Speaking Events

Are We There Yet? Lessons learned from three repository migrations to Samvera Hyku

30 July 2024
Digital Library Federation 2024 Forum
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

Presenters: Katharine Van Arsdale (Adventist Digital Library, Andrews University), Emma Beck (University of Louisville), and Amanda Hurford (Private Academic Library Network of Indiana). Panel conceived and organized by Katharine Van Arsdale.

Although we are librarians from three very different organizations or institutions, we join together on this panel to discuss what our libraries have in common–recently completed migrations from legacy repository platforms to Samvera’s Hyku, which is an open-source repository system. 

Our use cases for Hyku vary. One of us uses Hyku as an Institutional Repository (IR), one is a digital collection, and the third uses Hyku to deliver both. Two of us represent consortia that share resources and host multiple tenants of Hyku, while one of us works at a large university with a single instance. Our implementations of Hyku run the gamut from self-hosted with in-house developers to completely vendor-supported. We migrated from previous systems such as Islandora, CONTENTdm, and Sierra ILS. Since Hyku uses Dublin Core, we’ve all learned a lot about metadata clean-up and crosswalking, and because Hyku is a recent entry to the field of repository software, we’ve navigated tricky aspects of early adoption. After sometimes years of development and testing, we can look back on our journeys to the repositories we manage today. We learned lessons along the way, and we are eager to share what we learned with the folks at DLF.

Triple-Threat: How three institutions joined forces to preserve a significant Black Adventist’s legacy

24 June 2024
Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians 44th Annual Conference
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Silver Spring, MD

Interview proposed by and questions written by Katharine Van Arsdale. Interviewees: Dr. Barbara Stovall (primary) and Katharine Van Arsdale (secondary). Facilitator: Rose Anjejo.

In 2023, Oakwood University Archivist Dr. Barbara Stovall partnered with Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute and the Adventist Digital Library to organize, inventory, digitize, and share the personal papers of Dr. Eva B. Dykes. Dr. Dykes was the first Black woman in the United States to complete the requirements for a PhD. In 1944, she left prestigious Howard University to teach at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, where she served for forty years. In this interview-style presentation, Dr. Stovall discusses the process of compiling and organizing the Dykes Collection and the many partnerships that made the project possible.

AI-Powered, Open-Source, and Affordable: Updates from the Adventist Digital Library

24 June 2024
Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians 44th Annual Conference
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Silver Spring, MD

Join the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) and the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI) as we celebrate the launch of a new software platform and websites, which include over 27,000 never-before-seen digital objects, keyword-searchable full text articles, advance search features, and more. ADL also now offers an affordable institutional repository option and offsite digitization services for Adventist schools that subscribe to SDAPI. ADL Digital Librarian Katharine Van Arsdale will share how you can benefit from or contribute to these vital Adventist resources, and she will end with a robust Q&A time for feedback from ASDAL members.

More than human intelligence: Ellen White studies in the age of AI

20 October 2023
Ellen White for Today Conference
Walter Utt Center, Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA

At the Adventist Digital Library, we collaborate with many researchers who are using cutting edge technology to improve their scholarship. In this presentation, I discuss the ways that material from the Adventist Digital Library is being analyzed, reorganized, and improved for research purposes through the use of AI-powered tools such as DevonThink, Transkribus, and Rev AI. I reflect on the results of software improvements such as transcription of handwritten documents or enhanced text tagging, and I share some ways this may enhance the study of Ellen White’s writings. I propose future projects that are suggested by results so far.

Good, Better, Best: Digitization of Adventist Resources

27 June 2023
Association of SDA Librarians 43rd Annual Conference
Adventist University of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya

During the 2023 Association of SDA Librarians conference, I gave a report on the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) project, including an overview of changes to the digital library and SDA Periodical Index platforms, as well as a spotlight on recently added features and content. The session concluded with Q&A, which emphasized ways that these platforms and the digital content they share could be improved for international audiences. Additionally, I answered questions about how institutions can collaborate with ADL to meet their digitization or institutional repository goals.

The Archives are our classroom: Approaches to undergraduate primary source information literacy

19 June 2023
Michigan Archival Association Annual Conference
(Virtual)

Panel presentation given by Andrea McMillan (Michigan State University Libraries), Katharine Van Arsdale (Adventist Digital Library), and Emily West (Wayne State University).

Knowing how to navigate archival collections and engage effectively with primary source documents can feel like a daunting task to a newer researcher. This presentation will focus on three different approaches to incorporating archives in instruction sessions. Presenters will speak about their experiences with archival instruction from one-shot sessions, partnering with teaching faculty, and course-long embedded librarian collaboration.

Curating the Past: Librarians, historians, and the archive

18 April 2023
Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians Triennial Conference
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, TN

Panelist presentations addressed the following major topics within the intersection of historiography, librarianship, higher education, research, and the curation of primary sources.

I. Building, maintaining, and accessing Adventist collections.

- How do institutions acquire Adventist collections (primary and secondary sources) and how are collection development decisions made? What gets digitized and how does that process vary? How are librarians making Adventist collections accessible through cataloging and discovery tools? How can we make Adventist collections more visible? More usable? Are there any collections that we're missing, topics that need more coverage, or voices that are marginalized in the Adventist-held record?

II. Integrating Adventist-held primary sources into undergraduate curriculum.

- For panelists who have helped undergraduates navigate "the archive", what was the assignment? The student response? Any particular benefits or challenges inherent to using Adventist-held resources? Lessons learned and suggestions for next time? How have librarians collaborated with teaching faculty? What are some exciting ways to bring students and resources together that we haven't tried yet?

III. Using Adventist-held resources to support all research interests.

- What kind of research is being done today? Have historians found anything surprising? Again, any particular benefits or challenges inherent to using Adventist-held resources? What can historians and librarians do to make collaboration and/or research smoother?

Guided tour of the Pitcairn Islands Study Center collections and museum

19 October 2021
Digital Pasifik & Pacific Union College
-Zoom & FaceBook Live Event-

Experience a virtual tour of the Pitcairn Islands Study Center museum on the campus of Pacific Union College, hosted by Digital Pasifik and led by Katharine Van Arsdale.

During this one-hour visit, enjoy close study of the carved, painted, and woven handicrafts of Pitcairn Island. Marvel at artifacts and relics from the HMAV Bounty and her mutineers, and learn how DNA can help with questions of authenticity. Laugh along with your co-hosts as they read aloud humorous “slice of life” stories written by Pitcairn Islanders of the past. Ponder what life has been and is now like on the most isolated island in the world. And best of all, don’t forget to share your own memories and thoughts about artifacts from Pitcairn Island and the Pacific, by contributing your stories on Digital Pasifik.

Contact the Pitcairn Islands Study Center for more information.

Angwin and Howell Mountain
Discussion with author Katharine Van Arsdale

22 April 2021
Napa County Historical Society
-Zoom Event-

April 2021 the Napa County Historical hosts Katharine Van Arsdale, author of Angwin and Howell Mountain, the newest book on the Napa Valley in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series. Katharine Van Arsdale is the Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. Before coming to Napa County, Katharine worked for several years as a research librarian in Washington, DC. Using her MA in History and MSLS in Library Science from the Catholic University of America, Katharine especially enjoys researching local history and bringing it to life. Please RSVP through our Eventbrite page and join us via Zoom on Thursday, April 22nd from 7:00pm – 8:00pm. An invitation with a link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to participants the day before the event.

VIRTUAL AUTHOR EVENT // Katharine Van Arsdale - Angwin and Howell Mountain

25 March 2021
Napa Bookmine &
The St. Helena Public Library
-Zoom Event-

VIRTUAL AUTHOR EVENT // Katharine Van Arsdale - Angwin and Howell Mountain

Due to the COVID-19 this will now be a virtual event held on Zoom.

Join Napa Bookmine and the St. Helena Public Library on Thursday, March 25th at 7:00PM PT for virtual author hour with Katharine Van Arsdale to discuss her forthcoming book Angwin and Howell Mountain.

This is a VIRTUAL event and will take place on Zoom. You must RSVP to attend. Email read@napabookmine.com to RSVP.

This is a free event. If you are able, a donation of $5 is suggested to help cover costs. Donate here.  You can also order a copy of Angwin and Howell Mountain here.

“Practically Tradition: Adventist Education and the Liberal Arts”

7 Dec 2020
Sub-committee of Board of Trustees
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA

Since the founding days of 1882, principles of Seventh-day Adventist education have guided the curriculum at Pacific Union College. These principles value hard work and practical, hands-on experience that leads to a vocation—often ministry, teaching, or medicine. Meanwhile, this same college has always valued and included the study of liberal arts, from the earliest philosophy classes to today’s General Education program. How have these two traditions historically cooperated or opposed one another? Today we face questions of the practicality of liberal arts; is this anything new? I will explore the answers to these questions and more.

“Coffee & Conversation: Seventh-day Adventists in Napa Valley.”

22 Nov 2020
Interfaith Conversation Series
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
Napa, CA

For this talk, I joined Napa Community Seventh-day Adventist Church head pastor Nate Furness for an interfaith conversation series hosted by the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Napa, CA. Pastor Furness shared an overview of SDA beliefs and traditions, while I spoke about the history of Seventh-day Adventist settlement in California and Napa Valley.

“Pacific Union College: A Five Minute History”

10 Sept 2020
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA

During Freshman Orientation I spoke via livestream to the incoming students about the inspiration behind the founding of Pacific Union College and how that vision still ties PUC Pioneers together today.

“Finders Keepers: A Case Study in the Importance of Accession Records.”

June 2019
Association of SDA Librarians 39th Annual Conference
General Conference Archives
Silver Spring, MD

In February 2019, the Pacific Union College Archives “rediscovered” a single page of a letter written by Ellen G. White, a cofounder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and a founder of the college. How was this letter temporarily lost, and what could we do differently to avoid such losses in the future? In this paper presentation I explored the history of accession records at PUC from 1909 to the present, and I proposed a general form to be used for all donations moving forward.

Workshop: “What do I do with this box of stuff?”

June 2019
Association of SDA Librarians 39th Annual Conference
General Conference Archives
Silver Spring, MD

I was part of a team from the Archives & Records Management Section of the Association of SDA Librarians (ASDAL) that carried out this pre-conference workshop. It was a practical, hands-on experience that demonstrated methods and reasoning behind archival processing. Participants broke off into small groups that were given a box of material representing a real archival donation. Groups practiced appraisal and arrangement and considered deaccessioning criteria.

Workshop: “Social Media for Libraries”

17 June 2018
Association of SDA Librarians 38th Annual Conference
Burman University
Lacombe, Alberta, Canada

I led this pre-conference workshop, which was sponsored by the Archives & Records Management Section of ASDAL. I began with a literature review that emphasized the social media habits of Millennials versus Gen Z. Then I presented a variety of types of posts alongside best practices. During the workshop, participants brainstormed a conference hashtag, created and planned scheduled posts, and implemented at least one change to increase follower count.

“Assessing Information Literacy at Pacific Union College: A Collaborative Campus Experience.”

June 2018
Association of SDA Librarians 38th Annual Conference
Burman University
Lacombe, Alberta, Canada

When compared to teaching faculty, librarians who teach one-shot information literacy sessions are at a disadvantage when it comes to measuring success through student assessment. One-shot sessions are quite literally borrowed time, and there is rarely time to include assessment.

During the school year 2016-2017, the Pacific Union College library participated in a rare opportunity to assess information literacy at the institutional level. This paper outlined the experience of the PUC librarians in a cross-disciplinary assessment process, and provided background on the decision-making that led to the rubric that was ultimately used and then later revised based on real life applications. The paper also reflected on the campus perception of information literacy and the value of librarians in teaching a core competency.

“Selling Yourself: Outreach & Promotion in Two Adventist Libraries.”

July 2017
Association of SDA Librarians 37th Annual Conference
Newbold College of Higher Education
Berkshire, England

Like modern libraries, archives must advocate for themselves in an era of limited funding. The importance of unique, primary source archival material must be expressed through clear mission statements and good marketing by way of exhibits, programs, and outreach. This paper, which I coauthored, looked closely at the recent exhibits, programs, and outreach of two Adventist archives to see how our institutional repositories carry out their archival mission. It is particularly important to look at the work these repositories have done in recent years, as digital communication makes online exhibits, social media campaigns, and virtual reference easy to provide and almost ubiquitous.

“‘What is this stuff and what do I do with it?’ Advice for the Non-Archivist Faced with Processing Archival Collections.”

July 2017
Association of SDA Librarians 37th Annual Conference
Newbold College of Higher Education
Berkshire, England

The Archives & Records Management Section of the Association of SDA Librarians presented several scenarios that might face a librarian managing a library with no archivist or records manager on staff. We introduced the concept of “More Product, Less Process” and provided examples of minimal accession records and finding aids that could be created by professionals from archives-adjacent fields who lack formal archival science training. We also recommended a reading list and shared our contact info as “experts on call” for any interested parties.

“Memory On the Mountain: Heritage and Campus Identity at PUC.”

April 2016
Homecoming Weekend
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA

During Homecoming Weekend 2016, I presented “Memory On the Mountain: Heritage and Campus Identity at PUC.” In this talk I discussed the grit of the early PUC Pioneers and their resourcefulness as they moved from Healdsburg to Angwin’s beautiful, though remote, mountaintop location, which came with unique challenges. I described at length the building of what is now Irwin Hall, explaining how students and PUC faculty were an integral part of the process; from designing blueprints and felling redwoods to build the structure to literally working day and night to cart dirt up a hill to make the dream of an administration building a reality.