Program Committee Planning Guide

The Program Committee (PC) crafts the intellectual focus of the MARAC meeting through the selection of session topics and the invitation of plenary and luncheon speakers. Since the program is a critical factor in attracting the membership to meetings, the success of the meeting will depend on its strength.

The PC-specific planning timeline and templates are found later in this document. An overall meeting planning timeline and other guides are available on the MARAC website at https://www.marac.info/meeting-planning-guides. Questions regarding PC responsibilities should be directed to the Meetings Coordinating Committee Chair, Mary Mannix, at mkmannix@gmail.com.

Table of Contents

Major Responsibilities

Co-Chairs’ Duties

Committee Member Duties

Committee Responsibilities

Audio-visual Equipment Coordination

Program Sessions

Session Coordinator Duties

Plenary and Luncheon Presentations

Poster Sessions

Meeting Wrap-Up and Evaluations

Meeting Planning Timetable for PC

Appendix I: Sample Acceptance/Rejection Messages for Proposals

Appendix II: Sample Information for Speakers

Appendix III: Sample Message to Presenters Regarding DRUM

Appendix IV: Sample Poster Message and Submission Form

Appendix V: Sample Messages to Plenary Speaker

Appendix VI: Program Committee Final Report

Major Responsibilities

The Program Committee may plan a traditional program, or veer from the usual format, but in general the committee’s responsibilities include the following:

• Selecting a theme and a title for the meeting program:

• While a theme may tie the meeting together, any theme should be broad enough to attract a wide portion of the MARAC membership. A list of previous meeting themes is available here.
• It can help to consult with the LAC about the possibility of integrating the meeting location into the theme.  

• Planning and coordinating all program sessions:

• Putting a call out for Program content. While many aspects of developing the program are open to creativity and the desires of the PC, a call for program content must be distributed to the membership and the broader archival community. This is mandatory, however, how the PC integrates what they receive is up to the PC. Google Forms provides a straightforward electronic mechanism for submitting proposals. A sample form is available and can be customized by each Program Committee.
• Contacting moderators and participants. Members of the Program Committee should put together speakers for each session and should keep in contact with each participant throughout the entire process. PC members are not permitted to be speakers or moderators at their conference. PC members should keep diversity and inclusion considerations in mind and ensure that the full slate of moderators and speakers for the conference contains representation from a diversity of attributes, especially personal traits but also keeping in mind different types of archival institutions, time in career, and archival focus.
• Coordinating session audio-visual needs. PC members should keep track of the AV needs of their session(s) and should communicate those needs to the PC Chairs. The PC Chairs should coordinate any special needs with the AV Coordinator well ahead of the conference and should work with the AV Coordinator to ensure success on the day of the session.
• Working with LAC and hotel on room arrangements and set up. While the LAC remains the point of contact for the hotel on these matters, the PC members should keep track of any special room arrangements necessary for their session(s) and should communicate these needs with the LAC Chairs. Room rearrangements are costly and should be kept to a minimum; if a session rearranges chairs or otherwise significantly changes the layout of a room, then the session needs to restore the room to its original state at the end of the session.
• Monitoring program sessions to assist with any last minute details or emergencies. PC members should stay in contact with moderators and speakers of their session(s) and keep disruptions to a minimum. Be prepared! There should ideally be no surprises that show up AT a session.
• Setting session tracks or themes. PC co-chairs may wish to organize sessions into several tracks or themes, which help conference attendees attend sessions that are most of interest to them. Examples may include a digital archiving track, a diversity and inclusion track, or a historical research track. Tracks may relate to the theme or the local setting. Each session block should contain a session relating to each track.
• Finalizing the schedule. PC members should keep track of scheduling needs for their session(s), such as if a presenter will not be available at certain times, and should communicate these issues with the PC co-chairs. When creating the final schedule of sessions, the PC co-chairs should take these issues into consideration as well as whether a session belongs in a certain track. The final session schedule should be double-checked by moderators and speakers well before the program is finalized.

