Twin Cities Archives Round Table

We are pleased to release our call for participation in the 2026 Minnesota Archives Symposium, which will be held on Monday November 9, 9am-4pm in the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub at the University of Minnesota on the Minneapolis campus.

We are seeking proposals for participation in several formats this year, including both long-form presentations (15+ minutes) and “Brag Box” or lightning talks (5-7 minutes).

Participating in TCART programming is an excellent way to support the profession, share your expertise, and connect with other archivists!  To learn more about each participation opportunity or to sign up, visit our Call for Participation Form.  Proposals are due October 12.  If you have questions, concerns, or have problems using the form you are very welcome to email us at tcartmn@gmail.com

If you or your organization would like to sponsor the TCART Symposium, reach out to us at tcartmn@gmail.com.

Our big announcement for June/July is our Save The Date Announcement for the 2026 Minnesota Archives Symposium. Mark your calendars!

There are two other community announcements to share:

• SAA is developing an online exhibit that showcases the nation’s rich, diverse, and challenging histories through the materials we care for in our repositories. Repositories across the states and territories are invited to contribute one digital or digitized item to this exhibition. You can find more information about the initiative and the submission process on SAA’s website.

• There are some upcoming events to protest the closure of the NARA Chicago/Great Lakes regional facility, which hosts records from Minnesota (among other Great Lakes states). You can read more about the closures and see press and statements on the Chicago Area Archivists’ Take Action page, or join two upcoming public events:
  • Tuesday, 8/4, 6-7pm Central: Phone Bank Training with CAA
  • Wednesday, 8/12, 10am-12pm Central: GET LOUD! Call Your Reps to Protest NARA Chicago Closure

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Minnesota Archives Symposium to be held on November 9, 2026 at the University of Minnesota’s Liberal Arts Engagement Hub in Minneapolis! We are currently planning a full day of programming with speakers in the morning, an un-conference in the afternoon, and group outings to nearby restaurants for those who want to socialize over lunch.

Registration for the 2026 Minnesota Archives Symposium will be free, with coffee and light refreshments provided; attendees will be expected to provide or pay for their own lunch. Keep an eye out for a call for participation in September, with registration to follow in October.

There are some great events coming up in June and July that TCART members should know about:

• The 2026 BitCurator Virtual Forum is coming up on on Wednesday, June 17th. No need to be a BitCurator user to attend — sessions will cover a wide range of topics related to digital archival collections. You can register via Eventbrite,  check out a preview of the schedule, or see more registration details on the BCC Forum website.
• The Midwest Art Conservation Center is offering an in-person workshop on environmental controls.  The one-day workshop will cover international guidelines for Museum environments, as well as the impact of these environmental factors over time and for different material types. In a practical exercise, participants will gain hands-on experience using instruments for measuring temperature, relative humidity, visible light, UV radiation, and air quality. In the afternoon, more in-depth environmental analysis will be discussed using data collected by the Chazen Museum of Art on the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus as a case study.  Cost for the workshop is $300. For more information or to register, visit the MACC workshop page.
• Join Minnesota Media Arts on June 17 for a free hands-on workshop on audiovisual preservation at SPNN (8:30 AM–3:30 PM). Learn how to care for tapes, slides & films, get practical digitization tips, and connect with fellow media stewards. Pre-registration required — sign up via Google Registration form or learn more at their website (https://mnmediaarts.org/archiving-workshops.html).

Lastly, if you’re interested in helping to plan the Minnesota Archives Symposium, email us at tcartmn@gmail.com! Just a few hours of your time will help make the symposium a huge success.