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2023-2024 SNAP Elections: Meet our candidates!
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Many thanks to all of our excellent candidates for putting themselves forward in this election cycle. Please read and consider their statements carefully before submitting your votes.
The positions up for election this cycle are:
- Vice Chair / Chair Elect for a 2-year term (1 position)
- Steering Committee Member / Member-at-Large with 1-year terms (3 positions)
- Secretary with 1-year term (1 position)
SAA will be sending the ballots out to all members via Survey Monkey, so watch your inbox and vote!
Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Candidate
The following candidate is running for the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect position:
Elias Larralde, MLIS
Archival Assistant, Center for Creative Photography
My name is Elias (Eli) Larralde (he/him) and I am running for the Vice-chair/chair-elect position for the SAA SNAP section. I first was a member of SAA through the Josephine Forman Scholarship and I want to expand my engagement with the organization, especially within the SNAP section as it is one of the most important sections. I am currently the Archival Assistant I at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona, where I recently graduated from the University of Arizona’s MLIS program. I am a part of the Queer and Trans Metadata collective and the current ARLIS-NA nominating committee, therefore I have some experience working collaboratively with others in professional organizations. My main goal is to continue the work being done by SNAP, while also seeing how the section can be more there for both students and new professionals. As we are the upcoming wave of archivists, it is important to have a SNAP that can help and be a listening ear to this part of the field. This can be done with resource sharing, forums, and other programming that I want to pursue through this position. I want to work with my fellow executive board members to make SNAP the best it can be for the organization and, more importantly, for those it represents. I am a detail-oriented, passionate, and creative individual which I will bring to this position to further the mission of our section. Thank you for considering me for the position!
Steering Committee / Member-at-Large Candidates
The following candidates are running for the section Steering Committee / Member-at-Large:
Rachael Sevilla
After working for many years in the entertainment industry, I went back to school to obtain my MLIS at San Jose State University. Since starting my program, I have been involved in the SAASC (the student chapter of SAA), serving on the board as the Membership Director during the 2021-2022 academic year. As a board member, I was able to plan and implement activities for our membership that were fun and helped us to build professional skills. The online scavenger hunt, and semester long transcription competition created a space for students to get to know each other and work together. I am proud that the current SAASC board has continued this type of programming, finding new ways for us to develop skills and have fun together.
As someone who has come to archives from a very different career, I recognize the importance of staying connected with peers and learning from other professionals. I am excited by the prospect of continuing to find ways to learn and grow, and to help other students and new professionals do the same. SNAP serves as an invaluable resource for members such as myself, not only through programming, but by connecting us to the wider archives community and the conversations therein.
When not at work or doing homework, I spend time in my West Hollywood apartment watching movies, baking, or gardening. I am always looking for friends in need of a loaf of zucchini bread, or some surplus eggplant!
Caelin Ross, MSLIS
Performing Arts Librarian, Arizona State University Library
My name is Caelin Ross and I currently serve as the Performing Arts Librarian and curator of the Child Drama Collection at Arizona State University Library. As a new librarian with archival responsibilities and duties, I want to be a part of building a learning community with growth opportunities as well as support. Early career librarianship and archivist professionals look to experienced mentorship for guidance. However, I think there is an equal value in building peer-to-peer support. This includes seeking out training–but also platforms and ways to share our own experiences and knowledge, which can lead to innovative partnerships and opportunities for professional contributions. This committee can create support in developing writing partners, research collaborators, and shape future academic participation in both formal and informal networks. In my position, I curate the Child Drama Collection that documents the international history of theater for youth and theater education, which is the world’s largest such archival repository, containing thousands of works dating back to the 16th century. Reporting to the Head of Open Collections Curation and Access, I proactively partner with faculty to develop opportunities for the diverse community of scholars and learners at ASU to engage with the collections in traditional and creative ways. This includes instruction, reading and reference services, community programs, and other creative engagement activities. I also develop relationships with key stakeholders and donors to help support the library’s capacity to maintain and enhance access to these rich and varied collections, from costumes to playbills. I am skilled in both archival management as well as collections assessment, analysis, and outreach. My interests are in community archival practices, specifically in reaching historically marginalized communities and encouraging their participation and feedback with developing these performing arts collections. I am also interested in archiving with youth, including K-12 students; my philosophy is that anyone of any age, class, educational background, ability, and race should be able to engage with archival material in a way that truly supports their own unique interests and needs. Archives are for everyone.
Nicole Font, MA
Leon Levy Processing Archivist, The Center for Brooklyn History – Brooklyn Public Library
I graduated from NYU’s Archives and Public History MA program in 2022 and currently hold a grant-funded processing archivist position at the Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library. I’ve served as the Social Media Coordinator for SNAP since January 2022 and have gradually taken on more responsibility within the section. In addition to posting on our listserv/socials, I assist with programming, act as the web liaison, and occasionally write for the SNAP blog.