• Selecting and coordinating plenary and luncheon speakers: 

• Selecting speakers. The PC Chairs are in charge of selecting and contracting with keynote speakers for the conference, usually one for the plenary and one for the luncheon. A template for a SPEAKER CONTRACT is available and can be customized for each speaker. All costs related to a keynote speaker, including an honorarium, comped conference registration, meals, travel, and lodging should be negotiated in advance of the conference and included in the budget; the Treasurer should receive a copy of any contract signed to this effect. MARAC can afford to pay keynote speakers but it needs to fit into the budget. For guidance, if a speaker is asking for a $5000 honorarium plus travel expenses from across the country, then MARAC cannot afford to contract that individual and keep the conference to a reasonable cost for attendees, so another speaker should be selected instead (2022 dollars). Generally, the luncheon speaker is a local historian who will not need much in the way of honorarium or travel expenses, but this is again at the discretion of the PC and the budget. Speaker selection can be done in tandem with the LAC, but, in the end, it is the responsibility of the PC and selection of speakers is at their discretion, as long as it is in keeping with the budget.
• Handling all arrangements connected with speakers’  appearances at the meeting. The PC co-chairs should help the keynote speakers arrange travel, if necessary, and should coordinate with the Treasurer and Administrator on cutting reimbursement checks, comping conference registration, or paying expenses up front if necessary.

• Coordinating poster sessions (OPTIONAL):

• Selecting a poster session coordinator. If the PC wishes to have a poster session, then the co-chairs should appoint a member of the PC to have its coordination as their sole duty. This person should draft a call for posters (a template is available on Google Docs), select the posters that will be featured, and keep in touch with poster presenters to make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to do and will be ready on the day. The poster session coordinator should communicate space needs to the PC co-chairs, who will coordinate with the LAC co-chairs for space considerations.
• Setting up the presentations. MARAC does NOT OWN EASELS OR POSTER BOARD. MARAC will not own easels, because there is no way to store or transport them. The PC co-chairs or poster session coordinator should borrow or rent easels for the poster display, or should require that poster presenters procure their own (though aesthetic uniformity might be a concern here). Poster presenters are in charge of printing and transporting their own poster.
• Adding information to the supplement. A list of poster presenters and poster topics should be included in the online schedule and in the program supplement.
• Presenting posters virtually. It has become the custom in recent years for each poster presenter to record a short (5-minutes) version of their presentation along with their poster content for presentation on the MARAC YouTube channel. The poster videos for each conference should be grouped together in a playlist for easy perusal. The poster session coordinator can coordinate this work with the Communications Committee Social Media Coordinator.

• Communication:

• Providing the Program Editor with PC content relating to the program. The PC co-chairs and PC members should work together to compile the list of sessions, session titles, moderator and speaker names and affiliations, and session descriptions. Take special care to ensure that speaker names are spelled and presented correctly.
• Identify one to two sessions of broad interest to be written up for the MAA.  Invite the speakers to write the article or have a committee member compile a session abstract. The MAA team can provide editorial deadlines upon request.
• Coordinate with MARAC Archivist and provide speakers with information on how to deposit presentation content into DRUM. Content releases may be required.
• Submitting reports to the MCC Chair as requested. Communicating progress and problems to the MCC Chair and MCC members in a timely manner can prevent disasters!

• Post Event:

• Writing personal thank you notes to moderators, session speakers, and keynote speakers. PC co-chairs should thank speakers for their presentations, without which the conference could not go on. This represents the co-chairs as well as MARAC as a whole.
• Providing instructions to presenters for uploading their presentations to DRUM. Regular reminders can ensure more participation in DRUM, which is part of MARAC’s archival record.
• Reviewing evaluation surveys. After conference evaluation results return, PC co-chairs should go through results and comments. Where possible, try to learn from and help MCC learn from these results in order to make future conferences better.
• Writing final report and uploading to shared drive. PC co-chairs should compile a short report about successes and problems in order to help make future conferences better.
• Deleting drafts or unused documents from Google cloud space. Ensure all records in shared drives are accessible to all.

Co-Chairs’ Duties

Assembling the Committee:  The Co-Chairs appoint a committee of 12-20 MARAC members who represent a variety of archival institutions; ideally, some will have previous PC experience and some will be new to it. While 20 members may seem like too many at the outset, that number provides for back-ups in case some people are unable to carry through.  

