Audra Eagle Yun, Candidate for Council

Professional Experience: Head of Special Collections and Archives and University Archivist, University of California, Irvine, 2013–present. Archivist for Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine, 2011–2013. Processing Archivist and Digital Projects Manager, Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Wake Forest University, 2010–2011. Librarian and Archivist, North Carolina Room, Forsyth County Public Library, 2008–2010. Fellow, Center for Primary Research & Training, University of California, Los Angeles, 2007–2008. Archives Associate, Consumer Products Division, The Walt Disney Company, 2007–2008. Junior Fellow, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, 2005.

Education: Archives Leadership Institute, 2013. MLIS, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA, 2008. BA in Literature and Critical Theory, Certificate, Information Science and Information Studies, Duke University, 2006.

Professional Activities: Society of American Archivists: Nominating Committee, 2015–2016; Description Section Steering Committee, 2013–2015; Student Program Subcommittee, 2012–2013 (Chair), 2013–2014; Program Committee, 2012–2013. ArchivesSpace: Governance Board, Very Large Membership Level Representative, 2016–present. Society of California Archivists: Education Committee, 2014–present; Nominating Committee, 2013–2014. Academy of Certified Archivists: Certified Archivist, 2010–present. Association of College and Research Libraries, Rare Books and Manuscripts Section: Diversity Committee, 2011–2013. Society of North Carolina Archivists: Archives Week Committee, 2010–2011 (Chair); J-SNCA Editorial Board, 2009–2011; Executive Board, Member at Large, 2009–2010.

Publications: “Accessioning at the University of California, Irvine Libraries, Department of Special Collections and Archives,” in Extensible Processing for Archives and Special Collections, ed. Dan Santamaria (Chicago: American Library Association, 2014). “Inside the Box: Incorporating Archival Material into Undergraduate Information Literacy Instruction” with Craig Fansler, Journal for the Society of North Carolina Archivists, Fall 2011.

Selected Presentations: “When Yes Means No: Asset-Based Planning and Team Management,” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2015. “Click Here, Then Here, Then Right There…the Current State of Access to Born Digital Archives at UC Irvine,” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2015. “Accessions Confessions: Exposing Accessions in the Era of Minimal Processing,” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2013. “State of the Art: Methods and Tools for Archival Processing Metrics,” Society of California Archivists General Meeting, April 2013. “Forget About the Backlog: Surfacing Hidden Collections Using Archivists’ Toolkit,” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, Description Section, August 2012. “Exposing Hidden Collections through Consortia and Collaboration,” with Nicholas Graham, Sherri Berger, and Holly J. Mengel, Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2011. “Preserving a Community’s Past: Cross-Institutional Collaboration for Outreach to and Training of Citizen Archivists,” Society of American Archivists Research Forum, August 2010.

Awards: California Rare Book School Scholarship, 2013 and 2015. Archives Leadership Institute Scholarship, 2013. American Library Association Emerging Leader, 2009. Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) Conference Scholarship, 2008. Los Angeles Public Library Reference Institute Scholarship, 2008. American Library Association, Christopher Hoy/ERT Scholarship, 2006.

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Question posed by Nominating Committee:

How would you leverage your role on the Council as a liaison to various SAA groups to support their initiatives and encourage the general membership to present new ideas to the Council and be more engaged with SAA leadership?

Candidate’s Response:

I appreciate recent efforts by SAA’s leadership to gather feedback iteratively and encourage submission of issues and ideas through the SAA website. Yet, we know that few take advantage of the opportunity to speak directly to SAA leadership.

Fostering a culture of inclusiveness and participation (as expressed in the goals of the SAA Strategic Plan) means bringing forward the voices of members at all levels of the organization. In the most basic way, this means creating and promoting more spaces for conversation and input. Diversity in archives and in the profession is a core responsibility for all archivists. We can foster openness in our communication with the general membership and SAA groups by consistently elevating (and listening to) the voices of groups and individuals across the professional spectrum.

Archives and archivists are not neutral and our core values should be widespread. I believe we are our own best advocates and, as a member of Council, I would seek out ways to encourage members and emerging leaders to present their ideas. I would engage with SAA groups and the general membership first through SAA communication channels and ongoing liaison work with SAA groups. I would work within the Council to create member type stories to help SAA leadership consider the perspectives and needs of different types of professionals. Finally, I would leverage my role through active listening, tracking email, and following social media to tap into what matters most to archivists and our users.

I am eager to participate in the governance of SAA to support new initiatives and to promote opportunities for members to shape the future of SAA.

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