I got involved with SNAP because I am passionate about advocating for the needs of students and new archival professionals, particularly due to the precarious employment, isolation, and exploitation students often face during and after graduate school. As a steering committee member, I want to address these issues by providing resources, support, and community to all students/early-career professionals. Being part of SNAP has been a great experience thus far, and I’d love to continue contributing to the section!
Michelle D. Novak, MI
I hope to continue my work with SAA SNAP to help the Section teach new professionals and support the Section with programming and outreach.
Secretary Candidate
The following candidate is running for the Secretary position:
Jessie Knoles, MSLIS
Newspaper Content Coordinator, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
After serving one year as a steering committee member of SNAP, I would like to nominate myself for the Secretary position for 2023-2024. In this position, I would ensure that the governance of SNAP is accurately recorded and preserved. Similarly, I’m interested in staying on with SNAP because I want to contribute ideas and facilitate programming that will benefit students and new professionals.
Call for Presentations—2023 SAA Students and New Archival Professionals (SNAP) Annual Meeting
For this year’s SNAP Annual Meeting, to be held on Thursday July 13 at 6pm CST via Zoom, we are looking to feature two individuals to present on the topic of “Transitions.”
This topic can be discussed from a variety of angles such as transitions in your career, the effects of transitions on one’s mental health, transitions and inclusion, transitions noticed in the archival field, etc.
Each presenter should expect to speak for about 20 minutes to a national SAA Zoom audience and should provide a slideshow or visuals to supplement the presentation. The presentation will be followed by a Q and A.
This is not a compensated opportunity, but it is an opportunity for national exposure and dialogue with the SAA community. Proposals are due by 15 June 2023.To propose a topic or to discuss an idea for a topic, please reach out to the SNAP Steering Committee by emailing us at newarchivistsrt@gmail.com with your contact information and content description.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Some Issues and Resources for Archivists
For our final blog post of Mental Health Awareness month, SNAP would like to highlight a few significant issues related to mental health that archivists may experience due to specific labor conditions in the field and the unique aspects of working with archival records. We’d also like to point you towards resources for library workers which provide discussion, support, and information about these and other related elements of mental health. This list is not meant at all to be exhaustive, but hopefully can be a helpful starting point for new and early-career professionals.
Imposter syndrome is not an uncommon burden for archivists, particularly early-career folks. Students and early-career archivists face a job market that often feels hypercompetitive at best and downright demoralizing at worst, fighting for positions which more often than not are characterized with ridiculously low pay yet incredibly demanding job requirements (with many archivists holding multiple advanced degrees and certificates); combine this with an overabundance of precarious and temporary positions within institutions which face continuously changing technological environments and precarious budgets, and really, it is no wonder archivists might feel continuously out of their depth, floundering, and not capable of succeeding professionally. Remember though that imposter syndrome is really the individual internalized product of larger structural and labor issues plaguing the field. You’re definitely worth much more than you’re probably being offered, have a variety of resources and skills to help you survive (and even succeed!) within resource-constrained environments and challenging labor conditions, and most of all, you belong in your job and chosen career path. Finding professional communities to commiserate with can help you recognize that. The very definition of imposter syndrome – as offered by researchers Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes in 1978 – notes that perceptions of inadequacy or failure are in place despite objective evidence suggesting otherwise. So let’s reject imposter syndrome. Let’s support each other with empathy and be honest about the challenges and successes we face as skilled professionals doing the best we can with the resources available to us. In the words of Jodi Allison-Bunnell,
“Let’s come out of that dark corner of the stacks, openly reveal our challenges to colleagues, and support one another in developing solutions. Let’s share our comeback stories to make the profession better for all of us. No more metadata shame. And no more imposters” (link to whole blog post here).
It is also really important to remember that we don’t just exist at work, either. You’re trying to build a career in the midst of a global pandemic, climate change, political turmoil, and more. Give yourself a little credit, you’re doing your best.
We also need to recognize that archival labor can be incredibly emotionally intensive and demanding. In other words, archival labor should also be understood as emotional labor. This is a topic of increasing discussion at conferences (for one example, see the 2016 presentation by Anna St Onge, Julia Holland, Danielle Robichaud), in professional journals (i.e. articles by Katie Sloan [2018] and Kristen Chinery and Rita Casey [2021]), and in archival education (i.e. see Nicole Laurent [2020]). Working closely with challenging/difficult/upsetting records, managing donor or researcher relations (i.e. archivists working with grieving donors), navigating toxic or resource-constrained environments, managing insidious racism/homophobia/sexism/ableism in the workplace; these are just a few areas where emotional labor may come into play for archivists. The identity of an archival worker also shapes the ways in which emotional labor makes demands on their time, energy, and workplace experiences. Again, we don’t just exist at work. We bring our personal lives and experiences and reactions to local and global events into work with us every single day.
