2014 Election Candidate Information

Candidates for the 2014 Election for Vice Chair/Chair Elect

Jessica Lacher-Feldman
Head of Special Collections
Louisiana State University


Jennifer Meehan
Associate Director of the Manuscript, Archives & Rare Book Library
Emory University

Information About the Candidates

Jessica Lacher-Feldman

Statement

Research libraries are vibrant, multi-dimensional entities with many needs, goals, and outcomes.  Archivists and special collections librarians are at center of much of the activity in research institutions of all sizes, and with the growth of digital collections, digital humanities, and institutional repositories, our expertise is even more needed and appreciated.  I am committed and deeply passionate for our shared profession.  My experience and commitment will allow me to help to guide the Research Libraries Roundtable forward, invigorating the membership and moving forward the important exchange of information and collaboration on initiatives and endeavors in research libraries.

Professional Experience

Jessica Lacher-Feldman is the Head of Special Collections Louisiana State University.  A native of New York State, she holds a BA in French, and Master’s Degrees in Library Science (Archives concentration) and History from The University at Albany in Albany, New York. 

Lacher-Feldman joined LSU in June of 2013 from The University of Alabama, where she served as Public and Outreach Services Coordinator at Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections from 2000-2013.  Active in SAA since 1999, she recently served as a member of CALM, representing SAA.  She was recently appointed to the SAA-ACRL/RBMS Joint Task Force on the Development of Standardized Statistical Measures for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries.  She has taught a workshop for SAA on exhibition development in archives and special collections libraries and is the author of Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections Libraries, published by SAA in 2013. She has presented and chaired several times at SAA in the past fifteen years in several areas. She is the past chair of the Reference, Access, and Outreach section of SAA and served on Local Arrangements for the very fun and successful annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama.  She is a certified archivist (2001), and a member of the 2009 cohort of the Archives Leadership Institute.  She is also active in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL/ALA. 

Jennifer Meehan

Statement

The Research Libraries Roundtable is an important forum for addressing the challenges posed by the changing landscape of research libraries (and their parent institutions), and for capitalizing on the opportunities afforded by such change to re-envision the role of archives and special collections.  As Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, I would seek to continue the good work of the group by actively fostering discussion and collaboration around the critical issues facing archivists working in research libraries, ranging from aligning our missions and goals with the broader institution, measuring and demonstrating our value, mainstreaming archives and special collections, and working smarter in order to do more with less.  I would work with other leaders and members to develop a strategic agenda for the roundtable, focusing on initiatives of most concern and importance to members, and to explore research projects that will leverage the knowledge and resources of individual archivists and institutions for the benefit of the larger group and the broader profession.  

 Professional Experience

Jennifer Meehan is the Associate Director of the Manuscript, Archives & Rare Book Library at Emory University. In this role, she directs the research services, collection services, digital archives, and university archives units at Emory.  Before coming to Emory, she was Head of Processing (2010-2013) and Accessioning Archivist (2007-2010) in the Manuscript Unit of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University.  Jennifer has written extensively on the theory and practice of archival arrangement and description, and published articles in American Archivist, Archivaria, and Archival Science.  She has taught professional workshops on archival processing, held elected positions in the Description Section (Chair, Steering Committee), and served on numerous SAA committees, including Membership Committee, Awards Committee, and American Archivist Editorial Board. Jennifer previously held positions in the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution and the Digital Library and Archives at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  She received a Master’s in Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia, and a B.A. in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.