This year we will be diving into a topic we haven't usually covered: archives! 

If your institution is like many out there you may have a closet or even a room full of historic documents and no idea what to do with them. We'll delve into the basics and learn how to sort through that room of documents into an organized space usable for staff, researchers and more.

This year's work shop will feature Christina Sweet leading us in a Basics of Archives crash course. Christina is the Museum Curator at Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. She manages the museum's 50,000+ artifact collection, has extensive knowledge of Kam Wah Chung, Chinese in Eastern Oregon, Museum and Archival practices, and exhibit design and fabrication. She has worked in the museum and archival field for over 13 years. Christina has a M.A. in Museum Science and Heritage Management from Texas Tech University.

Sarah Aldrich will be speaking on Public Access and Use. Sarah is the Archivist and Photo Curator at The Island County Historical Society. In her time in the position, she has seen an increase in the research requests, volunteers, and awareness of the local archives. Her focus has been on tying the archives to the digital age in an effort for both preservation and accessibility. The collection spans over 18,000 photos and 100,000 documents and tells the story of the local Native Americans, the early white settlers, the ever changing uses of the land, and the bounty of Puget Sound.  Sarah has an M.A. from Koc University, Istanbul and a Certificate of Museum Studies from the University of Washington.