Society of Indiana Archivists
Preserving Indiana History


SIA 2026 Fall Networking Event:

Tour and Dinner 

November 13, 2026 | Mount Saint Francis, IN

Summary | Agenda | Registration | Parking/Logistics | Social Media



A blacka and white arial view of buildings and trees.

Networking Event Summary

Friday, November 13, 2026
1:15 P.M. - 5:15 P.M. (Tour) and 5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. (Dinner) (EST)

A room with shelving units and boxes.

Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality

101 St Anthony Drive

Mt St Francis, Indiana 47146

Join the Society of Indiana Archivists for the 2026 Networking Event hosted by the Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Province Archives in Mount Saint Francis, Indiana. The day will include time to meet with fellow attendees over snacks and coffee, a tour of the OLC Province Archives and the historical buildings and grounds of the Mount Saint Center for Spirituality, and a casual sit-down dinner at a local restaurant.

This free event for SIA members was inspired by SIA membership feedback requesting more time to network with colleagues. SIA is excited to offer this networking event for archivists as well as provide additional education about archives repositories across the state and Indiana history

About the Our Lady of Consolation Province Archives

A person showing a rare book in a glass case.Friar Dennis Moses is the archivist for the Province of Our Lady of Consolation (OLC). He has served in this position since 2013. The OLC Province Archives was established in 1991 by Friar Larry Eberhardt, whom Brother Dennis succeeded after his retirement. The repository includes correspondence, personal papers, photographs, and other records and artifacts of the province along with records documenting the history of the Mount Saint Francis campus.
 

“Working down here and learning more all the time – I couldn’t be prouder of the province: the things we’ve done and the new areas we have gone into… Its’ been exciting. I’ve always been an amateur historian. …I continue to read history. I’m fascinated to learn more, and I truly believe that we must know where we’ve been to know where we’re going. And to not judge.” Brother Dennis, “Province Celebrates 100th Anniversary, Franciscan Voice, 6 February 2026, https://franciscanvoice.org/province-celebrates-100th-anniversary.  

About Mount Saint Francis (From Brother Dennis)

A brick building with a sign that reads "Office of the Archive"

The land was once owned by the American silent-film actress Mary Anderson (who is memorialized on Highway 150 next to the Mount). Under her direction, she gave the land to the friars in memory of her uncle Friar Anton Mueller, a Franciscan priest. The friars established a friary (a building where friars reside) on the land in 1896. The land was used as a high school seminary from 1910 to 1975. When the high school closed, the building was turned into a retreat center.

Today, the land includes the school building, chapel, cemetery, post office, faculty house, calving and dairy barns, and 400 acres of hiking trails. The campus is home to the headquarters for the local friars who serve from Ohio to New Mexico, the Mission Advancement Office that fundraises for the friars, an art gallery, a lake for fishing (which is stocked by a sportsmen club), a rope climbing course, and many other things. It also is a center for artists and writers to live and create masterpieces, hosts a drug rehabilitation program "Our Place," and holds special gardens for many special people.



Continuing Education Credits (LEUs and ARCs)

SIA is on the Indiana State Library's (ISL) list of approved training providers for continuing education for library professionals and earning LEUs (Library Education Units). Please visit the ISL website for more information on reporting LEUs: Indiana State Library

For information on earning ARCs (Archival Recertification Credits) for the Academy of Certified Archivists recertification, please visit the ACA website: Academy of Certified Archivists.

Please contact Katey Watson (watso217[at]purdue[dot]edu) with any questions.

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Agenda

All times in Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Mount Saint Francis Tour*

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Arrival and coffee and snacks
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
 Welcome and brief history lecture on Mount Saint Francis and the grounds
2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Archives tour
3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Chapel and gym tour
4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Grounds tour (on your own)

 *Based on the number of registrants, attendees may be divided into separate groups to attend the archives, chapel and gym, and grounds tours. If this occurs, the order that attendees attend a specific tour may change.

Dinner

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Dinner at Huber Farms Restaurant                                                          

Registration

Register for the SIA 2026 Networking Event by completing the online registration form below.

Registration open from October 1st to October 30th at midnight | Online payment available

$0 SIA members | $0 for student, retiree, and volunteer members | $0 unemployed professional* | $10 for non-members | $5 for student non-members


*SIA membership required. Free SIA membership available for unemployed professionals

When registering for the Networking Event, there is the option to attend the tour, the dinner, or both the tour and dinner. Please mark the portions of the Networking Event that you will be attending in the registration form.

Registration includes light snacks between 1:15 and 2:30 PM. If attending dinner, attendees are responsible for purchasing their own food and drinks.

Important Reminders

Registration will close on October 30th, 2026 at midnight.

All payments are due prior to the November 13, 2026 event.

Cancellations with refund must be made by email to Julie Motyka (jmotyka@archindy.org) by October 30, 2026.

On-site registration will not be available.

If you are not currently a member or your membership has lapsed, you must sign up for membership first in order to register with the member rate. [Note: membership is by calendar year].

If paying with check: After completing the membership form, send an email to Julie Motyka (jmotyka@archindy.org) with the subject line “member application started, please confirm membership” and wait for a confirmation email. Once you receive a confirmation, you can register for the meeting at the member price. You can pay for both with one check.

Register

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    Parking + Logistics


    The tour for the SIA 2026 Networking Event will be held at the Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality. The address is 101 St Anthony Drive, Mount Saint Francis, Indiana 47146. The Tour will begin in the Cupertino Room located in the Main Center. If you wish to explore the Center grounds, the campus is open from dusk to dawn. More information about hiking trails may be found on the Center’s website.


    Dinner for the SIA 2026 Networking Event will be held at Joe Huber’s Restaurant. The address is 2421 Engle Road, Starlight, Indiana 47106. It is approximately a 15-minute drive between the Center and the restaurant. Attendees are responsible for purchasing their own food and drinks.


    Parking is available onsite at both the Center and the restaurant. If you are interested in sharing a ride with other attendees to the event, please use the SIA listserv or SIA membership directory to find people in your area and facilitate a carpool arrangement.

    Accommodations

    No official room block has been reserved for the 2026 SIA Fall Networking Event. Accommodations may be available at local area hotels.

    Rooms are available at the Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality. Some of the available types of rooms and their nightly rates include:

    • The Hermitage: $72.50. Single-person cabin nestled in the woods on a pond with a bathroom, microwave, fridge, and sink. Private shower in the building up the hill
    • Loftus House: $76.50 per room. 6-bedroom home with 2 bathrooms, kitchen, and meeting space
    • Rooms in the Main Center (with shared bathroom for the floor): $78.00
    • Private Suites in the Main Center: $83.00

    These rooms are on a first-come, first-serve basis and there is no guarantee that a particular type of room will be available.


    To reserve a room at Mount Saint Francis, please contact Megan Willman, Reservation Coordinator (megan.willman@mountsaintfrancis.org). 

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    Social Media

    #INarchivist #SIA

    Share your thoughts and follow us!

    @INarchivist on Twitter/X + Society of Indiana Archivists on Facebook


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