Samantha Norling, Candidate for Nominating Committee

Professional Experience: Archivist, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 2014–present. Archivist/Historian, Dow AgroSciences, 2013. Project Archivist and Collections Assistant, Reference Services, Indiana Historical Society, 2011–2014.

Education: MLS and MA in History, Public History Concentration, Indiana University–Indianapolis, 2013. BA, American Studies, American University, 2010.

Professional Activities: Society of American Archivists: Member, 2012–present; Committee on Public Awareness, 2014–present, 2016–present (Chair); CoSA/NAGARA/SAA Joint Working Group on Issues and Awareness, 2016; SAA Mentor, 2014–2015. Midwest Archives Conference: Member, 2013–present; Annual Meeting Program Committee, 2016–present. Society of Indiana Archivists: Member, 2014–present; Annual Meeting Tweeter in Residence, 2016. National Council on Public History: Member, 2014–present; Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee, 2016–present; Working Group Member, “Pedagogy in Public: Academic Programs and Community Partners,” 2015. Digital Public Library of America: Community Representative, 2014–present. DPLA Indiana: Executive Committee, 2015–present; Advisory Committee, 2014–present; Outreach Committee, 2015–2016. American Alliance of Museums: Member, 2015–present.

Awards and Honors: Museum Cross-Pollinator Fellow, Digital Library Federation, 2014. Donald Peterson Student Travel Award, Society of American Archivists, 2013.

Select Presentations: “One System for All: Integrated Digital Asset Management, Document Management, and Archival Digital Preservation," Museum Archives Section Electronic Records Symposium, Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2016. “DAM and DM Strategizing with Collections Management Practices,” American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting, May 2016. “Narrowing the Focus of Digital and Social Media Outreach," Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2015. “Making the Case for Change,” Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting, May 2015. “Archival Education from the Student Perspective,” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2013.

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Question posed by 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.

Candidate's Response:

I believe that the core responsibility of the Nominating Committee in selecting a diverse slate of candidates for the annual election is to actively explore all areas of SAA membership to identify the profession’s future leaders. An emphasis should be placed on engaging those groups within the membership that may have been previously untapped and on breaking down perceived barriers to involvement. As an archival student I was encouraged by the creation of the Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Roundtable to not only become a first-time SAA member in 2012, but to actively seek involvement in the professional organization because I knew, based on the existence of SNAP, that I was welcome there. The creation of SNAP was made possible by two groups working together: a previously underrepresented group with the drive to effect change in the profession (led by the efforts of Rebecca Goldman) who recognized that a dedicated space within SAA was necessary to pursue that change; and individual leaders at the time (of particular note is Kate Theimer) who were willing to engage with and provide a platform for new voices in the profession. One result of this conversation has been the increased involvement of new and distinct voices in the profession, since many members of the emerging professional archivists cohort in the early years of SNAP have gone on to hold leadership positions throughout SAA’s many constituent groups and committees.

My hope as a member of the Nominating Committee would be to pave the way for similar convergences in the future. One way to accomplish this would be for the Nominating Committee to break down perceived barriers of adequate experience, qualifications, and funding among potential candidates and individuals wishing to nominate a colleague. The Committee should communicate that most leadership roles within SAA do not require travel or have set minimum qualifications and should emphasize the value of new ideas, varied experiences, and an eagerness to participate as the primary prerequisites for leadership. The ideal time to communicate this message is at the beginning of the nominating process, when names are being gathered to form the initial pool of potential candidates. The message could be communicated as part of the ongoing call for nominations, and by members of the Nominating Committee as they reach out to representatives of all SAA sections and committees to gather names of potential candidates for consideration. Were I to be elected to the Nominating Committee, I would embrace the responsibility to engage all areas of SAA’s large membership in the process of identifying individuals who both represent and encourage the full diversification of the archives profession.

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