Check out this rich working document for lots more information about the complex relationship between identity, labor conditions, and the affective dimensions of working both with archival records and within white supremacist, heteropatriarchal, or otherwise oppressive institutions/environments.
And we can’t forget about burnout! We all probably know it or have experienced this at some point in our lives, if not in the current moment. Burnout has been traced or attributed to a variety of things, including the pervasive and toxic presence of “vocational awe” (as defined by Fobazi Ettarh) in the profession, which treats librarianship generally as a vocational calling and venerates the field and the institutions themselves as beyond critique or reproach. It’s important to remember that burnout isn’t a reflection necessarily of you or your worth ethic or character. Rather, burnout is a product of big structural labor issues in the field, including the overreliance on insecure or temp labor, lack of diversity, woeful compensation, job/scope creep, and the toll of emotional labor demanded of many archivists to maintain “professionalism” according to workplace norms. This is a reminder that the path towards overcoming burnout should not only start with self-care (although self-care is very, very important and you should do that too, always!). Overcoming and defeating burnout arguably involves engaging with mutual aid, collective organizing, and advocating for structural changes (that could be its own separate blog post!).
If you are struggling with mental health issues while trying to figure out this career path in the midst of climate change, a global pandemic, personal issues, financial insecurity, and more, just know that you aren’t alone. There are lots of folks within the LIS community who are organizing and providing mental health resources for our community of students and emerging professionals. The LIS Mental Health project offers links to a number of amazing resources for LIS professionals and students, and also produced the Reserve and Renew zine, which is available to order online.
Alleviate Conference Anxiety with SNAP!
Registration for the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) joint annual conference, ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2023, is already underway. This year’s meeting–which will be hybrid–will be held at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C. from July 26-July 29, 2023.
Going to national conferences can be overwhelming, especially for students and early-career professionals. SNAP is here to help! This year, we’ve revived past programs implemented by SNAP, including the Buddy Program and the Rideshare/Roomshare Program, to make initial connections and plan activities, meals, or accommodations with other conference attendees.
In the Buddy Program, participants can use the “Meeting Planning” tab to gauge initial interest in activities or meals. Once a meet-up has been scheduled, use the “Scheduled Meet-up” tab to allow others to join. We recommend keeping groups under five participants so as to not overwhelm wait staff. Access the Buddy Program spreadsheet.
For ride and room shares, participants can use the “Seeking” tab to indicate they are looking for someone to carpool or room with (potentially someone local or who has already booked their accommodations). Use the “Offering” tab if you are a local and have a car or room to provide, or if you’ve already booked accommodations and have a spare bed! Participants who have yet to plan accommodations might want to use the “Halvsies” tab to find someone to partner up with to book a room or travel tickets. Access the Ride and Room Shares spreadsheet.
Note: These spreadsheets are for informational use only. This is not a matching service; you are responsible for using the information on these spreadsheets to make plans and connections with your fellow conference attendees. SNAP, SNAP officers and SAA are not responsible for or endorse the contents of these spreadsheets or any actions which result from their use. Please use good judgment and common sense when reaching out to strangers.
Curious about this year’s programming? View the conference schedule here.
Register for in-person and virtual attendance here. Early registration prices are offered if you register by June 15, 2023. SAA student members receive a discounted registration price regardless of the date they registered.
If you’re attending for the first time or looking for ways to get more out of the conference, consider signing up for the Navigator Program! This short-term networking opportunity matches experienced Annual Meeting attendees with newer attendees. Sign up to be a Navigatee by June 2, 2023: https://www2.archivists.org/am2023/attend/navigator-program.
Happy conferencing!
SNAP Webinar—Archives as a Second Career
SAA Students and New Professionals (SNAP) Section Webinar
Archives as a Second Career
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
9am Hawaii–Aleutian / Noon Pacific / 1pm Mountain / 2pm Central / 3pm Eastern
Zoom Registration: https://bit.ly/43dg4Td
Presentation and Discussion with:
Rob Hudson, MSLIS, Assistant Director, Carnegie Hall Rose Archives
Catherine Dayrit Mayfield, MLIS, CA, Associate Director, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland
Steve Schaffer, MLIS, Archivist, Milwaukee County Historical Society
What is it like to decide to switch to archives as a mid-career professional? What are the pitfalls and benefits? How do you translate experience earned in other professional activities into soft- and hard-skills in the world of archives?
Join the SAA Students and New Archival Professionals (SNAP) section as we welcome three archival professionals who made the leap into archival practice.
We’ll discuss their former career trajectories and what drew them to archival work, how they navigated the transition, and what they wish they knew then what they know now. We’ll also ask them about best tips and practices for making a mid-career transition as well as skills and experience that helped them in their new profession.
