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SERI STEER Unconference

SERI STEER logoThe Council of State Archivists’ State Electronic Records Institute (SERI) hosts an annual virtual Unconference, SERI STEER (State & Territory Excellence in Electronic Records).

The 2025 Unconference will take place on Wednesday, May 14th and will feature attendee-led discussions on current aspects of managing electronic records in state and territorial archives. The overall theme this year is STORYTELLING and will begin with a large group discussion on What is the Future of SERI's Story? This year, sessions will be divided into three tracks and will cover the following topics:

  • Starting and Electronic Records Management Program
  • Advocacy
  • Privacy
  • Emerging Technologies.

Each session will have a subject expert who has worked with that topic and can help "STEER" the discussion forward. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time to help shape the discussion in addition to the robust, in-the-moment conversations that make STEER such a successful event.

Wednesday, May 14th

2025 Unconference Schedule

Opening Session: 12:00-1:15pm
Continuing SERI's Story

Subject Matter Experts:

  • Joy Banks, CoSA Executive Director
  • Allen Ramsey, Connecticut State Archives and CoSA Vice President
  • Cathrine Giles, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

STEER Committee:

  • Tara Maharjan, New Jersey State Archives (co-chair)
  • Josh Hager, State Archives of North Carolina (co-chair)
  • Christian Skipper, Maryland Department of General Services
  • Grand Robertson, South Carolina Department of Archives and History

Description: STEER 2025 is the first large event under the new name of SERI (State Electronic Records Institute). In this open forum, you're invited to address SERI leaders with your thoughts on the role of SERI and how it can help you address your electronic records concerns. You will also learn more about the SERI strategic plan and how SERI fits into CoSA's broader mission.


Discussion Tracks (1:30-4:15pm)

Track 1: Policy

Starting an Electronic Records Management Program
Time: 1:30-2:45pm

Subject Matter Expert: Nick Connizzo, Norwich University and former CoSA Consultant for the BACKER Project

Description: This session is designed for states and territories who are looking to start or grow a small electronic records program. It is also designed for folks with more experience to provide their lessons of what to do, what not to do, and how to manage an electronic records program on limited budgets to our colleagues in the start-up phase.

Advocating for Electronic Records Programs
Time: 3:00-4:15pm

Subject Expert: Allen Ramsey, Connecticut State Archives

Description: How do we convey the importance of our work with electronic records with external stakeholders? In this session, we'll discuss how to talk about electronic records with other state and territorial agencies, including IT departments. We'll also talk about how to make electronic records a priority for budget writers and how to get public buy-in to support this work.


Track 2: Conversations on Captures

Conversations on Captures: Social Media, Websites, and Data
Time: 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM

Subject Matter Expert: TBD

Description: In Part I of Conversations on Captures, we'll discuss the ongoing challenges associated with capturing social media, websites, and data as public records. This conversation will specifically address how the changes in the social media ecosystem have affected workflows and strategies for ensuring no archival public records are lost in the confusion.

Conversations on Captures: Spotlight on Cloud Storage Systems
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Subject Matter Expert: Kris Stenson, Oregon State Archives

Description: In Part II of Conversations on Captures, the discussion turns to cloud repositories. We'll discuss SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more general issues of capturing records from cloud-based storage systems.


Track 3: New Frontiers

The Next Phase of our Story(?): Machine Learning and AI in Electronic Records
Time: 1:30 PM – 4:15 PM

Subject Matter Expert: TBD

Description:  For the third year in a row, AI and machine learning take center stage as a session topic as its presence grows in our personal and professional lives. Hear from colleagues on how they are considering using AI and machine learning to tackle electronic records appraisal, processing, and access.

The Promises and Perils of Privacy Protection in Electronic Records
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Subject Matter Expert: Christian Skipper, Maryland Department of General Services

Description: We'll discuss the challenges in balancing transparency against privacy when preserving and providing access to electronic records and how to prioritize one or the other in different circumstances.


Closing Session (4:30 PM – 5:00 PM)

The End of STEER 2025: Wrap-Up Discussion

Moderator: Josh Hager, State Archives of North Carolina

Description: All three tracks will come back together to share the most interesting projects, tools, tips, and thoughts that they've covered throughout the unconference.

Thank You to Our 2025 SERI Sponsor

SERI STEER Unconference Notes

To facilitate open discussion, the STEER Unconference is never recorded. Note takers are assigned to each session and compiled together to capture major topics, themes, and resources.

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