To establish the committee, PC Co-Chairs should:

• provide a call for volunteers to Administrator for distribution to membership
• request a list from Administrator of members interested in serving on PC  
• notify the Administrator of the names of committee members. The Administrator will set up a e-mail list that includes the PC membership, the MCC Chair, the Program Editor, the LAC Co-Chairs, the Workshop Coordinator, the Vendor Coordinator, and the MARAC Treasurer.  This e-mail list will be created using MARAC’s Association Management Software (AMS).  The MCC Chair and the officers must approve the use of another e-mail list system and other individuals listed above must be included.
• schedule initial planning session to be held 12-15 months before the meeting
• bring the entire committee together virtually at least twice, so everyone gets acquainted and is clear about each other’s duties

Committee Leadership: The Co-Chairs may choose to share responsibilities, they may want to divide them, or they may choose a combination. They should think carefully about interests, work habits, and job schedules to come up with a plan that suits them best. The following is merely a suggested division of labor:

Both:  select committee; solicit ideas for programs, speakers, meeting theme, etc; moderate the committee meetings; carefully scrutinize "proofs" of printed program

One Co-Chair:

• Supervise the development of the sessions.
• Create a shared spreadsheet for all listing all of the speakers and moderators PC members to access and complete.
• Serve as principal contact for committee members; keep close tabs on audio-visual needs and inform LAC of these needs before the meeting budget is created; troubleshoot any program session problems.
• Prepare the master schedule of sessions.
• Coordinate with LAC regarding the size and number of meeting rooms available so that sessions are placed in appropriate sized space. The Administrator will have pre-registration totals for attendee interest in each session to assist with room assignments.
• Oversee committee contact with plenary and luncheon speakers.
• At the meeting, collect session attendance counts from committee members; these statistics go in the final report.

Other Co-Chair:

• Collect and edit committee members’ session descriptions and participants’ information,
• Write general descriptions of special sessions and/or speakers,
• Solicit and edit the entire program for accuracy and consistency of style and tone before turning the editorial process over to the Program Editor.
• Serve as contact for the poster session coordinator.
• Compile any changes and additions that need to be communicated via the online schedule and/or supplement.

Committee Member Duties

It is important for committee members to have ample time to devote to the committee work, including a critical amount of time at the meeting. Committee members should be prepared to do the following:

• Attend PC meetings and participate in discussions and shared documents where ideas for the meeting focus or theme, and individual session topics are generated.
• Arrange one or two sessions. Attend these sessions, help with any needs of the presenters, and note attendance numbers.

Committee members MUST NOT participate in program sessions, no matter how authoritative on the topic they may be. Not only is it a conflict of interest, but the duties of the committee are substantial and numerous problems have arisen when PC members were juggling management of sessions and paper preparation.

Committee Responsibilities

Audio-visual Equipment Coordination

In planning the program, the committee should be cognizant from the outset of the importance of balancing the use of audio-visual equipment in presentations with the expense of contracting it through the hotel. MARAC participants often request the use of projectors, screens, or internet connections to enhance their presentations and this equipment often plays a vital role in a session. However, conference centers charge for each piece of audio-visual equipment used, from electrical cables to flipcharts, screens to projectors and the expense can be significant.  

To ensure that AV costs are reasonable and included in the budget, the Program Committee should:

• Query the LAC early in the planning process to ascertain the exact expense of audio-visual materials, and availability of special needs items, including an internet connection  
• Obtain audio-visual needs from presenters more than six months prior to the meeting, in time for LAC to include it in its budget submission to the Steering Committee
• Understand that the availability of a live internet connection, either hard-wired or wireless, in meeting rooms varies widely, as does the cost of such a connection.  Some hotels may charge a daily fee per room, and others  use a different scale.  In some cases, the cost of providing a live internet connection to presenters may be prohibitively expensive.  In addition, live connections cannot always be dependable.  Presenters should be encouraged to work from screen shots and/or recordings to demonstrate an online environment whenever possible. 
• Recommend that if multiple session participants are utilizing computer-based presentations, all of the presentations should be loaded onto a single laptop to make best use of session time. The laptop used may be that of a participant or that of the PC member assigned to the session. Presentations can be loaded onto the laptop immediately prior to the session, and easily accessed during the session by the speakers.  MARAC will not pay for laptops or computers supplied by the hotel.  MARAC does own one laptop that may be available in emergencies.
• Consult with the LAC about scheduling of sessions in order to minimize internet costs.
• Livestreaming/videoconferencing into or out of the conference hotel is nearly guaranteed to go wrong. Speakers should be in the room.

