NEA ROUNDTABLES

Roundtables provide an opportunity for members with related interests, positions, or career goals to discuss ideas and issues, to network and socialize, and to take on tasks related to their areas of interest. Roundtables are intended to provide a means of focusing attention on, and promoting discussion of, archives-related subjects outside of NEA's meetings and official activities. To learn more, check out the Roundtable Handbook.

NEA has nine member-organized Roundtables:

Academic Archivists
Archivists of Religious Collections (inactive)
Community Archives Advocates
Digital Archives (inactive)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Issues (inactive)
Local History
Moving Image and Recorded Sound
Preservica Roundtable
Records Management
Roundtable for Early Professionals and Students (REPS) (inactive)
Teaching with Primary Sources Roundtable

Visit an individual Roundtable’s page, linked above, to learn more, including how to join.

Roundtables FAQ

What do Roundtables do?

Whatever the Roundtable members want to do! You can organize workshops or events, develop conference sessions, work with NEA committees on specific initiatives, take your discussion online through Twitter, Facebook, a blog, or an e-mail list, or make recommendations to the NEA board based on the experience of Roundtable members. Roundtables may apply for up to $300/year of funding from the NEA Board.

What can I get out of Roundtables?

Roundtables offer an informal way to get involved with NEA and the archival community, and to connect with others around your interests and needs as a professional. Are you a lone arranger? A student? A retiree? Do you work primarily with a particular material type like photographs, rare books, or films? Are you interested in knowing more about a topic or a tool, like ArchivesSpace, ContentDM, or the curation of digital materials? Consider joining a Roundtable, or starting your own!

How do I start a Roundtable?

Complete a petition that includes:

The name of the proposed Roundtable
The chair's name
A statement of purpose and goals
Signatures (handwritten or electronic) of at least 10 interested NEA members

Petitions must be submitted to the NEA Secretary at least 10 business days prior to the Board’s quarterly meeting. A template is available here: Petition to Establish a Roundtable.

How do I find people to sign up for my Roundtable?

Ask your colleagues. Send out a message on the NEA listserv (NEAdiscuss@yahoogroups.com). Put out calls for members on discussion boards, Facebook, Twitter, blogs . . . or ask the Roundtables Liaison for advice.

So I've got 10 people. Now what?

Submit your completed petition (with 10 signatures) to the NEA Secretary at least 10 business days prior to the Board’s quarterly meeting. Upon approval from the Board, you've got a Roundtable!

Helpful Roundtable Documents

Roundtable Handbook [.pdf]>
Petition to Establish a Roundtable [.docx]
Proposed Budget Form [.pdf]