Rob Hudson, MSLIS, has been an archivist at Carnegie Hall since 1997, where he works to ensure discoverability and access to Carnegie Hall’s archival resources and collections by creating, structuring, and interpreting authoritative records on the institution’s history. He spearheaded the publication of the Hall’s performance history as Linked Open Data and has served as a delegate to the Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives, and Museums (LODLAM) Summits in Venice, Italy (2017), and Los Angeles (2020). In addition to his MSLIS, Rob has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and performance. He is a member of the Archivists Roundtable of Metropolitan New York (ART).
Catherine Dayrit Mayfield, MLIS, CA, is a Certified Archivist and Associate Director of Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland College Park. Her work focuses on growing access to information and collections, in the library and online. As an undergraduate, Catherine studied Journalism and Mass Communications at New York University, then began her career as a writer and editor before transitioning into the library and archival fields. Catherine received her MLIS degree from San Jose State University and has since worked in the public library, government archives, a historical society, and academic library.
Steve Schaffer, MLIS, has been a professional archivist for nine years. Prior to that, he was a master electrician in the IBEW Local 494 and owned his own electrical contracting firm. He received his Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2008. During that time, he interned with the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Archives, and after graduation, had been a volunteer at the Wauwatosa Historical Society, the Wisconsin Naval Ship Association in Sheboygan, and Marquette University.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Being candid with your thoughts – a journal entry
This is the second post in our Mental Health Awareness Month blog series. This post is an anonymous journal entry and may contain some sentiments that are triggering to others. Please read this post with an open mind and heart, and at your own discretion.
You are not alone.
Our next blog submission in this series will provide readers with resources to encourage seeking help and wellness. If you need immediate assistance, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Helpline here.
Journal Entry: Tuesday, May 9, 2023
It feels like I have been out of the field for years when really it has only been maybe three months. However, these last few months have been more challenging than I ever expected them to be. I feel like my life lost its direction and I question whether or not I made the right choice in choosing the archives field because finding a job in my location is ridiculously hard. Did I set myself up for failure? Do I need to rethink my career path? Moving at the moment is not an option because I am not financially stable enough for that, but also because I no longer feel emotionally equipped enough to leave my support system behind. I feel stuck. I feel trapped. My depression and anxiety have not been this bad in a long time.
When my temporary position ended, my therapist and I made a plan for how I was going to cope during this time off and she reminded me of that today. I need to write it out again. I need to work on giving my life purpose and direction because these last few months have taught me that my career cannot be the driving force of my life. That is just a narrative that is so ingrained in society and while I desperately want to pick up my career again, I am learning that I need more than that. One of the hardest things about being depressed, though, is that the depression clouds everything and I forget or do not believe that more is possible in the future. I forget that this is just a blip in my life because the feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, frustration, and grief sometimes feel stronger than I am.
For now, I need to make simple daily plans that are achievable but are also working towards the larger goals that I have; goals that represent what I truly value. I have to find a way through this even though my greatest fear is that this is all my life will ever be. I think I will start with determining a few things that I want to accomplish everyday regardless of what I am doing or feeling.
- Read something everyday, even if it is just five pages
- Go for a walk
- Drink a bunch of water
- Leave my house
- Try to avoid excessive napping
Maybe if I do these things, I can train myself to change the “I’m worthless” thought pattern because I will have the evidence of having actually done good things with my time. My therapist did give me a “Thought Record” worksheet today to work through when I am having harmful negative thoughts and I think challenging those thoughts will help me too. I just want to feel better and sometimes it can get too discouraging to remember that feeling better is up to me.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Lessons from Therapy
May has been considered Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States since 1949. This year, the Students and New Archives Professionals Section will be shedding light on the importance of mental health through a series of blog posts, with one being posted each week in the month of May. This is the first post in this series.
By: Bailey Adolph, SNAP Vice-Chair
I have been in therapy for over seven years and in that time, I have learned so much about myself as a person but also as a professional. Many of the things I have learned can be applied to the grind of the job hunt, work stressors, and relationships with co-workers. Being fortunate enough to be able to see a therapist during challenging times, I wanted to share some of the tips and feedback I’ve been receiving that have been very helpful. Some days it is easier to lean into negative self-talk and depression because it is familiar. However, on the days when I choose to practice tough self-care, these are the top 5 things I work on.
1. Positive self-talk
What kind of commentary do you have running in your mind? Is it rather negative? Negative self-talk is harmful to your self-confidence and productivity. For a lot of people, getting down on yourself is more natural than lifting yourself up, but it is worth putting in the work to change your own narrative. My therapist often asks how I can reframe a thought pattern and give myself more grace. We are all doing our best. We are all trying. Give yourself some grace.
