Your opinion counts - please complete the MARAC surveys

Now that everyone is all settled back at work and Harrisburg is just a happy memory, the Program and Local Arrangements committees need just one thing from all of the conference attendees: please complete the MARAC surveys! If you attended, you should have received a link to both surveys in your e-mail. If you did not receive these links, you can find them now on the MARAC homepage: http://www.marac.info

Both the surveys (one for Program, one for Local Arrangements) are very short and should not take more than 5 minutes to complete. The feedback that we receive helps us shape our final reports and may influence the future MARAC meetings. Was there something that you thought was executed particularly well (or particularly badly) - please let us know! The planning committees, along with the Meetings Coordinating Committee, review these reports when putting together future meetings.

If you would like to send additional comments, you may always contact a member of the Meetings Coordinating, Program, or Local Arrangements committees. The current roster of MCC members is available on the committee website.

Thank you!

Derangement and Description's 2nd anniversary!

In two very short days, carloads of archivists will begin arriving in Harrisburg for this fall's MARAC. Not only is Thursday Nov 11 the first day of MARAC, but it's also the 2nd anniversary of Derangement and Description! We're celebrating at Stocks on 2nd, just down the street from the Hilton. There will be laughs, there will be comical memories, and there will be at least two fun archivists (hi Rebecca!). Please stop by around 7pmish to whenever.

Derangement and Description: http://derangementanddescription.wordpress.com/
Stocks on Second: http://www.stocksonsecond.com

Bed bugs??

Good news - the Harrisburg Hilton has zero reported incidents of bed bugs according to the Bed Bug Registry. Phew!

Where are you going to eat?

My former boss would always ask "What'd you eat?" when I came back from any conference. Everyone loves food and at conferences you want to find a great place to eat and enjoy good company. I recommend that you check out Midtown Eats . The website has information on lots of the restaurants downtown.

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra

Some of you may be staying over Saturday night? The symphony has a concert Saturday night and Sunday afternoon with Sharon Isbin. Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin has been hailed as one of the leading classical guitarists of our time. She joins the HSO for a performance of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. http://www.harrisburgsymphony.org/MW2.html

MARAC in Harrisburg, 1985 + 2010

When Cindy emailed me the program from the 1985 Harrisburg MARAC, "Saving the Record," I knew it was something that I wanted to share on our not-yet-created blog. It's interesting to see the session topics that have endured and how others have evolved. Take a look:





Click on an image to view a larger version

The Irony!!

It's been almost 25 years since MARAC has been held in Harrisburg. The State Archives has been waiting on renovation plans for six years, and of course, during the Fall MARAC meeting, they finally will occur! But don't let that discourage you from taking the T7 tour of the State Archives/Capitol Guided Tour on Saturday. Some of you may have remembered the "Archives Under Construction" MARAC meeting held at State College, PA. This is reminiscent!

News for Immediate Release

Oct. 13, 2010

Pennsylvania State Archives to Close for Four-Month Renovation Project

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) announced today that the State Archives of Pennsylvania will close from Oct. 18 through Feb. 3, 2011, for needed renovations.

While Oct. 16 is the final day researchers can visit the facility at Third and Forster streets in Harrisburg, staff will continue to respond to telephone, e-mail, and postal inquiries during the renovations.

Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director, said the $250,000 project will expand and modernize the existing lobby and public research areas. A larger vestibule is required to facilitate access for people with disabilities and will include automatic doors. The work will provide more space for the increasing number of researchers, as well as new wiring and additional computers to improve access to the collections. Security systems will also be upgraded.

While the renovations will extend the life of the building, plans are still in process to replace the 50-year-old facility that is nearing its capacity. Water leaks exist. The facility lacks adequate environmental controls or fire suppression systems to protect its more than two hundred million pages of one-of-a-kind records, including the Charter from King Charles II to William Penn creating the colony of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission operates the State Archives. Visit the archives online at PHMC’s website, www.phmc.state.pa.us, and choose the State Archives link. For further information about the closure or to make research inquiries, call 717-783-3281.

Media contact: Kirk Wilson, 717-783-9882

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