The need for the following items should be considered for every session room during a conference:

• Lectern
• Microphone (should be used at all times, even if it’s a very small room or if the speaker has a naturally loud voice, because it enables accessibility.)
• Table for panel/speakers
• Platform for panel tables and luncheon/plenary speakers
• Tables /carts for projector and laptop
• Screen
• Projector (digital, slide, and/or overhead)
• Cables, connectors, and/or dongles to connect any of the above
• Power outlet and extension cords
• Internet connection
• Speakers/sound system

MARAC AV Equipment

MARAC owns several digital projectors for use at meetings.  These projectors, carrying cases, cables, connectors are all labeled with MARAC’s name and should be kept track of at each meeting.  A cart, electrical cables and projection screen will need to be obtained from the hotel (for a fee) to be used with the MARAC-owned projectors. Additionally, some hotels and conference centers may require a member of the hotel staff to serve as a troubleshooting technician for all audio-visual equipment used in the facility.

The Administrator stores the projectors and extra laptop for MARAC and will bring them to the meeting. At the meeting, the AV Coordinator will assume responsibility for the equipment and ensure that it is secured when not in use.  Please be advised that the hotel will probably not service this equipment so the AV Coordinator should be prepared to troubleshoot.

Program Sessions

Committee work in planning and coordinating the sessions comes in roughly four stages: first, brainstorming for ideas, and formation of individual sessions; second, follow-through with participants to get audio-visual needs, presentation descriptions, and other details about sessions; third, producing the program; fourth, supervision of program activities at the meeting. A large number of responsible committee members is desired in order to successfully plan 18-22 program sessions, plus the plenary and luncheon speeches.

Brainstorming:

The initial planning session should be held 12-15 months before the meeting, if possible, at the prior MARAC meeting.  The Program Committee is encouraged to be as creative as possible to locate new speakers and topics. When exploring themes and topics, members should bear in mind:

• the wide range of experience, types of repositories, and work situations represented by the MARAC membership
• that session topics should be fresh, and unless a clearly justifies a reprise, should not repeat recent sessions at MARAC or SAA.  
• reviewing previous print programs (available on the MARAC website) and meeting evaluation surveys (contact Administrator) is helpful and recommended
• that the program as a whole must have wide appeal. Focusing strongly on one specific topic can be tempting, but will be easily passed over by anyone not interested in that one topic. Consider creating a track of sessions on that topic instead.

Call for Submissions:

Putting out a call for submissions is mandatory. The preliminary call should be publicized extensively to ensure that it attracts a variety of presenters and topics. A sample message is available at Program Proposal Submission Email. Google Forms provides a straightforward mechanism for submitting proposals. A sample form is available at https://forms.gle/NTuJk6qAxaoPuR4p7

The email message should:

• communicate that MARAC is committed to incorporating diverse perspectives within the program and across the entire conference and that session proposals should reflect varied personal and professional experiences, including individual, institutional, and geographic diversity
• encourage submissions for the Diversity and Inclusion Session Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to the presenters of one session dedicated to topics of inclusion and diversity. The winning session will be chosen from among the proposals submitted and accepted by the conference Program Committee, in collaboration with Diversity and Inclusion Committee Members.
• indicate who interested potential speakers should contact with questions
• state the deadline for submissions
• include the link to the Google proposal form
• be distributed, at a minimum, through the following channels:

• to MARAC members via the  MARAC Administrator to the MARAC e-mail list
• posted on the MARAC blog and MARAC Facebook page
• to the State Caucus Representatives requesting that they forward it through their distribution lists and to reference it also on their Facebook pages, if they have one.
• posted on the SAA Archives e-mail list and to the lists of the surrounding archival regional lists
• sent to the distribution list for the History Section of RUSA, ALA and to the state library associations in the MARAC region
• sent to other allied professional organizations, such as MAAM and OHMAR, etc

Review of Submissions:  

• Committee will meet to review proposals
• Co-Chair will respond to proposals and request confirmations of participation. Sample messages are available in Appendix I.
• Volunteers from the Program Committee will be identified to serve as Session Coordinators

Program Committee Member: Session Coordinator Duties

Before the meeting:

