The Society of American Archivists (SAA) honors the accomplishments and innovations of more than two dozen outstanding individuals and organizations at ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2020: The virtual Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of State Archivists and SAA on August 6-7, 2020. Award categories include outstanding contributions to the archives profession, superior advocacy and public awareness initiatives, writing and publishing excellence, and scholarships and travel awards.
Congratulations to the following 2020 recipients!
Invisible Histories Project (IHP), a non-profit, community-based archiving and history project, is the 2020 recipient of the Archival Innovator Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA).
The Archival Innovator Award recognizes archivists, repositories, or organizations that show creativity in approaching professional challenges, the ability to think outside the professional norm, or have an extraordinary impact on a community through archives programs and outreach.
IHP works to locate, preserve, and make accessible the LGBTQ history of the Deep South. The Project began collecting queer archival materials in February of 2018, and to date has located more than 50 collections of LGBTQ historical documents from Alabama dating from 1912 to the present. It pioneers cooperative collecting, breaks down long-established walls of distrust, and builds lasting partnerships between LGBTQ memory-creators, academic institutions, budding archivists, and researchers. In the last two years IHP has developed Queer History South, a network and conference that brings together archivists, historians, oral historians, and community organizers to focus on the work of LGBTQ archival preservation. It creates a network of support and innovation for the field of Queer Southern Studies.
“We strive to break barriers between organizations and their local communities to ensure that preservation and research exist in a co-productive and relationship-centered way. We are invested in providing scholars with direct access to materials as well as creating a network of people conducting LGBTQ Southern archiving, preservation, education and research to make scholarship more accessible,” said Co-founder Joshua Burford.
Victor Betts, NCSU library fellow in the Special Collections Research Center at North Carolina State University, is a 2020 recipient of the Brenda S. Banks Travel Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award, which recognizes and acknowledges individuals of color, such as those of African, Asian, Latinx, Native American, Alaska Native, or Pacific Islander descent, and who have demonstrated professional archival experience.
Currently, Victor is conducting instruction related to archival literacy and research, as well as working to identify opportunities for outreach. His special interests are in helping under-represented first-generation students learn about the importance of archives, and learning about the problems and approaches in documenting and preserving the histories of communities of color. Betts advocates for visibility and inclusion of marginalized voices and communities, and is eager to collaborate with other archivists to find solutions to these problems. In promoting the preservation of collections that document people of color, he has conducted targeted outreach to these specific communities in hopes of raising awareness about archives and the benefits of archival academic research.
In his statement, Betts wrote: “I believe that creative writing, such as speculative fiction and historical fiction, can be used to address these missing, silenced histories and memories.”
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia (A4BLiP) is the 2020 recipient of the C.F.W. Coker Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes finding aids, finding aid systems, innovative development in archival description, or descriptive tools that enable archivists to produce more effective finding aids. To merit consideration for the award, nominees must set national standards, represent a model for archives description, or otherwise have a substantial impact on national descriptive practice.
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia (A4BLiP) is a loose association of archivists, librarians, and allied professionals in the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley area responding to the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement. It provides tools that can be immediately implemented to improve the equity, accuracy and accessibility of archival description. In addition, they offer a collocated set of resources and recommendations pertaining to anti-oppressive descriptive practices. Specifically, it focuses on Black communities, but their recommendations can often be extended to description of records created by and about other marginalized and underrepresented communities. This work has substantial impact on descriptive practices that can have biased, misleading, and harmful archival descriptions. Therefore, it provides an important first step toward determining how to remedy these descriptive issues and how to best to minimize their recurrence.
The nominator states, “These guidelines can inform practices at all institutions and help stop further oppressive language in archival description, which is crucial in a predominantly white field.”
Orange County Regional History Center is the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes an archives institution, education program, nonprofit organization, or government organization that has given outstanding service to its public and has made an exemplary contribution to the archives profession.
In 2016 a shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida devastated the City, and its LGBTQ and Latinx communities in particular. Within days, Orange County Regional History Center mobilized to begin collecting materials from memorial sites, an initiative which became the foundation of its One Orlando Collection Initiative. This initiative has served as a springboard for many others, one of which is the expansion of their oral history program, where they actively work to decolonize this collection to better reflect the many different people and perspectives of central Florida. In the years since, the Center has served as a nexus of community, connection, and remembrance for those touched by the tragedy. The Center has used its experiences to build relationships and support systems with cultural heritage professionals across the country who have experienced their own mass tragedies, in places like Las Vegas, Parkland, and Dallas. They share their experiences widely through presentations and publications, and contributed to the SAA Tragedy Response Initiative Task Force that produced the vital resource, Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit.
As one supporter wrote, “Orange County Regional History Center stepped up to the extremely difficult challenge created from a tragic event – documenting the aftermath of the Pulse shootings – leading the way to ensure that this event and the outpouring of emotion, love and support for the LGBTQ and Latino communities, and the city of Orlando, is not and will not ever be forgotten.”
Rebecca Hankins, SAA Fellow and Africana resources librarian/curator at Texas A&M University, is a 2020 recipient of the Diversity Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes outstanding contributions in advancing diversity within the archives profession, SAA, or the archival record.
Named a Fellow of SAA in 2016, Hankins’ impressive career has been dedicated to documenting the stories of underrepresented populations. To this end, the breadth of her work is impressive and includes actively collecting materials documenting traditionally underrepresented populations; exhibiting materials illustrating the impact of these groups; scholarly publishing on issues of diversity; and mentoring young archivists of color.
