Fourth Annual Meeting of the
Association of Centers for the Study of Congress
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
May 10-11, 2006

Tuesday, May 9

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Reception and Tours, Dodd Research Center

Wednesday, May 10

8:00 am - 9:00 am: Registration

9:00 am - 10:15 am: Keynote Address and Discussion

Documenting Democracy

• Chair, Ray Smock, President ACSC
• Keynote Speaker: Max Evans, Executive Director,
  National Historical Publications and Records Commission

10:15 am - 10:30 am: Break

10:30 am - 12:00 pm:
Discovering the Hidden Riches in Congressional Papers

• Chair, Sheryl Vogt, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia

Overcoming Government Secrecy: Using Congressional Papers to Understand CIA’s History

• David M. Barrett, Department of Political Science, Villanova University

A Window on the Homefront: The Value of Constituent Correspondence in Understanding American Response to Foreign Policy

• Joseph A. Fry, Department of History, University of Nevada-Las Vegas

12:00 pm - 1:15 pm: Lunch

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm: Creative Synergy: New Ways of Delivering Congressional Collections

Never Having to Darken the Door: Delivering Exhibits Online

• Jennifer Gunter King, Head of Archives and Special Collections, Mt. Holyoke College Library
• Ralitsa Donkova, Political Papers Processing Archivist, Mt. Holyoke College

Online Finding Aids: Unleashing the Power of Google

• Betsy Pittman, University Archivist, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center

What I Learned About My Own Collection as I Processed It

• The Honorable Glen Browder, U. S. Congressman from Alabama (1989-1996) and Eminent Scholar in American Democracy, Department of Political Science, Jacksonville State University

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm: Break

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Panel Discussion

Mixed Metaphors: Establishing Congress Center Focus and Institutional Relationships

• Alan Lowe, Director, Howard Baker Center, University of Tennessee
• Sheryl Vogt, Director, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia
• Thomas Wilsted, Director, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut, Chair

6:30 pm - 7:15 pm: Cocktail Reception

7:15 pm - 9:00 pm: Dinner, Nathan Hale Inn

Thursday, May 11

9:00 am - 10:30 am: Open Membership Discussion

Association for the Centers for the Study of Congress: Collaborating for the Future

• Presiding: Ray Smock, ACSC president
• Kate Cruikshank, Political Papers Specialist, Lilly Library, Indiana University

Report on dues structure for the ACSC

Open discussion of all members on topics of ACSC services and programs, collaborative projects, grant opportunities, and similar issues.

10:30 am - 10:45 am: Break

10:45 am - 12:15 pm: The Polls, The Public and Congress

Information on Public Opinion and Congress: The Roper Center’s Resources

• David Weakliem, Interim Director, The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
• Lois Timms Ferrara, Associate Director

The People’s Branch: Current Issues in Congressional Representation of Constituent Interests

• Jeffrey W. Ladewig, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm: Lunch

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm: Business Meeting

Election of Officers & Board, Approval of the ACSC Dues Structure

2:15 pm: Meeting Adjourns