (University of North Florida)

When It Is Time to Open Pandora’s Archival Boxes: Repairing a Legacy Collection and Recovering Space and Sanity at Stetson University Archives

When a bare-bones Archival team has an enormous backlog to tackle, it might seem preposterous to decide to re-process one of the oldest, largest, and still-growing collections under their care, but in Fall 2024 that is just what the Archivist at duPont-Ball Library Archives and Special Collections at Stetson University decided must be done. At well over 40,000 items, the Memorabilia Collection documents the people, buildings, programs, and campus life of one of Florida’s oldest universities. Persons who formerly cared for the Archives at Stetson had a lot of heart, but not necessarily a lot of understanding of standard archival practices, leaving myriad problems to confront, such as overstuffing, mixing of heavy objects with brittle paper records, dangerous contaminants such as food, and materials that belong in other collections. This poster will explore the impetus of the re-processing project, its progress so far, and the consequences of its undertaking.

Presenters: Elizabeth Maycumber and Sarah Bennett (Stetson University)

Preserving Access: Sharing Strategies for Archives to Maintain Services During Construction and Renovation

This poster explores how UNF's Special Collections and University Archives navigated major disruptions to our workflows and procedures due to renovations, and the adaptations we implemented to continue providing services to researchers and students. In the spring of 2023, our department received funding to replace the static shelving in our archival storage area with compact shelving. After packing the majority of our collections in our reading room, unexpected delays in the construction project resulted in our department remaining closed to the public through summer 2024. To adjust, we developed several strategies to continue assisting researchers and providing instruction to UNF students while physical access to our collections was severely limited. We review these strategies, including our organizational methods, partnerships with other departments, and use of digital collections, and reflect on lessons learned and what we would recommend to fellow institutions for handling unforeseen disruptions to services and loss of access to collections.

Presenters: Jennifer Bibb and Allison Mason (University of North Florida)

See What We've Done, Imagine the Possibilities

The Heritage Collections in the Proctor Library at Flagler College is in need of proper space, funding, and additional staff. The poster is a synthesization of the “See What We’ve Done, Imagine the Possibilities: Proposal for Space, Funding, and Staffing for The Heritage Collections” document being written for April 2025 submission to Flagler College’s administration as the “ask” for improvements in the three areas listed in the subtitle. The proposal covers not only the value The Heritage Collections has brought to campus life but outlines what is needed so the department can continue offering current services and improve them for future generations. Included in the proposal are ways more College support will help the Proctor Library as a whole, and The Heritage Collections in particular, take existing partnerships (either at the collaborative or network level) and strengthen them.

Presenter: Katherine Owens (Flagler College)

25 Years of the Vasari Project: Preserving the Legacy of Art and History in Miami

The Vasari Project is a library collection dedicated to documenting, collecting and preserving Miami‐Dade County's art history from 1945 to the present. This year it is reaching a milestone by turning 25. We are in the process of surveying the current collections with the intention of creating exhibitions at different branches. The intention is to emphasize on the unique contents this archive has, from letters of artists Christo and Jean-Claude, to Barbara Young and Margarita Cano, to printed material of the first's museums in the city which can be traced back to the 1960’s as well as collectives such as The Miami Generation, PhotoGroup Miami and associations such as the Miami Watercolor Society. The poster presentation will be divided into three sections: an introduction of what the Vasari Project and its founders are, collections that made an impact in the artistic community, including collectives, museums, galleries and artists, and highlighting the accessibility of the Vasari Project to the public and the importance of preserving its history.

Presenter: Zonia Zena (Miami-Dade Public Library System)

Where to Start?: Prioritizing Backlog in a New Role

The purpose of this presentation is to inform both new (primarily) and established archivists/archival professionals of the challenges of beginning work at a new institution, how to proceed with prioritization,

and what good and innovative practices can do to improve the collection and the experience of archiving/processing, particularly when dealing with backlog. Examples will come from a recent experience as well as researched articles and data.

Presenter: Arlie Cruz (Orange County Regional History Center)

1:45 - 2:30 pm

Respect, Celebrate and Preserve: Archival Projects at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

At this session, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki (ATTK) team members will present three projects concerning photographic and archival collection materials of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including a photograph cataloging project, a newspaper cataloging and digitization project, and a project highlighting an important document from Florida’s tourism history. The ensuing discussion will show how the collections are the springboard for building relationships and engaging in meaningful collaboration. From cataloging and identifying, to digitizing and collaborating, the presenters will show how these projects meet goals of promoting primary source literacy, serving the the community, repairing external relationships, and completing large scale projects.

Presenters: Tara Backhouse, Joseph Gilbert, and Rosa Martinez (Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum)

2:30 - 2:45 pm: Break

Combined Session 3

2:45 - 3:00 pm

Migrating to the Future: Adopting ArchivesSpace at USF St. Petersburg’s Special Collections & University Archives

This session discusses the migration of the USF St. Petersburg Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA) department’s finding aids onto ArchivesSpace. Presenters will provide context for the migration project, including the state of the department’s physical holdings, its existing digital infrastructure on Digital Commons, and the inventory and collection mapping process that preceded the migration. The presenters also will discuss the development and implementation of workflows for transferring information from existing PDF finding aids into ArchivesSpace, and work by a student assistant to create accession records from legacy finding aids, spawn resource records, update outdated terminology, and create new fields to comply with DACS standards. The session also will address the launch of the SCUA repository instance and the process of adapting USF Tampa’s existing ArchivesSpace instance to house two repositories.