• Establish a relationship with the session speakers. Send a message to session presenters introducing yourself and your role in coordinating the session.
• Assess audiovisual requirements. Obtain audio-visual needs from presenters at least six months prior to the meeting and notify the Co-Chairs who will report to the LAC for budgeting purposes.
• Share MARAC’s speaker registration policy with session presenters. If speakers plan to only present their session and then leave, they do not need to register. However, if they plan to attend conference activities beyond the session that they are presenting, MARAC requests that they register.  If they are not a member, they will automatically receive member pricing as a benefit to presenting. Make sure to register prior to the expiration of the early-bird rate to receive the best pricing. All speakers, registered or not, should stop by the registration table to collect their name badge and receive other conference information.  
• Provide information for the program. For the digital program, obtain or write a brief description of session and include moderators and participants’ names, and employing institutions; submit this information to the Co-Chairs on time.
• Ensure that speakers are ready. Keep in close contact with the speakers to be sure they are preparing for the session and, if necessary, communicating with each other. Review presentation guidelines with the session chairs. Sample provided in Appendix II.
• Ensure that the moderator of the session is prepared. They should become familiar with presentations of each speaker or panel member, obtain biographical information for introductory remarks, and prepare comments on the presentations, if appropriate.

At the session:

• Set up the room. Go to the room well before the session to be sure that podium, table, and chairs, audio-visual equipment, water, etc. are set up for the session
• Troubleshoot problems. Monitor the entire session and be ready to help if there are any problems (e.g., there is an audio-visual equipment failure, or the room temperature drops or rises precipitately). Troubleshoot technical difficulties as much as possible before calling AV Coordinator
• Count participants. At peak time, count the number of attendees and report this number to PC Co-Chairs after the meeting.

After the meeting:

• Send thank you messages to all session participants.
• Send message to presenters encouraging them to submit their presentations to the MARAC DRUM repository including instructions. Sample message available in Appendix III.
• Submit session attendance numbers and other details on your session to the Co-Chairs for

        the PC Report.

Plenary and Luncheon Presentations

Plenary session: Topic for the plenary session should be of broad interest to the archival community and should relate to the meeting theme. In selecting a speaker, the PC should:

• consider candidates’ qualifications to address the topic, as well as their speaking abilities; if a potential plenary speaker is not an archivist; the committee should evaluate how well this person understands the concerns of the archival profession.
• look for a speaker who lives in the vicinity of the meeting to keep costs down. MARAC has occasionally invited prominent speakers from outside the area, but such an invitation adds to the cost of the meeting. In any case, no arrangements for speaker’s fees should be made without prior discussions between PC and LAC Co-Chairs, the Treasurer, and the MCC Chair.

PC may plan for more than one plenary session if another topic of broad interest presents itself. If this is a possibility, PC must consult LAC early in the planning process to ensure that there is a plenary size space available at the non-traditional time.  This may require a change in the contract and, if so, the MCC Chair must be involved.  It has become customary for the plenary speaker to provide a version of their talk, usually 2000-5000 words, for the next post-meeting issue of the Mid-Atlantic Archivist.

Luncheon speech is usually given by a local person, usually not an archivist, but someone who works in the field of history and has an appreciation for archives. The PC should consider speakers whose talks are substantive as well as entertaining.

One or two members of the committee should be assigned to each of these speaking sessions and carry out these duties:

Before the meeting:

• Set the topic. Discuss with the speaker the nature, length, and topic of the speech
• Negotiate costs. The speaker(s) may require or the PC can offer an honorarium, and, if speaker is from out of town, travel and hotel costs; notify LAC more than six months before the meeting if the speaker requires any of these so that they can be included in the budget. Conference registration can also be included. Notify the plenary speaker of the opportunity to publish a version of their talk in the post-conference issue of the Mid-Atlantic Archivist. Notify the LAC and Administrator if the keynote speakers will need a complimentary lunch. Clarify with the Treasurer the procedures for honorarium payments and expense reimbursement. Invite both the plenary and luncheon speakers to the Friday night reception.
• Assess additional requirements. Obtain audio-visual needs from speakers at least six months prior to the meeting and notify the Co-Chairs who will report to the LAC for budgeting purposes
• Write the description for the program. For the digital program, obtain or write a brief description of presentation and include names, titles, and employing institutions; submit this information to the Program Editor on time.
• Share MARAC’s speaker registration policy with speakers. If speakers plan to only make their presentation and then leave, they do not need to register. However, if they plan to attend conference activities beyond their presentation, MARAC requests that they register.  If they are not a member, they will automatically receive member pricing as a benefit to presenting. Make sure to register prior to the expiration of the early-bird rate to receive the best pricing. All speakers, registered or not, should stop by the registration table to collect their name badge and receive other conference information.  
• Prepare for the day. Confirm meeting plans with speaker a month before, obtain biographical information for introduction, and determine expected time of arrival at the meeting. Plan to introduce the speaker, or arrange for someone else to do it.

