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NEA Needs You - Please Volunteer!

Opportunities for volunteer participation in New England Archivists activities abound. NEA is a volunteer-run organization; without the participation of its members, NEA would cease to function. There are many committees, offices, and projects that need assistance from members.

NEA committees are listed elsewhere on this web site. Clicking on the name of the committee will take you to a page where you will find a statement of purpose for each committee; a list of the current members and chair; and, under the heading "Term," the process for appointment to the committee.

If you are interested in volunteering for a committee, contact the Membership Committee Chair. If you want to know more about the operations of a committee, click on the "Major Duties" link for that committee.

Professionals in the archival field already possess skills and experience needed to support and advance New England Archivists. Willing volunteers should jump in and identify a role that suits them among varied opportunities. The opportunity to meet, converse, and do meaningful work with colleagues is of great professional and personal benefit. In addition, service to a professional organization such as NEA adds an important dimension to a professional resume.

Committees that often need assistance are:

Local Arrangements and Program Committees are responsible for upcoming conferences. If you are interested in being on one of these committees, please contact the Vice-President/President Elect. Check out the "major duties" of the Local Arrangements Committee and the Program Committee.

Outreach Committee is responsible for telling the region about our profession. The Outreach Committee is very active and frequently has opportunities at our various events for volunteers. To volunteer contact the Outreach Committee Chair.

Archives On The Road requires 2-6 people who are trained archivists. Events are held mostly in Eastern Massachusetts, but we are trying to branch out into the rest of New England. Events are usually on weekends for 2-4 hours. You would be asked to staff the table along with regular Outreach members. All of you would answer questions participants have about either the object they have brought or about some aspect of archives.
If you have a specialty, let us know! Many of the questions relate to preservation and digitization. Helping out with On The Road can be a one time thing, or you may ask to be put on the volunteer list.
The Speaker's Bureau is a longer established event. What normally happens is an institution or group wants to hear a lecture on a certain topic. The Outreach Committee helps that group get in contact with an archivist who is qualified to address the topic. The timing for these events depend a great deal on the group.

The NEA Newsletter editors are often looking for people to write articles. The NEA Newsletter always needs news from archives in New England about NEA members and about upcoming events. We also need people to write reviews, long articles, and session reports for NEA meetings. The editors have prepared information for contributors to help potential writers. If you have any ideas for articles, please contact any of the editors.

Elected Officers

NEA also needs members to serve as elected officers. Four Representatives-at-Large are elected from the membership to the executive board for three-year terms. The membership also elects a president, Vice-President/President/Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Immediate Past President serves as chair of the Nominating Committee which finds members to run for these offices.

If you are interested in serving NEA in an elected capacity, please contact the Immediate Past President. If you wish to learn more about the NEA electoral process, visit the bylaws section of this web site.