2017-2018 AAC Slate of Candidates

Candidates:

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect

Dorothy Berry
Umbra Search Digitization and Metadata Lead, University of Minnesota

Dorothy Berry is the digitization and metadata lead for Umbra Search African American History at the University of Minnesota. Her work has focused on the intersections of information science and African American history and has included research on nineteenth-century Black performing arts in the digital archives, exhibit creation for the Black Film Center/Archive and the Archives of African American Music and Culture, object conservation for the National Museum of African American History and Culture Smithsonian, and digital resource creation for the Ozarks Afro-American History Museum. 

Statement of Interest and Goals:

I am interested in being co-chair for the Archivists and Archives of Color Section because, with increased discussions surrounding diversity/inclusion/equity in the archival field, I believe it is of the utmost importance that the voices of the true stakeholders in those issues be amplified. I have served as Diversity Committee Intern for the past year and want to continue my professional service by working to find new ways to support emerging archivists of color from all walks of life, as well as promoting collections representing racially diverse histories across the country.

Newsletter Editor

Lindy Leong

Ph.D. Candidate, UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television
Program Chair, Association of Moving Image Archivists 

Lindy Leong is a film and media educator, moving image archivist, and film programmer based in Los Angeles. She is the daughter of immigrant Chinese parents from Hong Kong and China and is the only person in her family who works in the arts and the humanities. She has taught film and media studies in public universities in CA, PA, and NY and programmed for Asian American film festivals over the years. She is a member of SAA, SEAPAVAA (South East Asian Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association), and AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists). She currently serves as a Program Chair for the AMIA Conference.  

Statement of Interest and Goals:

I did my graduate studies in Film and Media Studies at UCLA where one of my core specializations was in Moving Image Archive Studies. Over the years, my interest in archives and librarianship has developed from my para/professional work in the non-profit and cultural sector (museums, archives, academic/research libraries, and community arts organizations). I am seeking to transition from teaching into more archiving and cultural preservation work. I see my involvement in the AAC section as a wonderful opportunity to contribute and to learn more about the professional field at large.   

Ashley Stevens
Education Outreach Coordinator, Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Professionally, I have over five years of archival experience. I have worked for the National Park Service and the National Archives at Philadelphia. Currently, I work as the Education Outreach Coordinator at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. My particular passion within the profession is archival outreach, specifically the responsibility of all archivists in the promotion of the profession, archival resources, and reaching out to the communities that archives serve. I hold an M.A. in Public History and an M.L.I.S. in archives from the University of South Carolina (Columbia).

Statement of Interest and Goals:

I am at a crossroads in my career and looking to return to archival work, especially how that work informs my outreach all while embracing my social activism. To this end, I am working to reshape my professional identity and cultivate a new direction. The plan is to develop programming that highlights archives but also contribute to raising people's awareness of these issues, specifically how history shapes our present but it does not have to determine our future.

For some time, I refrained from renewing my SAA membership given the nature of my current work. However, I am, first and foremost, an archivist at heart. This time around I am seeking to become more involved rather than sit on the sidelines.  That is why I have submitted my name for Newsletter Editor. I want to make more of an effort to interact with SAA and get the best possible experience.