At the meeting:

• Serve as host to the speaker during stay at meeting
• Ensure podium and audio-visual equipment meet speaker’s needs.

After the meeting:

• Assist speaker with submitting expense reports to the Treasurer for reimbursement.
• Write a thank you note.
• Follow up with the editor of the Mid-Atlantic Archivist for an editorial deadline for the post-conference issue and notify the plenary speaker.

Poster Sessions

Poster presentations provide an opportunity for people to submit proposals much closer to the time of the conference, and are an excellent way to introduce students to participation in a MARAC meeting.  Planning for poster sessions can be fairly flexible. It is recommended that one or two members of the Program Committee coordinate the poster session, in collaboration with the Co-Chairs.

MARAC does not own easels or maintain a supply of  foam core for poster presentations.  The PC must arrange to borrow easels from local institutions or rent from the hotel and purchase foam core if needed. The PC should alert the LAC in order to budget for supplies and work with them to evaluate the best hotel space.

A poster session can be held in conjunction with other sessions, throughout the day to coincide with breaks, or presented using MARAC’s YouTube channel.  It is important, however, to make sure there is designated and scheduled time for the presenters to be with their posters for discussion.

 Considerations for poster sessions:

• Will it be open to everyone or only to students?
• How competitive will the process be? What are the criteria for evaluation?
• What are the maximum size dimensions for posters?
• What is the timeline?
• MARAC does not own easels or foamcore. These must be acquired from the hotel or borrowed from an educational institution if possible. Foam core for mounting posters may be purchased from Uline in quantities of 25 sheets per case. Uline also sells easel backs that may be mounted to posters to create tabletop displays. This eliminates the need for portable easel stands.

Call for Submissions:

• Advertising the poster session should ideally begin at the previous MARAC meeting with fliers at the registration table.  
• Publicity can also take the form of Tweets, Facebook posts, messages to the membership, and notes on the website.
• The message to membership should be provided to the Administrator 3 months before the conference.
• Google Forms provides a straightforward mechanism for submitting proposals. A sample form is available at https://forms.gle/6HS3xa9z3ArHYZAdA
• The timeline for posters can be flexible, but it is recommended that the deadline for proposals be late, usually 8 weeks prior to the conference.  Poster presenters should be notified at least 6 weeks prior to the conference in order to have time to prepare.    

Before the meeting:

• Submit abstracts and other information about the poster session for inclusion in the supplement. This information can also be placed in the online schedule application (SCHED).
• Notify presenters about where they can store poster materials at hotel, where poster presentations will occur in hotel, and what time they will be expected to be at the location for the poster session. Posters can be temporarily stored in the conference’s “war room” but should be placed and retrieved by a member of the PC or LAC in order to limit access to the room.

At the meeting:

• Advertise the session. PC co-chairs should highlight the time and location of the poster session during any announcements.
• Set up the area. At least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the poster session, participants should show up and set up their poster and easel.
• Presentations. Participants should present their poster with conference attendees who are interested.
• Cleanup. Participants should break down their easel and poster. Easels should be collected for return and foam core can be given away or thrown out.

After the meeting:

• Send thank you messages to all poster presenters.
• Send a message to the presenters encouraging them to submit their presentations to the MARAC DRUM repository, including instructions for submission. Sample message available in Appendix III.
• Submit details on the poster session to the Co-Chairs for  the PC Report.
• If desired, have poster session participants record a short version of their poster for inclusion on the MARAC YouTube channel. Poster videos for each conference should be aggregated into a playlist for easy perusal. The program committee coordinator should coordinate with the MARAC Communications Committee Social Media Coordinator to make this happen.

Meeting Wrap-Up and Evaluations

After the dust has settled from the meeting, the PC Co-Chairs should write a final report, uploaded to the Conferences Final Reports folder in google drive. See Appendix  VI for the format of the report. The evaluation portion of the report should include an appraisal of the sessions and plenary and luncheon speeches, including problems encountered and recommendations for future PCs. Permanently valuable records of the PC, along with a copy of the final report, should be uploaded to the conference shared Google Drive.

The MARAC Administrator will launch the meeting evaluation survey for conference attendees immediately after the conference.  The survey runs for two weeks and the Administrator then distributes the results to the MCC e-list which contains PC Co-Chairs.

Meeting Planning Timetable for PC

MARAC plans its meetings on a cycle, which begins a year and a half or three meetings in advance. The semi-annual meetings provide LACs and PCs excellent opportunities for committee meetings.

Appendix I: Sample Acceptance/Rejection Messages for Proposals

Grouped with another session: submitted full session

Dear _______,

Thank you for proposing a session for the fall 2021 MARAC meeting in Gettysburg, PA.  We would be delighted to feature your presentation in the program.  In an effort to increase the diversity of institutions represented, we would like to match you with one or more presentations on a similar theme.  To give everyone ample time to present, the number of speakers from any one institution may need to be reduced.  A program committee member will be assigned to your session to assist with logistics.

Please respond to this message by Wednesday, February 24 and let us know if you are still interested in presenting.

Sincerely,

Program Committee Co-Chairs    

Grouped with another session: submitted session idea or speaker proposal

Dear _______,

Thank you for proposing a session for the fall 2021 MARAC meeting in Gettysburg, PA.  We would be delighted to feature your presentation in the program.  In an effort to increase the diversity of institutions represented, we would like to match you with one or more presentations on a similar theme.  A program committee member will be assigned to your session to assist with logistics.

Please respond to this message by Wednesday, February 24 and let us know if you are still interested in presenting.

Sincerely,

Program Committee Co-Chairs    

Accepted as proposed

Dear _______,

Thank you for proposing a session for the fall 2021 MARAC meeting in Gettysburg, PA.  We would be delighted to feature your presentation in the program.  

Please respond to this message by Wednesday, February 24 and let us know if you are still interested in presenting.  If you decide to go forward, a program committee member will then be assigned to your session to assist with logistics.

Sincerely,

Program Committee Co-Chairs    

Declined

Dear _______,

Thank you for proposing a session for the fall 2021 MARAC meeting in Gettysburg, PA.  We will unfortunately not be able to feature your presentation in the program.  Please be on the lookout for additional presentation opportunities, including a call for pop-up proposals and posters.  

Sincerely,

Program Committee Co-Chairs    

Appendix II: Sample Information for Speakers

Technology

• Session rooms will be equipped with a projector, adapter, and microphones.
• Speakers are responsible for arranging for a laptop for use with the projector. Make sure all presentations are loaded on one laptop and compatible with the software on the laptop.
• While Wi-fi will be available, presenters are encouraged to work from screenshots and/or recordings to demonstrate an online environment whenever possible.

Before your session starts

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early to check equipment, test presentations, and determine the speaking order.
• Make sure presentations are ready to go before the session begins. It is recommended that you preload all presentations onto one laptop and bring flash drive back-ups to reduce the likelihood of tech issues and eliminate unnecessary delays between speakers.
• Brief each speaker on how the session will be conducted, including when and how time warnings will be communicated. The Program Committee representative may serve as the timekeeper and give warnings, if necessary.

Before and during your session

• Start on time. This is extremely important and ensures each speaker has the full allotted time, as well as having time for Q&A.
• Request that the audience silence their cellphones and wear their masks. Make sure audience members are aware that presenters may remove masks when speaking. Attendees who do not wear masks may be asked to leave the session room.
• Encourage attendees to post about your session on social media using the conference hashtags, #MARACFall21 and #ReadyforGetty.
• The moderator should introduce all speakers and be sure to mention each person’s name, affiliation, and presentation title. The moderator is also responsible for leading and moderating the Q&A using discussion starter questions prepared in advance with the speakers’ help, if necessary.
• End the session on time. The schedule provides for limited breaks between sessions. Please end your session on time so the next session’s speakers can test their presentations.

COVID-19 Mitigation

• Masks are required at the conference.  You may, however, remove your mask (only when speaking at the podium) if you are comfortable doing so.  If you do wear your mask, it is especially important that you use the microphone.  When finished speaking, wipe down the microphone with provided disinfecting wipes.
• Social distancing is strongly encouraged and attendees will be discouraged from sitting in the first rows.

On behalf of the Program Committee, thank you for the time and effort you’ve given to speak at MARAC Fall 2021! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if we can provide assistance.