2. Boundaries with others and with yourself
In order to thrive in personal and professional relationships, boundaries need to be in place. I have been working on this in therapy for years. This can mean only communicating with colleagues on work-based platforms, spending only a certain amount of time working on job applications each week, or compartmentalizing troublesome issues in your mind. Oftentimes when I am laying in bed at the end of the day, my mind will still be swirling around a work or life issue and I will have to remind myself that this is the time for rest. It takes effort to set these boundaries, but boundaries are ultimately about taking care of yourself.
3. Values-based living
Values-based living is something my therapist and I have been discussing for the past few months and it has helped me really consider what is important to me as I stand at this crossroads in my life. I am in a situation that requires me to choose relationships or my career because I live close to my family and will more than likely have to move away in order to pursue my career. Thinking about living life according to what I value has helped me make these tough choices and feel at peace with the decisions I have made and why I have made them.
4. Catch “all-or-nothing” thinking
All-or-nothing thinking gets me all the time. Another related phrase is black-and-white thinking. The problem with thinking this way is that our lives are complex and absolute statements are rarely accurate. An example of this way of thinking is saying to yourself that you will never find a job. All-or-nothing thinking or thinking in absolutes with terms such as never or nothing, increases our sense of hopelessness, keeps our self confidence low, and increases anxiety and depression. Instead, my therapist has suggested challenging those thoughts on my own or with a reliable, safe support person. Are they actually true? What are the facts?
5. Feelings change if you give them some time
People experience a lot of different feelings throughout a single day. They ebb and flow. My therapist has helped me understand that if I just endure a negative feeling and find healthy ways to cope, that feeling will change eventually. The hardest part is having the strength and patience to ride it out. Some coping strategies that I have tested out include distracting myself, reaching out to someone supportive, getting active, or breathing exercises.
One final thing that my therapist always takes the time to remind me, is that a lot of people are going through something similar to me and my feelings are normal. But, that does not negate the fact that what I am feeling is important. My feelings may not be unusual, but they are important because they are mine. The same is true for you.
Call for Nominations – 2023 SNAP Election
Help shape the future of the Society of American Archivists’ Students and New Professionals Section (SNAP)!
The SAA-SNAP Section provides educational outreach that furthers professional development, dialogue, and engagement. We host educational and networking webinars, twitter-chats, and other events; oversee the development and dialogue on our SNAP blog; help raise awareness of SAA’s vast professional resources (career development webinars, resume reviews, mentoring, job and internship boards, etc.); and engage with SAA Student Chapters.
As an SAA-SNAP Section Committee member, you can help shape this dialogue and learn how to organize and host an educational event, engage leading professionals in conversation, build your professional network, and discover more about the workings of your profession. In the coming service term, you will be able to help us chart a new path for engaging with SAA student chapters, and continue to grow and develop our robust programming options for the SNAP community. As a member of the Steering Committee, you can expect to attend 1-hour virtual meetings, held monthly, and dedicate roughly 1-4 hours a month to committee duties.
Please note that available positions include both elected and appointed positions, and you may choose to nominate yourself or others for any position. We strongly encourage students to nominate themselves for the SNAP Steering Committee if interested. Those running for Steering Committee (Elected) positions will see their name and statement on a ballot from the SAA, which is voted upon electronically by SNAP members in July, annually. Those nominated for Ex-Officio (Appointed) positions will be contacted by the SNAP Chair. Duties will begin following the close of the 2023 SAA Annual Meeting. The SNAP Steering Committee is currently seeking candidates to fill vacancies for the following roles.
- 1 Vice Chair/Chair-Elect (elected, 2-year term of service): The position of Vice Chair/Chair-Elect is a 2-year commitment, serving one year as the Vice Chair and the subsequent year as the Chair. In the first year, the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect will assist the Chair in the operation of the section, serve as acting chair in the absence of the chair, and participate as a member of the steering committee. ai
- 3 Steering Committee Members (elected, 1-year term of service): Members of the Steering Committee will provide leadership to and share information with section members; identify and appoint ex-officio members to the steering committee; solicit input from members; organize section elections and voting; and appoint temporary and/or permanent committees as needed.
- 1 Secretary (elected, 1-year term of service): The secretary will serve as the official record keeper of the section and be responsible for compiling and sharing minutes from SNAP’s monthly meetings and the Section Annual Meeting.
- Social Media/Web/Blog Coordinator (Ex-Officio, may be more than 1 position): The Blog and Web Team work on the SNAP Roundtable blog (maintaining the SNAP blog, setting editorial direction and calls for writers, managing posts, etc.), maintain the SNAP presence on the SAA site, and promote SNAP events on social media. Additionally, every SNAP Committee Member is welcome to contribute editorial ideas and content to the blog!
For more information on SNAP’s structure and standing rules, election timelines, position descriptions, and more, please see our blog at https://snaproundtable.wordpress.com/serve-with-snap/.
