by Dallas Pillen
President, SAA-WSU Student Chapter

The Wayne State University student chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA-WSU) will be starting its Fall 2013 operations with a meeting on Monday, September 9, at 5:30 PM in room 283 of the Student Center. New and returning students who are in the process of or who are considering pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Archival Administration, in addition to an MLIS or an MA in History, or who otherwise have an interest in the long term preservation of records of historical value, are encouraged to join. Students are not required to join the national Society of American Archivists organization to take part in the student group at WSU, although it is highly encouraged and is a requirement to be eligible for officer positions. Annual dues for student memberships to SAA are $50 per year. Additional information on the national SAA organization, including membership instructions, can be found at http://www2.archivists.org/.

Each semester, SAA-WSU tours a variety of archival institutions, with past tours including the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library, the Nye Popular Culture Collection at Michigan State University, and the Ypsilanti Historical Society. Additional activities have included an information session on the Academy of Certified Archivists Exam and collaboration with WSU's NDSA chapter on a resume workshop with SLIS faculty and local professionals. Aside from taking part in interesting and educational events, joining SAA is an excellent opportunity to network with fellow students and archival administration professionals, and will be beneficial to both academic and professional endeavors. Additional information about SAA-WSU can be found at http://iis.slis.wayne.edu/saa/index.html.

The group meets monthly to discuss plans for upcoming events and to brainstorm future possibilities. Following the September 9 meeting, the group will be meeting on the first Monday of every month at 5:30 PM. SAA-WSU is also in the process of establishing a method to allow members to take part in meetings online in order to accommodate those who may be interested in contributing to the group's activities but who are unable to attend the scheduled meetings on campus, additional information about which will be forthcoming.

There are a number of ways to remain informed about upcoming meetings and events. I encourage everyone to like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Societyofamericanarchivistswsu. We post regular updates about upcoming meetings and future events, and share interesting updates from other student organizations and local institutions, making our Facebook page the best resource for those interested in joining SAA-WSU or staying up to date with its activities. Students who may only have a passing interest in the archival field, and who are not interested in joining SAA-WSU at this time, are still encouraged to like our Facebook page, as it is not necessary to be a full member of the group to join us on tours or at special events, and there will likely be events that will be of interest to those pursuing other paths in the field of library and information science.

Interested students are also encouraged to join the SAA-WSU listserv, which is used to send meeting reminders, event information, and to share scholarship, internship, or employment opportunities with colleagues. Here's how:

Directions: send email to LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU
-Leave subject line blank
-Type "subscribe saalist" with your first and last names into the body of the message.
-You will receive a confirmation email
-To send a message, send to: saalist@wayne.edu

I look forward to meeting new members at the upcoming meeting, and to getting started on planning this semester's archival adventures!