In addition, Hankins’ commitment to the profession is evidenced in her work for both SAA and the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA). Her work with both organizations has allowed her to continue to press her case for diversity within the profession by engaging in specific activities such as ensuring the representativeness of the ACA exam. Hankins has a long tradition of working tirelessly from within these organizations to effect change in a meaningful way. Rebecca has broken barriers and has been a trailblazer for so many archivists. She has paved the way for marginalized archivists to find their own voices, and has done much to advance diversity within the archives profession through the years.
As noted by one of her nominators, “Rebecca advocates for diversity and equality in SAA and ACA. She has been a tireless champion for good in the archival profession. She has inspired and encouraged me to become involved with both SAA and ACA. She has shown me how to be a mentor, a leader, and how one person really can make a difference.”
Jeanie Pai is the 2020 recipient of the Donald Peterson Student Travel Award given by the Society of American Archivists. Established in 2005, the Donald Peterson Student Travel Award supports students and recent graduates from graduate archival programs within North America to attend SAA’s Annual Meeting. The goal of the scholarship is to stimulate greater participation in the activities of SAA, such as presenting research or actively participating in an SAA-sponsored committee or section.
Pai is a recent graduate of the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Her SAA poster presentation is entitled, Paper Sons of the Chinese Exclusion Era. It describes her research into the history and experiences of paper sons, and how they contributed to the shaping of Chinese American communities. Her interests lie in emerging issues of inclusion and access, particularly toward resources for disadvantaged groups that are historically misrepresented. She is committed to recognizing the gaps in collections, and exploring honest ways to preserve the history of marginalized groups, including what archival materials to collect, how it is described, and who has access to the records. Pai’s belief is that active inclusion allows archivists to create democratic spaces where people of all backgrounds have agency and representation.
A supporter of Pai states, “She is genuinely motivated by the core values of social justice, ethics, inclusion, and access and will continue to be guided by them in her career.”
Elena Hinkle of Simmons University is the 2020 recipient of the F. Gerald Ham and Elsie Ham Scholarship given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The $10,000 scholarship supports the graduate archival education of a student who is studying at a United States university program. Scholarship selection criteria include the applicant’s past performance in his or her graduate program in archival studies as well as faculty members’ assessment of the student’s prospects for contributing to the archives profession.
In her essay, Erasing Esther: Borrowing Concepts from Functional Analysis to Help us Hear the Archives’ Unheard Voices, Hinkle relates her inability to find adequate archival documentation to create a story for a central character in a historical fiction novella. Thinking like an archivist, she ties her research experience that led to an insightful proposal for archivists to adapt certain elements of functional analysis to address inequities in collections that they manage. In addition, Elena has achieved an outstanding academic record, served as the student representative to the archives faculty and as co-chair of the SAA student chapter, and is scheduled to present this year at the New England Archivists and SAA annual meetings.
Her recommender noted that she is “truly invested in becoming a leader and in making a difference in the field of archives. I believe this is emblematic of the kind of professional she will be once she completes graduate school.”
Keith Pendergrass, digital archivist at Harvard Business School, Walker Sampson, assistant professor and digital archivist at the University of Colorado Boulder, Tessa Walsh, software developer at Artefactual Systems, and Laura Alagna, digital preservation librarian at Northwestern University, are the 2020 recipients of the Fellows’ Ernst Posner Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes an outstanding essay dealing with some facet of archival administration, history, theory, and/or methodology that was published during the preceding year in SAA’s journal, American Archivist.
Keith Pendergrass, Walker Sampson, Tessa Walsh, and Laura Alagna are being honored for their article, Toward Environmentally Sustainable Digital Preservation, which appeared in the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of American Archivist (vol. 82, no. 1). The authors provide a framework for the cultural heritage profession to move toward environmentally sustainable digital preservation. First, they review the literature for differing uses of the term “sustainability” to establish the long history of this work in the cultural heritage field. Second, they provide a more holistic view of digital preservation’s environmental impacts than has appeared in the cultural heritage literature by examining the full life-cycle effects of information and communication technology. Then, the authors offer stopgap solutions for reducing digital preservation's negative environmental impacts through altered technology use. Finally, taking into account digital preservation’s full life-cycle impacts, they argue that creating environmentally sustainable digital preservation requires critically examining the motivations and assumptions that shape current practice and propose explicitly integrating environmental sustainability into digital preservation practice by shifting cultural heritage professionals’ paradigm of appraisal, permanence, and availability of digital content.
The SAA Awards Committee noted that the article “is beautifully and clearly written, covering a broad swath of professional thought and practice through the lens of digital preservation. The recommendations for achieving sustainability in digital preservation efforts, at the macro and operational levels, are cogent and compelling.”
Carol Ng-He, who is pursuing a master of library and information science degree at San José State University, is a 2020 recipient of the Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes minority graduate students of African, Asian, Latino, or Native American descent who, through scholastic achievement, manifest an interest in becoming professional archivists and active members of SAA.
Ng-He serves as exhibits coordinator at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library in Arlington Heights, Illinois. As an immigrant from Hong Kong and a veteran art museum educator, she is passionate about using exhibitions to uplift ethnically underrepresented voices and present them to the public, to diversify archival collecting, and to increase accessibility to and awareness of collections. In 2019, Ng-He founded the Curating and Exhibitions Interest Group under Chicago Area Archivists for scholars, (art) historians, archivists and librarians in order to build community across varying disciplines of practice. Recently, she organized and led two Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) webinars on career development and advancement focused on the experiences of librarians of color. Because of the impact of her work, she was asked to serve as the chair of the ARLIS/NA Professional Development Committee for 2020-2021. In addition, she has presented on topics related to immigration, identity, and otherness.
As one recommender noted, “Not only is Carol an ambitious student, she is also collegial, appreciative, and receptive to different perspectives and ideas.”
Brad Pomerance, host and co-executive producer of KVCR-TV’s Uncovered in the Archives, and CJ Eastman, co-executive of Uncovered in the Archives, are 2020 recipients of the J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award honors individuals, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs.
Each week, viewers throughout southern California watch, Uncovered in the Archives, a thirty-minute public television program on Empire | PBS. Brad Pomerance travels to archival repositories to describe some of the region’s most extraordinary historical events. He features archival experts and treasures, and shoots footage behind the scenes in special collections, allowing the public to learn more about the archival profession. In every episode, the archives are a character in the program. The audience is made aware of the pivotal role that archivists play in maintaining our collective history. Given the success of the show’s first season, plans have been laid for the program’s second season, including potential expansion to other Public Broadcasting Service affiliates throughout the State of California and beyond. Uncovered in the Archives is and will continue to shine a bright light on how archives and archivists fortify the history of our communities, our cities, our states and our nation.
Pomerance describes the documentary series as an opportunity to “unravel some of the region’s most extraordinary historical events—known and unknown, remembered and forgotten—all told through the hidden treasures that we uncover in the archives.”
Council of Independent Colleges’ (CIC) Humanities Research for the Public Good Program is a 2020 recipient of the J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award honors an individual, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs.
This program engages undergraduate students in archival research on topics that address issues of public significance. Selected teams—each consisting of a faculty member, a librarian or archivist, and a senior academic administrator—receive grant funds to collaborate with a local community organization on a project to showcase a significant collection of primary sources held by a CIC member institution and address a topic of public concern. Twenty-five private colleges and universities around the country have had an opportunity to highlight primary source collections through public programs, and have created community partnerships. Many undergraduates had the opportunity to spend two semesters getting to know their collections intimately through processing and researching collections, or conducting research in previously processed materials. Projects have taken many forms, including exhibitions, public discussions, websites, and podcasts. Engagement with archivists and primary sources is front and center in this innovative program.
As stated by the CIC President Richard Ekman for the program’s 2018 launch, “Independent colleges are stronger when they share their resources with their communities—and so are their communities. Those resources often include significant archival or library collections that can illuminate issues of real public importance.”
The project is directed by Anne M. Valk, executive director of the American Social History Project (CUNY Graduate Center), and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Participating institutions are detailed at www.cic.edu/PublicHumanities.
Ishmael Ross is the 2020 recipient of the Josephine Forman Scholarship sponsored by the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church, in cooperation with the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The $10,000 scholarship provides financial support to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science, encourages students to pursue careers as archivists, and promotes the diversification of the American archives profession.
Ross is a graduate student at Louisiana State University (LSU) pursuing a dual degree that combines an Archival Studies certificate with a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. His decision to pursue a post-graduate degree was borne out of the realization that even in New Orleans, a city where Black people are the majority, the archival field is majority white women and men. He is employed full-time in the New Orleans Public Library system at the Central City Public Library. In this role, he has assisted in establishing an exhibit from the Amistad Research Center that focuses on Black feminists in New Orleans. Ishmael’s internship at the Amistad Research Center focuses on African-American and Civil Rights-related manuscripts and materials. He recognizes the importance of diversity in this field, as well as the value of his perspective as an African American male in the profession.
He is passionate about the African American culture and keeping its history relevant, as well as sharing it within and in other communities. As one of his recommenders wrote, “He is interested in the intersection of criminal law and preserving and amplifying the history of African Americans.”
Lydia Tang, special collections archivist-librarian at Michigan State University, is the 2020 recipient of the Mark A. Greene Emerging Leader Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award celebrates and encourages early career archivists who have completed archival work of broad merit, demonstrated significant promise of leadership, and performed commendable service to the archives profession.
Tang’s exemplary leadership and service is highlighted throughout her emerging archival career, including her work with SAA and ArchivesSpace. Among her leadership activities within SAA, she was an invaluable contributor on the SAA Task Force to revise the Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities and the driving force behind the creation of the Accessibility and Disability section. With this group, she spearheaded the “Archivists at Home” crowdsourced work from home advocacy document and co-founded the Archives Worker Emergency Fund. Passionate about enhancing the usability and accessibility of the ArchivesSpace collection management tool, Tang currently chairs the ArchivesSpace User Advisory Council, is co-leader of the ArchivesSpace Development Prioritization sub-team, and leader of the Usability sub-team, and chaired the Staff Interface Enhancement Working Group (2017).
Nominators described, “Her dedication is matched only by her drive and enthusiasm. She was able to coordinate and spearheaded the creation of the section in record time and with amazing organization and forethought. Everything from the way she created the first steering committee, to how she planned and organized the strategic goals for the section, how meetings are run, and how credit is shared, has set the standard for how a new section should be developed.”
“Lydia leads by example, making respect part of everything she does. She makes sure that everyone can participate in a way that feels comfortable for them. More than that, she knows when to say something in a group setting and when to reach out directly.”
“Her sub-team members are inspired by her energy and encouragement to work harder and do more. In turn this enables the program team to push development projects through more quickly and for users to derive benefits from improvements in the application. Lydia’s ability to inspire others to do better marks her as a future leader.”
“[…] Lydia is a passionate advocate for accessibility and inclusion in all activities. She is already a leader in this area for the whole archival community, both in raising awareness and actively working towards demonstrable change, including in the tools that archivists use to do their work. The lens through which she views the archival field leads her to ideas that are always creative and often challenging to conventional wisdom. Her enthusiasm and drive to take those ideas and work with others to turn them into action from which others will benefit sets her apart from many archivists…”
Mya Ballin, a graduate student in the Master of Archival Studies program at the University of British Columbia, is the 2020 recipient of the Mosaic Scholarship given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The $5,000 scholarship is given to a student who demonstrates potential for scholastic and personal achievement and who manifests a commitment both to the archival profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it.
Mya is a full-time student with a strong academic record, who seeks to use her time in graduate school to immerse in initiatives that directly challenge her own biases. Ballin’s hope is to become a strong ally to all groups who have encountered oppression and erasure. Mya’s continuing encounters with racial microaggressions and awareness of the presence of laws and conventions in American society that disadvantage black and brown folks have demonstrated to her that inequities tied to societal perceptions of race still require active attention and serious intervention. She dedicates herself to researching the needs and desires of marginalized communities and determining strategies for allyship. She is very involved in student organizations at her university. She has served as a student member of the UBC School of Information’s Equity and Diversity Committee, and volunteered with Out on the Shelves, a non-profit community library serving Vancouver’s LGBTQ2IA+ people and their allies.
In her cover letter Ballin states, “I am an aspiring archivist who will go on to apply archival theory to my practice. I want to participate in the disruption of oppression and the engagement of both archival academics and professionals…in feminist, anti-racist, and decolonizing practices.”
Klavier Jie Ying Wang, who is a graduate student in New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation (MIAP) degree program, is the 2020 recipient of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Travel Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award enables international archivists who are training or studying in the United States or Canada to augment their experience by attending the SAA Annual Meeting.
Wang has an impressive work experience, publication history, and has received numerous awards. Before joining New York University (NYU), she worked for more than five years as a historical researcher and adjunct professor in Hong Kong. With a doctorate in communication studies from Hong Kong Baptist University, Wang is interested in the history of the Asian diaspora. Recently, she published the English monograph Hong Kong Popular Culture: Worlding Film, Television, and Pop Music (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020). Researching, documenting, archiving, and preserving history of Asian diaspora has always been a theme of her academic and career pursuit. When she returns to Hong Kong, Wang plans to pursue a career as an audiovisual archive to learn to preserve cultural heritage for future generations. The knowledge and professional experience from her education and professional conferences have become a precious asset to develop Hong Kong’s underdeveloped audiovisual archiving and preservation sector.
Attendance at the Joint Annual Meeting will allow her to gain additional knowledge and skills for augmenting the public awareness and stewardship of Hong Kong’s audiovisual heritage. Wang writes, “I believe attending the SAA conference will significantly broaden my horizon through dynamic knowledge and experience sharing.”
Laura Wagner, project archivist for the Radio Haiti Archive at Duke University’s David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, is the 2020 recipient of the Philip M. Hamer–Elizabeth Hamer Kegan Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes individuals or institutions that have increased public awareness of archives documents.
Haiti’s first independent radio station, Radio Haiti-Inter, dedicated itself to representing the Haitian masses who had been excluded from political discourse, information and power. In order to make the Radio Haiti Archive more accessible to people in Haiti, Wagner ensured that every recording in the collection has detailed narrative description in Haitian Creole, French, and English. The collection, which comprises some 5,300 recordings, is digitized and publicly available via Duke’s Digital Repository. She has presented on the Radio Haiti project in Haiti and to the Haitian community in the United States, and has distributed copies of many recordings to organizations, libraries, and archives in Haiti. The Radio Haiti collection documents much of twentieth-century Haitian history and amplifies the voices of ordinary Haitian people. The collection is the basis for many scholars’ works, and Laura has also worked to take the history of Radio Haiti back to the people to whom it belongs.
As one scholar noted, “These materials are a treasure trove. They contain first-person interviews with historical persons of various time periods, and provide an indispensable perspective on recent religious and cultural history of Haiti and its ties to the rest of the globe.”
Lisa Elkin, chief registrar and director of Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, and Christopher A. Norris, director of Public Programs, Yale Peabody Museum, are the 2020 recipients of the Preservation Publication Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) for their book, Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage (the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, The American Institute for Conservation, the Smithsonian Institution, and the George Washington University Museum Studies Program, 2019). The award recognizes the author or editor of an outstanding published work related to archives preservation.
As a collaborative work, it issues a comprehensive guide to collection storage by drawing on the efforts of four publishers and seven associate editors (Mary Coughlin, Catharine A. Hawks, John E. Simmons, Jude Southward, Sarah Stauderman Shelley Sturman, and Robert Waller). Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage written by over 110 subject specialists (from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan), defines and establishes standards for preservation, storage, and housing of collections and is a true compendium of preservation theory and practice. The last book to cover such a comprehensive topic was published nearly 25 years ago, and both ethical and practical considerations have evolved over time. Utilizing a risk management approach, covering storage for a variety of collections and media types in libraries, archives, museums, and digital collections, it is an indispensable reference book for archival practitioners, and will likely be used for years to come. Focused attention on special collection types and materials such as remains, digital collections, and many more are presented with thoughtfulness and a full understanding of current standards and practice.
One of the editors’ supporters wrote, “The book will be useful to anyone in the field of collection care looking for an overview of collection storage – be it an established specialist, an emerging professional, or a student.”
Geof Huth, chief records officer and chief law librarian at New York State Unified Court System, will be inducted as a 2020 Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.
Huth's presentations, writings, and workshops have kept him in service to the archival profession. From the beginning of his career, Geof has written and published on a range of records and archival topics. He has completed over 250 presentations given to national, regional, state, and local archival and records management organizations. Presentations include records management topics, digital records, disaster recovery, appraisal, advocacy and outreach, mentoring, strategic planning, and special interest topics. His writings have been published in Archival Outlook, the Mid-Atlantic Archivist, and various historical societies and local government association publications.
Geof has worked with SAA for 29 years, beginning with his first committee appointment in 1991. He has held a position continuously in SAA for 19 years from 2001 to the present, and has held multiple leadership positons on SAA’s various sections, committee and boards. His role was pivotal in developing SAA’s Digital Archives Specialist certificate, which was a result of his extensive and long-standing work with digital records. His latest efforts in the archival community include a podcast that he and his wife Karen Trivette began producing in 2018. Titled, An Archivist’s Tale, this weekly podcast, currently exceeding 100 episodes and highlights archivists in conversation with archivists, discussing their work and passions and how they care for the historical record and present the storied past. No doubt, Geof’s contributions will continue to make a lasting impact in the archival community and beyond.
As one supporter noted, “His overarching desire to push colleagues to think more deeply about the profession and ways to make it better, demonstrate the passion that he has for the archival profession and the possibilities it has for its members and stakeholders.”
Lisa Mangiafico, senior director of information services for Soroptimist International of the Americas, Inc., will be inducted as a 2020 Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.
During her 31-year career, Lisa’s experience has ranged from processing archival collections, to establishing an institutional archives and records management program, creating a digital reformatting program, and managing an archives unit. Her professional career has included positions at two outstanding repositories where she continues to demonstrate her lifelong commitment to mentorship and assisting small community archives. She has engaged in numerous archival consultations as a member of the New Jersey Caucus Archival Preservation Evaluation Service (CAPES) since 1998, and on the New Jersey State Historical Records Advisory Board from 2004-2018. A member of the Society of American Archivists since 1993, Lisa has served in multiple roles in the Society of American Archivists and Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC). During her term as chair (2003-2005) at MARAC, she oversaw the review and revision of the conference’s strategic plan, the mission statement and purpose, and promoted advocacy and education. Serving on SAA’s Council, she worked alongside others to develop the Code of Conduct for SAA Annual Meetings, SAA-sponsored events, and Online SAA Spaces. Her time spent on the SAA Executive Committee and Foundation Board of Directors helped to develop the Foundation’s inaugural grants program. Additionally, she has presented or moderated more than 25 sessions at regional and national conferences, such as MARAC, SAA, and Soroptimist. The breadth of knowledge and depth of experience have always been key assets in her professional career.
Lisa has co-authored two monographs, Guide to the Archives of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (1992) and Cherry Hill: A Brief History (2010), and has been a contributor to the Dictionary of Virginia Biography and the Encyclopedia of New York State. In 2013, she was recognized for her contribution to the archival profession by MARAC with the Distinguished Service Award.
Her nominator stated, “Lisa represents the best of what an archivist should be. Her activities taken in service to institutions as well as to professional organizations demonstrate Lisa’s resourcefulness, initiative and commitment to the archival profession.”
Michael Rush, assistant head of the Manuscript Unit in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, will be inducted as a 2020 Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.
Michael has provided progressive leadership in and considerable contributions to the development, revision, and implementation of the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard.
It was during his five-year term as co-chair of SAA's Technical Subcommittee for Encoded Archival Description (TS-EAD) where his leadership and technical skills led to the publication of EAD3. His contributions to EAD development are present throughout his many presentations, publications, and training citations. The citations document his involvement in archival encoded description and access, including his EAD Bibliography (2006-2011) that often serves as research documentation on encoded descriptive standards for the archival community.
In addition, Michael demonstrated his initiative and commitment to SAA in a variety of leadership roles. He served on SAA's Standards Committee, chair and member of the Technical Subcommittee on Descriptive Standards, co-chair of the Encoded Archival Description Roundtable, chair and member of the Technical Subcommittee for Encoded Archival Standards (TS-EAS), and member of the Technical Subcommittee for Encoded Archival Context. He created two SAA EAD Web Seminars—EAD3: What's New? and EAD Tips and Tricks.
Other professional contributions include progressive descriptive and management responsibilities at the Massachusetts Historical Society and in his current position at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. His volunteer work with regional, state, national and international professional organizations document his deep engagement in developing archival encoded description standards.
His nominator noted that it is "his ability to bring together individuals with different experiences and sets of expertise in pursuit of a common goal,” as his most valuable asset.
Ellen Pierce, archival consultant for the Dominican Sisters and other Religious Congregations, is the 2020 recipient of the Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in conjunction with the Society of Southwest Archivists. The award honors an archivist who has made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives.
Ellen’s dedication and devotion to religious archives is inspiring. She is knowledgeable about the science and practice of archives and has the ability to explain this to those who are not trained as archivists. Her ability to communicate complex archival ideas to various audiences within and without the archival community has made her a highly sought after consultant. Pierce helped build the Maryknoll Mission Archives, ultimately becoming Director until her retirement in 2017. Her contribution to preserving Catholic history culminated in presentations at the American Catholic Historical Association, ACWR and the Boston College Conference where her expertise inspired others to continue historic preservation of religious archives.
Her nominator said, “It is no small thing to be able to foster change in the methods of collecting, organizing and preserving the stories of women who have a high sense of ownership of this information.”
Michelle Ganz, archives director at McDonough Innovation, is the 2020 recipient of the Spotlight Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes the contributions of individuals who work for the good of the profession and archival collections—work that does not typically receive public recognition.