If interested, please complete this form by May 26, 2023 at 11:59pm PST: https://forms.gle/wafTVqsQZ41agGve8
If you have any questions, please contact SNAP Chair Marissa Friedman or Vice-Chair Bailey Adolph at newarchivistsrt@gmail.com.
SNAP Artists Archives Webinar [Recap and Recording]
On April 11, 2023, SNAP welcomed a wonderful panel of speakers representing different archival repositories for an informative talk on artist archives, looking at unique collections documenting photographic, concrete and visual poetry, the performing arts, and dance.
Presenters included Stefanie Caloia (MLIS), AFSCME Archivist, Wayne State University; Rich Dana (MFA, MLIS), Sackner Archive Project Coordinator Librarian, University of Iowa; Judy Tyrus, founder and CEO of ChromaDiverse, Inc.; Bob Diaz (MLIS), Associate Librarian and Archivist, University of Arizona. This event was co-hosted and planned in collaboration with the Visual Materials Section of SAA — many thanks to VMS chair Stefanie Caloia for helping to bring this event to fruition.
This session will be of particular interest for students and early career professionals who are interested in pursuing employment in artist archives, collaborating with artists as donors, or working with unique artifacts/objects and archival collections related to art and artists, performing arts groups, dance companies, and more.
Speakers
Stefanie Caloia, MLIS, is the AFSCME Archivist at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University. She has an MLIS from Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree in photography from Grand Valley State University. Stefanie previously worked as the American Federation of Teachers Project Archivist at the Reuther Library. Before coming to the Reuther Library, she worked for History Associates, Incorporated on archives-processing projects at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Keweenaw National Historical Park. As a graduate student, she completed an internship at the Yellowstone Research Library. She is chair of the Visual Materials Section of SAA and Secretary of the Michigan Archival Association.
Rich Dana, MFA, MLS, is Sackner Archive Project Coordinator Librarian at the University of Iowa. He holds an MFA from the University of Iowa Center for the Book and an MLS from the School of Library and Information Science. In addition to his work with the Sackner Archive, Rich is the author of Cheap Copies! The Obsolete Press Guide to DIY Mimeography, Hectography and Spirit Duplication. When he’s not immersed in the Sackner’s vast collection of concrete and visual poetry, Rich is crisscrossing the country with his dog Winifred in a car filled with obsolete copy machines, teaching workshops on DIY publishing.
Judy Tyrus is the founder and CEO of ChromaDiverse, Inc. and is the 2023 recipient of Dance/USA’s Ernie Award, which is given to an individual working “behind the scenes” within the national dance community, who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, and advanced the work of artists and supported their creativity. Formerly a principal ballet dancer at Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), Tyrus was the curator for DTH’s materials in Taking the Stage at Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and served in the same capacity for other successful exhibitions. In 2019, Tyrus founded ChromaDiverse (CD), Inc. whose mission is to assist diverse dance organizations to protect, preserve and present their legacies online. In addition, Tyrus is a coauthor with Paul Novosel of a book, Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, 50A Celebration published in October 2021, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work Non-Fiction. ChromaDiverse — A Dance Arts Digital Vault
Joseph (Bob) Diaz, MLS, is a native of Tucson, Arizona, and the Associate Librarian and Archivist at the University of Arizona. He received his BA degree in Psychology in 1982 and his MLS in 1986, both from the University of Arizona. After graduation, Bob worked briefly at the Nogales Santa Cruz County Library. From there, he served as undergraduate services librarian at the University of Michigan, where he worked for over five years. In 1992, Bob was hired by the University of Arizona Library and has since held a variety of jobs there, including that of Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity (1992–1999), music, dance and theater arts librarian (1999–2011), and coordinator of exhibits and events for the Special Collections department (2011–2018). He is currently the curator for the performing arts and architecture and coordinator of reference services for Special Collections. Bob has been a member of SAA for approximately seven years, and is currently co-chair of the Society of American Archivists Archives and Archivists of Color section.
Other resources
Memphis Sanitation resources:
- I AM Story podcast – just released by AFSCME documenting the strike and tying it to modern day struggles: www.iamstory.com and on all podcast platforms
- The Root videos: great series on the strike produced for the 50th anniversary (Richard Copley collaborated on this project): www.theroot.com/tag/1300-men
Reuther Library web exhibit from 2011:
SNAP 2023 Webinar: SAA Orientation
2023 SNAP Webinar Series | SAA Membership Committee
SAA Orientation:
Your SAA—Ways for You to Get Involved and Start using SAA’s Great Network
Daniel Hartwig, MA, MLIS, and Theresa Berger, MLIS, CA, DAS
SAA Membership Committee
Monday, April 24, 2023, Online!