Presenters: Alexandra Vargas-Minor and Lianna Paton (University of South Florida, St. Petersburg)

3:00 - 3:15 pm

Recovering History through Kindred Collections: A Collaboration between the Claude Pepper and George A. Smathers Libraries

The session explores collaborations between Florida’s archival institutions, particularly opportunities for partnering with fellow institutions whose collections can complement and bring attention to their own holdings. Presenters from Florida State University's Claude Pepper Library and the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries will discuss the papers of the libraries’ namesakes, as well as the 1950 Pepper-Smathers senatorial race and the two politicians’ relationship before, during, and after the campaign. The session also addresses ways of collaborating between the libraries in the utilization and promotion of their respective Florida political papers collections.

Presenters: Boyd Murphree (University of Florida) and Rob Rubero (Florida State University)

3:15 - 3:30 pm

Writing to Repair in Community: Utilizing Creative Partnerships to Responsibly Describe Early 20th-Century 'Oriental' Material Culture in the Buckland Family Archives

This session will question how to responsibly describe and display material culture originating from the problematic "Oriental" movements of Chinoiserie and Japonisme, prevalent in Art Deco America, and specifically in the archives of the Buckland family dating back to the late 19th century in Ohio and Florida. The presenter will explore the context in which non-Western materials were originally produced and acquired, the rightful context in which we should view them today, and how these objects can count for reparations, accessibility, and community outreach. The session will address the construction of meanings (descriptions) of historically appropriated materials; the inimitable value of collaboration for the archivist; and engagement with nontraditional partners, such as artists, designers, university professors, cultural societies, AAPI activists, and others.

Presenter: Elaine Slayton Akin (Riverside Avondale Preservation)

3:30 - 3:45 pm Combined Session Q & A

3:45 - 4:00 pm: Break

Combined Session 4

4:00 - 4:15 pm

Hidden Gem to Crown Jewel

The presenters will discuss their efforts to ensure that the St. Augustine Historical Society (SAHS) is seen as one of the Oldest City’s crown jewels rather than simply as one of the city’s hidden gems. SAHS had experienced a series of large-scale shifts in organization and responsibilities, setting off an introspective examination of the institution and its role in the community. The presenters undertook an initiative encompassing Security, Outreach, Access, and Preservation (SOAP), which enabled SAHS to identify areas of improvement. The session will address bolstering relationships with local institutions, improving assessment of object and manuscript collections, managing facilities’ needs, establishing fundraising processes, improving access to our collections and facilities, and digital collections and technology needs.

Presenters: Nicole Diehm and Magen Altice (St. Augustine Historical Society)

4:15 - 4:30 pm

Restoring Trust in Local Government through the Municipal Archives

The session will provide tangible examples from the City of Savannah Municipal Archives of how a small archives on a shoestring budget with limited resources can successfully repair damaged relationships and restore confidence and trust in local government. Reflecting on the WW Law Archival Project, the Savannah Community Memory Project (including the Memory Partners Program, the Proud Savannah History Project, and the SCMP Residency), and the Municipal Slavery Research Project, the presenter will discuss challenges, successes, lessons learned, and leveraging resources. Discussion will include how these programs have supported understanding past wrongs and community push back, and then set the City on a path for acknowledgment, mutual respect, relationship building, and better decision-making on the part of City leadership.

Presenter: Luciana Spracher, City of Savannah Municipal Archives

4:30 - 4:45 pm

The Heritage Collections at the Proctor Library: Overcoming Challenges in Space, Access, and Advocacy

Past and present leaders of the Heritage Collections at the Flagler College's Proctor Library will discuss the history, growth, and future of the collections, focusing on strategic outreach, data collection, and institutional advocacy. Through initiatives like "Meet the Collections and Curators," environmental monitoring, and digital exhibits, the team has built a case for better facilities, expanded storage, and long-term institutional investment. The panelists will address the impacts of space limitations and environmental concerns on collection care and accessibility; developing a five-year preservation and facilities plan;, the use of data to strengthen the case for increased archival space and a more secure facility; and the role of outreach initiatives, digital exhibits, and institutional collaboration in increasing awareness and support.

Presenters: Jolene DuBray, Trina McCowen, and Katherine Owens (Flagler College)

4:45 - 5:00 pm Combined Session Q & A

5:00 - 5:15 pm Closing Remarks

5:30 - 7:00 pm

Reception, Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum

48 King Street St. Augustine, FL 32084

Sponsored by TIND

Thursday, May 15, 2025 Post Conference Workshop and Tours

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Post Conference Workshop: Wet Salvage Workshop (20 attendees)

Mission Nombre Dios Museum
89 San Marco Avenue St. Augustine, FL 32084

Florida is particularly vulnerable to water-related disasters, which pose significant risks to archives, libraries, and cultural heritage institutions across the state. With its frequent hurricanes, high humidity, heavy seasonal rains, and flooding, Florida archivists face a unique set of challenges when it comes to preserving their collections. In this workshop, participants will receive an introduction to disaster preparedness, learn how to set priorities after recovery, and hands-on training for stabilizing wet books and works on paper. As the live activity will involve water, attendees should wear comfortable clothes that can get wet.

Instructor: Hannah Davis (Florida State University)

Tours

8:30 - 9:30 am: Flagler College Proctor Library Special Collections and Archives (15 attendees)

44 Sevilla Street St. Augustine, FL 32085

10:00 - 11:00 am: St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library (20 attendees)

6 Artillery Lane St. Augustine, FL 32084

10:00 - 11:30 am: Florida National Guard St. Francis Barracks (30 attendees)

82 Marine Street St. Augustine, FL 32084

Thank you to our 2025 Annual Meeting Sponsors: