Dear SAA Members,
I am pleased to announce the first of three Archival Vistas Briefings seminars hosted by the International Archival Affairs Section (IAAS). This online seminar will take place on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 1:00–2:00 PM EDT.
The Archival Vistas Briefings virtual program series began in 2023 and focuses on topics of international relevance. The 2025–2026 theme is AI and the Expanding Vistas of Archival Practices. Each seminar features an international speaker who shares their experiences engaging with AI technologies, including implementation strategies, practical applications, and professional reflections. Past programs in the series may be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SocietyofAmericanArchivists/playlists
For this first seminar, we are delighted to welcome Arvid de Raaij (Digital Collections, NIOD – Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies, Amsterdam, Netherlands). Arvid holds a master's degree in Archival & Information Studies from the University of Amsterdam. His work focuses on the transformation of historical archives into data, born-digital archives, and increasing collection accessibility through Natural Language Processing (NLP). He also examines how these methods intersect with archival theory.
Presentation
Curatorial Footprints and Data-Driven Methods for the Description of Archives
What happens when archival material is allowed to describe itself?
Recent decades have seen a significant increase in digitization within the archival sector, as well as the widespread adoption of Natural Language Processing techniques (such as Automated Text Recognition, Named Entity Recognition, document classification, etc.) to make digital archival materials more accessible. These developments have gone hand in hand with the realization that the archivist is not merely 'a neutral guardian of old paper', but rather a subjective agent that has to interpret materials in order to make them accessible. Using a simple and transparent information retrieval algorithm (TF-IDF) and a substantial collection of egodocuments from the WWII-period in the Netherlands, this session shows how the application of automated keyword extraction helps us think critically about the role of interpretation in archival description and its consequences. And maybe more importantly: how can we incorporate these ideas into source criticism?
Registration Information
All are welcome to attend.
To register, please visit:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UIFMfcrwTnOiwhTql79Xig
Zoom login details will be sent via email upon registration.
I look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a stimulating and thought-provoking conversation with Arvid.
Sincerely,
Jenifer
------------------------------
Jenifer Monger,
Junior Co-Chair of IAAS
------------------------------
Jenifer Monger
Institute Archivist
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY
------------------------------