Michelle is very involved within both SAA and the Academy of Certified Archivists. She is known as someone who is industrious and passionate about building a strong archival profession. She has been deeply involved in creating policies and best practices for the profession by serving on various committees and roles for SAA and the Academy of Certified Archivists. Her involvement within SAA includes leadership on various commitees, including the Archives Management/Records Management Joint Working Group on Accessibility co-chair (2009–2011), Lone Arrangers Section vice-chair (2009–2012), SAA representative to the American Library Association Committee on Cataloging (2018–2020), Archives History Section Steering Committee member (2019–2020), and Professional Writers Virtual Group co-leader (2019–2020). Ganz is deeply involved in the Academy of Certified Archivists by serving as an Exam Development Committee member, leading the Petition Review Committee, item writing the exams, and proctoring exams. Additionally, Michelle was active in ARMA International in the Technical Manual Auditing Working Group (2013–2014) and the Glossary Working Group (2001–2002).
She is vigorous in her writing and presentations, and generous with sharing her expertise. “She is energetic and tireless in her work and is a pleasure to work alongside,” her nominator stated.
Bridget Malley, a December 2019 master of Library and Information Science graduate, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, School of Information Studies, is the 2020 recipient of the Theodore Calvin Pease Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes superior writing achievements by students of archival studies, and (entries are judged on innovation, scholarship, pertinence, and clarity of writing).
Malley’s paper, "Nothing about Us Without Us: Documenting Disability History in Western Pennsylvania," is a valuable contribution to the professional literature. It considers how appraisal methodology can be applied to collections that are being created and preserved in order to document the history of disability in a specific geographical region. They provide a thoughtful and well-crafted investigation of an effort to better preserve disability history. Bridget gives a detailed account about applying Helen Samuels’ guidance on documentation strategies in a contemporary context. The article both foregrounds and contributes substantially to the societal need to better recognize and document the lives and experiences of individuals with disabilities.
“The very best student papers either seek to seat themselves firmly within a specific ongoing discussion in the archival literature; or they attempt to bring the archival literature to bear on a relatively overlooked aspect of society. This paper does both of these things, and does them extremely well,” noted the nominator, Amy Cooper Cary, head of Special Collections and University Archives at Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University. Malley's paper will be published in American Archivist Volume 84, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2021).
Jean-Christophe Cloutier, assistant professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, is the 2020 recipient of the Waldo Gifford Leland Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) for his book, Shadow Archives: The Lifecycles of African American Literature, published by Columbia University Press in 2019. The award is given for writing of superior excellence and usefulness in the fields of archival history, theory, and practice.
In Shadow Archives: The Lifecycles of African American Literature, Cloutier uses a variety of African American novels as alternative repositories for the black experience. The book traces the development of Black special collections in mid-twentieth-century America, exploring how archival methodology, acquisition, and access shape literary history. As an archivist and a researcher, he studies how leading twentieth-century African American authors carefully preserved their individual writing, as well as the African American experience, in their novels. Cloutier provides an enlightening account of the unique challenges that many Black writers faced when trying to establish collections, which either clarified or reconfigured their legacies. Cloutier adeptly employs a cross-disciplinary model in his examination, skillfully moving between the archival and the literary.
“Based on a deep understanding of archival history, theory, and practice, Shadow Archives is a compelling analysis of the power of archives for truth-telling and scholarship that suggests future paths for research,” noted the nominator. “Given the lack of institutions dedicated to the Black experience, the novel became an alternative site of historical preservation, a means to ensure both individual legacy and group survival.”
WHEREAS a working group was appointed by SAA in 2014 to expand on the 2005 edition of A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology by Richard Pearce-Moses; and
WHEREAS this group, composed of Rosemary Pleva Flynn (chair), Kathryn Bowers, Tamar Chute, Kristy Darby, Pam Hackbart-Dean, Juli Folk, Lauren Haberstock, Cliff Hight, Geof Huth, Andrew Hyslop, Mary Elizabeth Ruwell, Dawn Schmitz, Margery N. Sly, Katy Sternberger, Joseph Turrini, and Diane Vogt-O’Connor, worked for six years to add hundreds of new terms, thousands of citations from more than 600 sources, and a new online platform; and
WHEREAS the Dictionary of Archives Terminology is a comprehensive and organically evolving intellectual resource that provides open access to authoritative archival lexicon; and
WHEREAS this group of individuals unwaveringly dedicated their time and intellect toward the development of the Dictionary of Archives Terminology;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the SAA Dictionary Working Group be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Exemplary Service Award for the compilation and launch of the Dictionary of Archives Terminology.
WHEREAS Archival Metrics has set a model for the archives profession to evaluate and understand the impact of archives in society; and
WHEREAS Through the expert leadership of its principal investigator, Professor Elizabeth Yakel (University of Michigan), and co-investigators Professor Wendy Duff (University of Toronto) and Professor Helen Tibbo (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Archival Metrics has pioneered the development of user-based evaluation toolkits for assessing the impact of archives and their archival services and tools; and
WHEREAS Archival Metrics promoted a culture of assessment in the profession with its creation of survey questionnaires and other performance measures that assist archivists in measuring and articulating the value and impact of their tools and services; and
WHEREAS Archival Metrics has produced seven easy-to-use, publicly available, user-based evaluation toolkits that cover a broad range of archival services and tools (online finding aids, repository websites and access tools, student orientations, use of archives in teaching and instruction, economic impact of government archives, and use of the focus group method in data collection); and
WHEREAS The user-based evaluation toolkits developed by Archival Metrics and the findings generated through the continued use of these toolkits have helped archivists make evidence-based decisions to improve archival programs, services, and resources for their users; and
WHEREAS This group of scholars, throughout the duration of the Archival Metrics project, have mentored junior scholars to widen the pool of researchers who continue to engage in the area of user-based evaluation and assessment in the field;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Archival Metrics project and its principal investigators, Professor Wendy Duff (University of Toronto), Professor Helen Tibbo (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and Professor Elizabeth Yakel (University of Michigan), be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Exemplary Service Award.
WHEREAS Lori Lindberg has been actively involved in the academic and archival professions, championing archival education as a member of the SAA Education Committee, the SAA DAS Subcommittee and as a longtime university faculty member;
WHEREAS serving as a lecturer at San Jose State University and other institutions, she advocates for education in archival science, records management, and digital preservation; and
WHEREAS she conducted extensive research to map 15 courses to the ACA and ICRM exam to create curriculum; and
WHEREAS she designed 15 weeks of lessons for each course using the SAA Code of Ethics, SAA Core Values, and her wealth of teaching experience and subject expertise; and
WHEREAS her work led to the creation of the first independent accredited Master of Archives and Records Administration (MARA) degree program in the United States; and
WHEREAS in 2008 the MARA degree at San Jose State University accepted enrollment of its first class; and
WHEREAS in 2010 and 2012 she received the WISE (Web-based Information Science Education) Consortium's Excellence in Online Teaching Award upon student recommendation after experiencing her course content and teaching effectiveness;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Lori Lindberg be honored with a 2020 Council Exemplary Service Award for her long-standing commitment to archival education and the betterment of archives professionals that has contributed to the modernization of the archives and digital curation curriculum.
WHEREAS Mark Puente has been actively involved with diversity and leadership development since the beginning of his library career; and
WHEREAS while serving as director and senior director of Diversity and Leadership Programs at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), he advocated for and taught about diversity recruitment strategies, racial equity, networking, and residency programs in academic libraries; and
WHEREAS in 2013, and in subsequent extensions through 2021, he administered grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to establish multiple diversity initiatives in partnership with professional associations, including the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program whose goal was to recruit and retain emerging professionals from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups; and
WHEREAS the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program provided financial support, practical work experience, mentoring, career placement assistance, and leadership development to 34 individuals in eight cohorts, contributing to a more diversified and inclusive archives and special collections workforce;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Mark A. Puente be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Exemplary Service Award for his long-standing commitment to diversity in the archives and special collections profession, and especially for his outstanding leadership of the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program.
Society of American Archivists
WHEREAS the Archival Workers Emergency Fund (AWEF) was established in 2020 by the SAA Foundation to provide financial assistance for archival workers experiencing acute, unanticipated financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS the AWEF was created based on a proposal developed by an ad hoc group of concerned archivists led by Jessica Chapel and Lydia Tang and comprising Steven D. Booth, Alison Clemens, Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Jennifer Coggins, Courtney Dean, Steve Duckworth, Carady DeSimone, Rebecca Goldman, Irene Hauzinger, Katharina Hering, Hayley Hinsberger, Valencia Johnson, Carli Lowe, Bridget Malley, Sarah McLusky, Rebecca Thayer, Lauren White, Jen Wachtel, Amy Wickner, and Katrina Windon; and
WHEREAS the ad hoc group also gathered resources relating to remote work, archival labor, mutual aid, access to unemployment benefits, and other relief efforts for archival workers based in the United States who are navigating rapidly changing conditions during the COVID-19 emergency; and
WHEREAS since the launch of the fund 740 donors have contributed more than $105,000 (as of July 2020), in addition to the SAA Foundation Board’s contribution of $21,000 in funding; and;
WHEREAS the AWEF Review Committee, comprising individuals from the ad hoc group and SAA Foundation Board members, has provided, as of July 2020, more than $121,000 to 141 applicants;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the organizers of the Archival Workers Emergency Fund be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Resolution for their work in creating a relief aid program designed to support archival colleagues affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
WHEREAS in January 2018, at the request of the SAA Diverse Sexuality and Gender Section, the Council recognized that archivists and communities who must deal with sudden tragic events and circumstances need help and support from the archival community during these times; and
WHEREAS the Council charged a task force to create and compile material for ready accessibility by archivists who are facing a disaster or sudden tragedy; and
WHEREAS that charge also included consideration of the creation of a volunteer tragedy response team; and
WHEREAS the task force, chaired by Lisa Calahan with members David Benjamin, Jackie Esposito, Kara McClurken, Allen Ramsey, Patricia Rettig, Vanessa St. Oegger-Menn, and Susan Tucker, worked for more than two years to create resources for use during dire and unfortunate circumstances; and
WHEREAS the work resulted in Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit (SAA website), complete with templates, examples, and guidelines for communities that need assistance collecting after a disaster or tragic event; and
WHEREAS their work has been profiled by NPR news stations in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Southeast Missouri, and used by Johns Hopkins University, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Parkland History Society, and History Colorado; and
WHEREAS the task force forged relationships with representatives from the American Alliance of Museums, American Association for State and Local History, Oral History Association, American Library Association, National Heritage Responders, and LYRASIS; and
WHEREAS the task force has laid the groundwork for SAA to form a cross-professional cultural heritage advisory group on tragedy response;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the SAA Tragedy Response Initiative Task Force be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Resolution for creating critical resources and offering its support for archivists and communities during traumatic moments in time.