9am Hawaii–Aleutian / Noon Pacific / 1pm Mountain / 2pm Central / 3pm Eastern
Register at http://bit.ly/3MhC9dP
Join SNAP as we welcome Daniel Hartwig and Theresa Berger from SAA’s Membership Committee.
This presentation will provide a brief overview of SAA, focusing on: SAA’s mission, vision, and organization; Your SAA — ways for you to get involved and start using SAA’s great network; Professional Development offerings; and additional resources created or provided by SAA.
As Director of Digital Services, Daniel Hartwig, MA, MLIS, is responsible for developing enterprise strategies for the stewardship, integrated discovery, and preservation of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s (WHS) digital collections. Prior to joining WHS, Daniel served as Head of Special Collections and University Archives at Iowa State University from 2019-2022; University Archivist at Stanford from 2010-2019; Records Services Archivist at Yale University from 2006-2010; and, from 2004-2006, Archivist and Digital Projects Developer at Ball State University.
Theresa Berger, MLIS, CA, DAS (she/her/hers), is Digital Library Services Librarian and Head of Digital Library Services (DLS) at the University of Minnesota Libraries within the Cataloging, Metadata, and Digitization division. As head of DLS, Theresa helps lead the Libraries’ efforts to develop, grow, and sustain a complement of digital library services, including digital conversion, digital collection development, and metadata management applications in support of researchers’ needs. She has held Archives and Digital Collections-related positions throughout her career, including those at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the California State Library, and the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford University.
The National Archives and Records Administration: An Introduction [Recap and Recording]
Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Section 2023 Webinar Series
The National Archives and Records Administration: An Introduction
Meg Phillips, MA, MLS
Learn more about the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). NARA’s External Affairs Liaison—and longtime SAA member—Meg Phillips will discuss NARA’s mission, its offices and functions, both those that are traditional parts of archives and those that aren’t. She’ll also talk about how the Federal Records Act and Presidential Records Act shape the National Archives’ holdings.
Meg Phillips, MA, MLIS, (she/her) has been NARA’s External Affairs Liaison since August 2013. She joined NARA in 2002 as a Senior Records Analyst in the Mid-Atlantic Region and she is still based in Philadelphia. Since joining NARA, Meg has assisted federal agencies in managing their records and coordinated NARA electronic records projects. Before joining NARA, Meg ran the archives and records management program for the American College of Physicians. She has a BA and MA in history and an MLS. archives.gov
Recorded on Thursday, March 23, 2023
Listening Session for Archival Educators, Students, and New Professionals [Recap]
Thanks to everyone who attended our listening session with the Archival Educators Section (AES). The primary goal of this collaboration was to learn more about the wants and needs of our membership in order to develop future programming initiatives. We did not record this session, but both sections took notes throughout the hour. The predominant themes that arose were the mental toll of the job hunt, conference presentations, inclusive employment, and the difficulties of connecting to others in the field, particularly for students enrolled in online MLIS or related programs. SNAP and AES look forward to addressing these topics in the future and are grateful to everyone who shared their thoughts with us!
If you have topics you’d like SNAP to address in future programming, email us at newarchivistsrt@gmail.com
Archival Educators Section/ Students and New Archival Professionals Section Listening Session February 1, 2023
Facilitators: Rebecca Frank (AES), Nicole Font (SNAP), Jessie Knoles (SNAP)
MAC4EAP Presents: “In Progress: Archives Job Searching”, A Q&A with Hiring Librarians
Emerging archival professionals: How’s your job search going? What’s working? What’s frustrating? The Mutual Aid Circle for Emerging Archival Professionals (MAC4EAP) invites you to join us for In Progress: Archives Job Searching — a Q&A discussion with Emily Weak from the Hiring Librarians Blog, on February 22, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern). Emily will answer these questions and more, facilitating a discussion between students, new archival professionals, career changers, and anyone else looking to chat about searching for archive and library related positions. To receive the zoom link, please register here: bit.ly/InProgress-MAC4EAP.
MAC4EAP was founded by UAlbany archives graduate student and emerging digital archivist, Julie Rosier (aka Red Thread JAR), in October 2022. This informal network of emerging archival professionals offers a voluntary reciprocal exchange of job search resources, strategy and encouragement. As a community of care, MAC4EAP pays special attention to sustaining emotional well-being and endurance, despite the disappointments and setbacks inevitable in the taxing experience of finding a job as a new LIS professional.
Over the last decade, Emily Weak has conducted surveys and interviews with hundreds of people who hire librarians, in all library types, and nearly 600 job hunting LIS workers. Ask her about her experience, or share your own. She looks forward to chatting during this informal event! For more information, check out the Hiring Librarians blog. We hope that you will join us for this exciting event.
If you are interested in joining MAC4EAP you can find more information about that process here.
Article by: Julie Rosier
In addition to being a digital preservation Wizard-in-Training, Julie Rosier is also a grassroots activist, writer, theater maker, and community accountable scholar (termed coined by Alexis Pauline Gumbs). Originally from Detroit, she founded Red Thread Commons (RTC) — an arts and social justice organization that seeks to document history from the ground up by amplifying the stories of citizen-artists on community stages — at age 23 in New York City. She can be found on Twitter @redthreadtweets.
SAA Archivists and Archives of Color (AAC) Section & Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Section
SAA Archivists and Archives of Color (AAC) Section & Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Section
Writing and Publishing for Archivists
Joyce Gabiola, MSLIS; Sharon Mizota, MLIS, MFA; Yvette Ramirez, MSI; and Kristina Santiago, MLIS
Monday, February 20, 20239am Hawaii-Aleutian / 11am Pacific / 12pm Mountain / 1pm Central / 2pm Eastern
Online! Register at bit.ly/409YoqI
Writing and Publishing for Archivists
This webinar will introduce attendees to some of the many opportunities and pathways archivists have to write and publish. Panelists represent a number of different publications, including ARTchivist’s Notebook and up//root: a we here publication, as well as the SAA Publications Board. If you want to learn more about ways you can write professionally for different audiences and organizations, this event is for you!
Joyce Gabiola (they/them) is the Archivist for the LGBTQ+ History Research Collection at the University of Houston and one of SAA’s newest Council members. They recently ended their 3-year term as one of the founding editors of up//root: a we here publication and currently serves as an editorial advisor. Joyce is the principal author of “It’s a Trap: Complicating Representation in Community-Based Archives,” published in The American Archivist (July 2022), and the sole author of “(En)countering the Archival Sidekick,” published in the Asian American Studies anthology, Q&A: Voices from Queer Asian North America (Temple University Press, July 2021). Joyce earned their MSLIS in Archives Management from Simmons University in 2016, escaped their PhD program at the end of 2018, and since then has been intentionally nurturing a practice to mitigate potential harms perpetuated in archival and academic environments.
Sharon Mizota is a DEI metadata consultant who helps archives, museums, libraries, and media organizations transform and share their metadata to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the historical record. She has over ten years of experience managing and creating metadata for arts and culture organizations, including Walt Disney Animation Studios, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Judy Chicago Research Portal, Curationist, and Outwords Archive. She is also an art critic, a recipient of an Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers’ Grant, and a co-author of the award-winning book, Fresh Talk/Daring Gazes:Conversations on Asian American Art.
Yvette Ramírez is an arts administrator and archivist based in Detroit, Michigan. She is inspired by the power of community-centered archives to further explore the complexities of information transmission within Andean communities of Indigenous descent. Currently, she is working towards her PhD at the School of Information at The University of Michigan where she also holds an MSI in Digital Curation and Archives. Yvette is a member of SAA’s Publications Board and a co-founding member of the collective Archivistas en Espanglish.
Kristina Santiago (she/hers) is an early-career academic librarian with past professional experience working in the areas of libraries, education, and somatic practices. She is a continuing co-editor at up//root: a we here publication. Kristina is an alumna of the Knowledge River program at the University of Arizona, where she earned her MLIS in 2021. She also holds a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona.
Listening Session for Archival Educators, Students, and New Professionals
Title: Listening Session for Archival Educators, Students, and New Professionals
Facilitators: Rebecca Frank, Jessie Knoles, Nicole Font
Date: Wednesday, Feb 01, 2023
Time: 11am Hawaii-Aleutian / 12pm Pacific / 1pm Mountain / 2pm Central / 3pm Eastern Online!
Register at link: http://bit.ly/3H7RcTe
This listening session aims to create dialogue between the Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Section and the SAA Archival Educators Section (AES). AES hopes to shape an agenda that encourages dialogue between educators and students and learn about the ways AES and SNAP might collaborate in the future. Potential topics, for example, include the evolving role of internships in archival education, establishing initiatives for diversity and inclusion within education, and professional development needs and opportunities. In particular, we hope that the session results in increasing communication between educators and students and recent graduates.
This listening session is geared towards: (1) educators who would like to provide input to help shape the future agenda of the AES, (2) SNAP members who would like to share their experiences, feedback, and/or questions with educators and SNAP steering committee members, and (3) SAA members who would like to contribute to this dialogue.
The session will not be recorded, but shared notes will be taken for both AES and SNAP to use in shaping future programming initiatives and strategic planning for their sections within SAA.
About the Sections
The Archival Educators Section facilitates exchange of information about archival education programs throughout the United States and Canada and provides a forum for discussion of issues relevant to those who teach courses and workshops in archival administration and related topics, in both academic institutions and other settings.
The Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Section advocates for and addresses the needs of those starting out or who are exploring a career in the archives profession. The section provides educational outreach and advocacy that furthers the career development of, and dialogue and engagement with, students and new professionals.
SNAP Section 