Fall 2003 Meeting in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
"Turning Points"
October 30 - November 1, 2003
Program: [pdf will open in a new file]
Local Arrangements Committee Co-Chairs:
 Christine Ameduri, Gettysburg College
Pamela Cassidy Whitenack, Hershey Community Archives
Program Committee Chair:
James Gerencser, Dickinson College
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View and print the program online
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Welcome!
The Local Arrangements and Program Committees invite you to join us in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
for the fall meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference, October 30—November 1, 2003.
Most famed for the battle fought there during the American Civil War, the town of Gettysburg provides
an interesting backdrop for preservers, organizers, and interpreters of our shared history. Appropriately,
our luncheon speaker will be Jim Weeks, whose recently published book, Gettysburg: Memory, Market, and
an American Shrine, explores the relationship between Gettysburg as a sacred site of memory and as a
part of American commercial culture.
Given the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg and the images it invokes in popular memory, we
chose Turning Points to be our program theme. This theme also has particular significance for us as
keepers of cultural heritage materials as our work regularly undergoes changes. These changes are
brought on by the ever-evolving popular culture, newer technologies, developments in research methods
and interests, and even different philosophical points of view. The program we have created features
a wide variety of topics that address change in several unique ways. Whether we change our physical
spaces, change the materials we hold, or change the way in which we provide access to our materials,
we all reach certain points where we have to make the decision of whether or not to "turn" and embrace
these changes. There are good arguments on both sides of the discussion, and we encourage the exploration
of differing viewpoints.
In addition to the stimulating program sessions, a number of interesting tours have been organized by
the Local Arrangements Committee to enhance your visit to Gettysburg. Take advantage of the season
and go on a ghost tour or feed your craving for American history and take a tour of the battlefield. You
can even take a walking tour of the town yourself, perhaps seeking out the million and one places where
Abraham Lincoln stood, slept, ate, or spoke—he really got around on that November day 140 years ago.
Casual attire is encouraged for our Friday evening reception in the Eisenhower Bank Barn on the 690-
acre Eisenhower National Historic Site. The main house will also be open for touring.
We hope that you will take this opportunity to join us in Gettysburg—a chance to develop professionally
while at the same time enjoying the vibrant foliage of a Pennsylvania autumn amidst the solemnity of
one of this nation's most sacred places.
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