We’re pleased to announce that registration is now open for the first-ever MDPN Member Summit. Registration can be completed via the MCLS workshop site and a detailed schedule and presentation descriptions can be found on Sched.

In addition to the keynote address by Trevor Owens (Library of Congress), the Summit features notable digital preservation experts from around the country, including Thib Guicherd-Callin (LOCKSS), Alex Kinnamen (Virginia Tech), Carol Kussmann (University of Minnesota), Cinda May (Notre Dame University), Nathan Tallman (Penn State), and Lauren Work (University of Virginia). The Summit also includes an introduction to digital preservation, led by MDPN Coordinator Chelsea Denault, and a panel discussion on the financial and cultural costs of inaction on digital preservation. Panelists include Sharon Carlson (Historical Society of Michigan), Jeffrey Daniels (Grand Valley State University), Scott Garrison (Midwest Collaborative for Library Services), and Bryan Whitledge (Clarke Historical Library/Central Michigan University).

The Member Summit is open to all professionals at historical societies, museums, archives, and libraries across the state. We encourage volunteers or staff from different departments – from archivists and collections managers to IT professionals and executive director or deans – to attend and learn more about the value of digital preservation and how the MDPN plans to provide a path to access these vital services.