Program Committee Co-Chairs

Rejoice Scherry, SUNY Corning Community College (rejoicescherry@gmail.com)

Rachel Grove Rohrbaugh, Elizabethtown College (grover@etown.edu)

Appendix III: Sample Message to Presenters Regarding DRUM

Dear MARAC presenter,

We would like to invite you to contribute your presentation and/or handouts from the Newark MARAC conference to MARAC's digital archives, which are located in DRUM, the University of Maryland's digital repository. To submit your presentation please go to the DRUM submissions page at the following link: http://drum.lib.umd.edu/page/about-submitting

The fine print:

* Deposit of works is completely optional. The deposit agreement asks for non-exclusive rights so authors will retain all copyrights to their work.

* Authors will receive a permanent URL for their work. This is an example of an individual DRUM record: http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/15068

* The repository can accept PowerPoints and PDFs. PDFs are preferred.

* Authors can supply keywords and abstracts if they like. This is completely optional.

* The URL for DRUM: http://drum.lib.umd.edu

* The MARAC collection in DRUM: http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/12510

Sincerely,

[name of PC co-chairs]

Appendix IV: Sample Poster Message and Submission Form

Sample submission form is available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-c8l8y1qy1ydac3ecpHkalHNxIR7iq3EcidFKoIWJhY/edit

MARAC Newark April 2017, Poster Proposals

The Program Committee of the Spring 2017 Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference meeting in Newark, NJ ,is accepting proposals for posters that showcase the work of the MARAC membership. Posters may describe applied or theoretical research that is completed or underway; discuss interesting collections with which individuals or groups have worked; or report on archives and records projects in which MARAC members have participated (e.g., development of finding aids, public outreach, database construction, etc.). Submissions should focus on research or activity conducted within the previous year (2016-2017). Poster dimensions: no larger than 32 inches by 40 inches (may read vertically or horizontally).

Notifications regarding accepted submissions will be sent in late March 2017. Accepted posters will be on display throughout the MARAC Newark meeting, with one special time slot and location devoted to presentation and discussion of the posters.

To submit a poster proposal, please complete the proposal form no later than March 15, 2017. (Proposals received after this date will not be considered.) Emailed submissions or submissions in any other format will not be accepted.

Note: This call for proposals is open to any student or professional who is conducting archival work or research. If you encounter issues when using this form, please contact the Program Committee co-chairs at jak6029@psu.edu.

Appendix V: Sample Messages to Plenary Speaker

Sample Speaker Agreement

Before the start of the conference email the plenary speaker and ask who the honorarium check should be made out to and what address should it be sent to, and include link to reimbursement form - https://marac.memberclicks.net/reimbursement-form#/

Then Email the Treasurer with the information asking for disbursement of payment.

The Treasurer can sometimes follow up with instructions for travel reimbursement - if I haven’t included it already.

There are situations in which the speaker may want the honorarium made out to their employer.

There are situations when the speaker cannot accept the honorarium (e.g. government worker, policy of their institution prohibits it, or they just choose not to take it).

There are situations when the speaker has no travel expenses (if they live in the city that the workshop was given in and do not wish to be reimbursed for anything).

Email Template to Speaker:

Dear [NAME],

Thank you for speaking at MARAC’s [LOCATION] Conference!  I would like to have the honorarium check prepared and mailed. Please provide me with a mailing address and who the check should be made out to.

Additionally, to be reimbursed (up to $300 allowable by policy) for travel and other expenses associated with your service as a speaker, please complete the reimbursement form - https://marac.memberclicks.net/reimbursement-form#/ - along with any receipts. (Mileage is the only thing for which no receipt is necessary. Please be aware that MARAC policy is to reimburse mileage at the federal rate for charitable organizations, currently 14 cents per mile.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thank you again!

[PC Co-Chair]

Email Template to MARAC Treasurer:

Dear MARAC Treasurer,

Please send an honorarium of [$AMOUNT] to [SPEAKER NAME/INSTITUTION] for his/her plenary address at the [CONFERENCE LOCATION]. Please mail the check to the following address:

 [NAME AND ADDRESS]

 The instructor should receive travel reimbursement up to $300.

**(if not included in email to instructor include it here) ** He/she will need instructions as to how to submit for this. Please contact her at: [INSTRUCTOR EMAIL]

 Thank you,

[PC Co-Chair]

 --- The treasurer then follows up with the workshop instructor regarding travel reimbursement.

Appendix VI: Program Committee Final Report

Meeting:

Dates:

Location:

PC Co-Chairs:

Report the meeting theme, and the topic of the plenary and luncheon speeches.

For each session, provide the title and the approximate number of attendees.

Write a brief evaluation of the program overall.

Suggested revisions for Meetings Policy Manual: