Sammie Morris, Candidate for Nominating Committee

Professional Experience: Head, Division of Archives and Special Collections and University Archivist, Purdue University, 2011‒present. Associate Dean for Special Collections and Archives, Florida State University, 2010‒2011. Head of Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University, 2007‒2010. Acting Head of Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University, 2005‒2007.  Archivist, Purdue University, 2003‒2005. Managing Archivist, Dallas Museum of Art, 2000‒2003. Humanities Research Associate, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, 1999.

Education: MLIS, University of Texas at Austin, concentration in Archival Enterprise, 1998. BA, Louisiana Scholars’ College, Northwestern State University, 1996.

Professional Activities: Society of American Archivists: Chair of Nominating Committee, Manuscript Repositories Section, 2010‒2011; Chair, Manuscript Repositories Section, 2009‒2010; Vice Chair/Chair Elect/Newsletter Editor, Manuscript Repositories Section, 2008‒2009.  Steering Committee, Metadata and Digital Object Roundtable, 2006‒2008; Co-chair, Metadata and Digital Object Roundtable, 2005‒2006.  Steering Committee, Manuscript Repositories Section, 2005‒2007. Newsletter Editor, Museum Archives Section, 2000‒2003. Guidelines Committee, Museum Archives Section, 2000‒2003. Midwest Archives Conference: Membership Committee (Indiana representative), 2006‒2008; Moderator, “Managing Literary Manuscripts” conference session, 2006; Program Committee, 2005‒2006. Chair, “Disaster Preparedness and Recovery of Archival Collections” conference session, 2005. Academy of Certified Archivists: Chair of the Nominating Committee, 2007‒2008; Nominating Committee Member, 2006‒2008. Society of Indiana Archivists: Executive Board (Past President), 2007‒2008; President, 2005‒2007; Vice President/President-Elect, 2004‒2005. Other Activities: Archives Leadership Institute, 2008. Indiana State Historic Records Advisory Board, 2006‒2010.

Publications: “Invisible Hands: Recognizing Archivists’ Work to Make Records Accessible,” Working in the Archives, edited by Alexis E. Ramsey, Southern Illinois University Press, 2009 (with Shirley Rose).  “An Introduction to Archives for Librarians,” Indiana Libraries, 2008. “Cultural Record Keepers: Bruce Rogers Book Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries,” Libraries and the Cultural Record, 2008 (with Amanda Grossman). “William Freeman Myrick Goss Library of the History of Engineering,” Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries, edited by Philip N. Cronenwett, Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries, 2007.  “What Archives Reveal: The Hidden Poems of Amelia Earhart.” Provenance, 2005. “Preservation Considerations for Digitization of Archival Materials,” Archival Outlook, 2005. “Case Studies in Managing Collections That Grow.” Archival Issues, 2003‒2004 (with Pam Hackbart-Dean). Review of Munden, Ken, ed., “Archives and the Public Interest: Selected Essays by Ernst Posner,” Archival Issues, 2005. Review of Anderson, Deborah Lines, ed., “Digital Scholarship in the Tenure, Promotion, and Review Process,” Journal of the Association for History and Computing, 2006. “The Dallas Art Association,” Dallas Museum of Art, 100 Years, edited by Dorothy M. Kosinski and John R. Lane.  Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2003. “Voices About Barney Delabano,”  Dallas Museum of Art, 100 Years, 2003. “Starting from Scratch: How to Create a Museum Archives,” Museline, 2003.  “Best of the Web: Museum Archives Websites.”  Museum Archivist, 2003.  “Archivist, Librarian, or Registrar?”  Condition Report, 2003.

Conference Presentations: “Taking the Lead: Creating Paths to Better Management, Collaboration, and Networking,” Midwest Archives Conference, 2011 (workshop co-presenter). “Engaging Women Donors: Helping Them Find Philanthropic Their Passion,” ALADN (Academic Library Advancement and Development Group) annual meeting, 2010. “The New Final Frontier: Archives and Web 2.0 Applications,” Society of Indiana Archivists, 2010 (with Dina Kellams). “Archival Variations: The University Archives Revisited,”  Society of Indiana Archivists, 2009. “The Archives Leadership Institute,” Midwest Archives Conference, 2009. “Archon and Archivist’s Toolkit: Collection Management Possibilities,” Midwest Archives Conference, 2009 (workshop). “From Dearth to Deluge: Utilizing Archival Exhibits to Build Women’s Manuscript Collections,” Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) Conference on Civic Discourse, 2007. “Starting an Oral History Project,” Society of Indiana Archivists, 2007. “Digital Preservation: Myth or Miracle?” The North Carolina Preservation Consortium annual conference, 2005. “If I Could Turn Back Time: Dealing With Disasters in Archival Repositories,” Midwest Archives Conference, 2005. “Archives Management in Museums: Goals and Gray Areas,” Texas Association of Museums annual meeting, 2003. “Archivist, Librarian, or Registrar?” American Association of Museums annual meeting, 2002.

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Question posed by the Nominating Committee: An essential component of the nomination and election process is identification of new leaders within SAA who embody the diversity of the archives profession. Describe what you believe to be the core responsibility of the members of the Nominating Committee, and outline your ideas for identifying the next generation of SAA leaders to ensure that new or distinctive voices and perspectives contribute to the future of the profession.

The most important responsibility members of the Nominating Committee have is to identify individuals who are committed to advancing the archives profession. At their most effective, SAA leaders complement each other by representing a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives, offering new ideas and embracing our profession’s commitment to our shared cultural heritage. As we seek to diversify the archives profession, it is critical that we offer a diverse leadership to serve as an example for those considering future careers in archives, as well as to ensure that the materials we collect and preserve reflect the true spectrum of society. If elected to the Nominating Committee, I would work with members of SAA’s Diversity Committee to identify individuals who have shown leadership potential through committee work or other contributions to SAA.  I would also seek out individuals who have published or presented on ways to increase diversity in the profession. I would speak with archival educators and seek their input on talented new professionals with leadership potential.