LA as Subject General Meeting Minutes

Authored By: dwboule@gmail.com

Publication Date: December 20, 2016

LA AS SUBJECT

General meeting – 12-20-16

Lummis Home & Garden, Los Angeles

Attendees: Sue Luftschein, Angel Diaz, Katie Richardson, Mallory Furnier, Becky Fenning, Stella Castillo, Claude Zachary, Patricia LaMarr, Natalya Pashkova, Azatuhi Babayan, Daile Stieber, David Dellinger,

Eric Warren, Becky Marschall, Deborah Holmes-Wong, Phyllis Hansen, David Klappholz, Wally Shidler, Gary Watkins, Jessica Hough, Kelly Salloum, Aimee Lind, David Boulé, Florante Ibanez, Liza Posas

Welcome to the Lummis Home (El Alisal) by Jeremiah Axelrod and Christian Rodrigues of the Occidental College Institute for the Study of Los Angeles.

“History informs and influences the present.”

2016 Year in Review – Liza Posas

  • Completion of the Resident Archivists rotations for the IMLS Grant
    • Working on a second iteration
  • Launched the “Lost L.A.” series with KCET
  • Another successful Archives Bazaar
    • Incorporated “National History Day” participation, aimed at junior and senior high students
  • 2nd History Keepers exhibit
    • 3,000 visitors over three weeks
  • New LAAS website

Breakout Sessions:

  1. Digitization & Other Grant Possibilities
  • NHPRC Major Initiatives Preliminary Proposal Discussion due Jan. 19, 2017
  • USC is taking the lead in drafting the proposal for NHPRC Access to Historical Records Major Initiatives Grant https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/announcement/preliminary-proposal/prelim.html.
    • LA as Subject members recommended that given the short timeline to draft the preliminary proposal, the grant would include a planning phase for the first year. During the first year there would be an advisory board of LA as Subject members who develop the criteria for selecting collections (fragility, copyright, historical importance, etc.) for the project, as well as a scoring rubric to help select the collections.
    • There would be a couple of workshops for members that would detail the criteria and help them select the best collections to put forth. The board would select the collections to be digitized. The second and third year would be spent on digitization and metadata.  
  • The group likes the topic of migration/immigration (“Settling L.A.”) since most collections have something to do with people who came to LA from other places. It could be tied to the broader theme of “Democracy” that NHPRC has chosen. People have left other places and come to LA to express their own visions for democracy. The grant would focus on digitizing papers.
  • The digitization would be anchored at USC, UCLA or other institution that already has facilities and expertise. Metadata would be provided by the members since they have the most knowledge about their collections. The content would be made public through the USCDL and by extension WorldCat, DPLA and Google. It would be preserved in the USC Digital Repository.
  • Perhaps fold-in exhibition component (History Keepers)
  1. Collaboration between LA Focused Organizations

Participants: Angel Diaz, Los Angeles Archivists Collective; David Dillinger, Eagle Rock Historical Society; Dale Stieber, Occidental College Library; Jeremiah  and Christian,  Institute for Study of Los Angeles (ILSA) @Occidental; Kelly Salloum, San Gabriel Mission Playhouse; Aimee Lind, Getty Research Institute; Susan McAdams, Union Station Historical Society; Azatuhi Babayan, UCLA student

  • There are students and new professionals that are looking to gain experience and skills, as well as to give time to organizations that may need it. How can we facilitate getting them in touch with those organizations?
  • Small organizations, like local historical societies, need support in creating digital content and websites
  • ILSA is interested in creating content, coming from archival materials. One project: LApedia
  • ILSA is working on a speakers series and are looking for potential speakers. Focus is the Arroyo. Can offer a stipend.
  • How can we work with the city of Los Angeles to sustain small organizations and house museums?
  • Getty working on collaborative effort to digitize and make accessible architectural plans. Looking beyond Southern California. Would like to figure out how to provide support to getting architectural plans preserved and accessible to the public.
  • Christian is thinking about a project where archivists are “guerilla historians” by means of social media, connecting young professionals with historical societies and putting it online
  1. 2017 Archives Bazaar

Participants: Liza Posas, Florante Ibanez, David Klappholz, Becky Fenning, Mallory Furnier, David Boulé

  • Group recommended announcing start of 2017 planning to general LAAS membership in March. Will “call for program ideas” at that time, and schedule a first planning meeting for April
    • Past popular subjects included: hands-on programs, film and  KCET-themed, Lightening Rounds and Research 101
    • Discussed possibly having a theme to build programs around:
      • La La Land (LA Portrays Itself)
        • Keynote speaker and/or collaborator ideas: Randy Haberkamp, Managing Director, Preservation and Fundation Programs; American Cinematheque; UCLA Film & Television Archive; Cinefamily; Local film society
      • Diversity
        • Feature authors who’ve written on diversities role in shaping Los Angeles
  • Debated value/possibility for corporate underwriting for AB, or applying for grant to fund programing, venue expenses, other. Possible targets: Cal Humanities “Fast Grant;” Getty Foundation; National Endowment for the Humanities. Work with USC grant writer.
  1. History Keepers: [STUFF IN RED BELOW IS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING…]
  • Broad agreement that History Keepers is a great LAAS project and membership is very supportive. Jessica expressed concern about her ability to mount HK this coming fall because of other commitments. We discussed the idea of doing History Keepers every other year instead of every year but there was a general feeling that we would lose momentum. Ways the membership could help facilitate the possibility of mounting History Keepers annually include: someone volunteering to do a facility report for the gallery at El Pueblo; creating a History Keepers committee which would meet starting in January 2017; distributing duties such as coordinating volunteers, curating show, reception committee, etc. Possible theme for an upcoming History Keepers would be Immigration and Migration to coincide with a grant.

NEXT MEETING:

  • PLEASE CONTACT LIZA POSAS if your organization can host a future LAAS meeting! 30-40 people, parking, refreshments. Thank you!
  • February - 10:00 – Noon
  • Location TBD

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