WHEREAS in 2017, the Council convened the Task Force to Revise Best Practices on Accessibility to review two standards, Best Practices for Working with Archives Researchers with Physical Disabilities and Best Practices for Working with Employees with Physical Disabilities; and
WHEREAS this Task Force, co-chaired by Kathy Marquis and Sara White with members Krystal Appiah, Daria D’Arienzo, Alan Lefever, Donna McCrea, Lydia Tang, and Samantha Cook, conducted far-reaching research to learn how to improve archives accessibility based on users' experiences, and current innovative and best practices, and drafted a set of guidelines that incorporated expert, member, and user feedback; and
WHEREAS this group, working in close consultation with many stakeholders including the SAA Standards Committee, the Reference, Access, and Outreach Section, and the Diversity Committee submitted the Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities, which was approved by the Standards Committee and adopted by the Council in 2019; and
WHEREAS the Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities is a freely available resource that provides a set of core values, best practices, recommendations, and resources to help archivists provide services and spaces that are accessible and inclusive;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the SAA Task Force to Revise Best Practices on Accessibility be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Resolution for its diligence in creating a comprehensive set of guidelines that expands the conversation to include neuro-diversity, temporary physical disabilities, access to digital resources, and the concept of an accessibility spectrum.
WHEREAS in October 2010 SAA President Helen Tibbo appointed a Task Force of the Diversity Committee to support the strategic priority related to Diversity; and
WHEREAS the Task Force was charged to 1) develop a proposal regarding what the Mosaic Program might be and 2) prepare a work plan for achieving that vision; and
WHEREAS that charge also included evolving the Mosaic Scholarship into a program that encompasses a broad set of activities, including conference attendance, enhanced mentoring, and cohort development; and
WHEREAS the Task Force, chaired by Terry Baxter, with members María R. Estorino, Bergis Jules, Debra Kimok, and Farris Wahbeh, worked to create a vision for the Mosaic Program; and
WHEREAS the work resulted in a partnership with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL); and
WHEREAS the partnership resulted in grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as a result of a collaboration between Bergis Jules, Task Force member, and Mark Puente, senior director of Diversity and Leadership Programs at ARL; and
WHEREAS in 2013 the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program was established; and
WHEREAS the vision from the Diversity Committee and success in attaining funding resulted in diversification of the archives and special collections professional workforce, mentoring, and leadership development; and
WHEREAS the success of the Mosaic Program has resulted in 34 fellows and an increase in the diversity of SAA leadership;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Terry Baxter, María R. Estorino, Bergis Jules, Debra Kimok, and Farris Wahbeh be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Exemplary Service Award for their long-standing commitment to diversity in the archives and special collections profession, especially through the vision of expanding the Mosaic Scholarship and support of the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program.
WHEREAS the SAA Accessibility and Disability Section was established in 2019, with a steering committee composed of Lydia Tang and Michelle Ganz (co-chairs), Jessica Chapel, Veronica Denison, Jade Finlinson, Bridget Malley, Cheryl Oestreicher, Lindy Smith, Chris Tanguay, Zachary Tumlin, Lauren White, and Sara White; and
WHEREAS this group drafted an advocacy tool for developing a more flexible concept of archival labor for archivists working from home due to COVID-19 or archivists with disabilities, including readings, project ideas, and related resources; and
WHEREAS this document, “Archivists at Home,” has been widely shared, used, and re-used by archivists across the United States and the world, including the Association of Canadian Archivists, the International Council on Archives, Archivist Memes, Archivists’ Think Tank, and SAA; and
WHEREAS their work is an exemplar of cooperative information sharing in support of “archival resilience” for closures, remote work, students and contingent archival workers, archivists with disabilities, and others affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the SAA Accessibility and Disability Section Steering Committee be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Resolution for their groundbreaking grassroots effort in developing and distributing the “Archivists at Home” resource.
WHEREAS in 2019 the SAA Human Rights Archives Section created the “Rights and Records” webinar series under the leadership of Itza Carbajal and Natalie Bond (co-chairs); and
WHEREAS the webinar series, produced in partnership with SAA Education, provided SAA members, the archival community, and allied cultural heritage professionals with two free, web-based, live recordings; and
WHEREAS the SAA Human Rights Archives Section collaborated with the SAA Native American Archives Section (Rose Buchanan and Caitlin Haynes), the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (Christine Diindiisi McCleave, Dr. Rose Miron, and Stephen R. Curley) and WITNESS (Yvonne Ng and Arul Prakkash) to highlight initiatives and research on Human Rights issues and records, and their presence in various archival settings and scenarios; and
WHEREAS the webinar series had a global reach with attendees from North America and Europe, and speakers based in Prague and Kuala Lumpur; and
WHEREAS the SAA Human Rights Archives Section fostered rich, relevant, and meaningful conversations on the role and responsibility of archivists working towards the adoption of ethical and moral practices;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the SAA Human Rights Archives Section be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Resolution for developing “Rights and Records,” the first webinar program involving multiple SAA component groups, affiliated archival organizations, and SAA Education.
WHEREAS, Samantha Winn launched a grass-roots fundraiser to assist “QTBIPOC, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and multi-marginalized archives workers in their efforts to engage with the profession”; and
WHEREAS, she illustrated through the #52Fund how a community of archivists can work for positive change by helping each other in the spirit of social justice movements; and
WHEREAS, she developed options for directing funds to the SAA Foundation’s Mosaic Scholarship Fund, the Brenda S. Banks Award, the Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award, or to a mutual aid fund that she administered directly; and
WHEREAS, through her efforts, 36 people received support from their archival colleagues;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Samantha Winn be honored with a 2020 SAA Council resolution for her commitment and support of archivists and her example of peer-to-peer mutual aid as positive change for the betterment of the profession.