Joshua Youngblood, Candidate for Nominating Committee

Joshua Youngblood

Rare Books Librarian, Instruction and Outreach Unit Head, University of Arkansas Libraries

“I believe that SAA should have leadership willing to take on monumental tasks such as deconstructing institutional biases and structural oppression while focusing on how we can address other immediate social needs such as impediments to informational access and learning in rural and impoverished communities.”

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Rare Books Librarian, Instruction and Outreach Unit Head, and Associate Professor, University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections, 2018–present.
• Research and Outreach Services Librarian, University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections, 2011–2018.
• Archives Historian, Florida Memory Program, State Library and Archives of Florida, 2008–2011.
• Information Specialist, Division of Cultural Affairs, State of Florida, 2007–2008.  

EDUCATION

• MA, History, Florida State University.
• BA, History, University of Louisiana Monroe.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITES

• Society of American Archivists: Reference, Access, and Outreach (RAO) Section, Steering Committee (2016–present); Membership Committee, Key Contact, Subcommittee, Key Contact for Arkansas (2016–present); Program Committee, Member (2015).
• Society of Southwest Archivists: Vice President/President-elect and Program Committee Chair (2018–present); 2017 Local Arrangements Committee, Chair (2015–2017); Program Committee, Member (2014, 2015).
• Board of Directors, Washington County Historical Society, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2018–present); Historic District Commission, City of Fayetteville, Arkansas (2014–2017).  

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS

• “Landscape Architecture, Embedded Librarianship, and Innovation with Special Collections: Historic Landscapes Research with Primary Sources by University of Arkansas Undergraduates," in Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian: Case Studies & Best Practices (Association of College and Research Libraries, 2017).
• “Following a Trail of Tin Cans: Archival Engagement, ‘Tin Can Tourism,’ and the Internet Life of Historical Images,” Archival Issues: Journal of the Midwest Archives Conference 36, no. 2 (2015): 36–53.
• “BAD Times and Good Stuff at the University of Arkansas: University Archives, Student Access, and Promoting Diversity in Special Collections,” co-author with Amy Allen, Archival Practice 1, no. 2 (2014).

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

• “Oh, It’s You Again: Growing Archives Instruction through Sustainable Relationships,” Teaching Undergraduates with Archives Symposium, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2018).  
• “The Confederate and the Five and Dime: An Arkansas Town Square and Historical Context in Special Collections,” Panel presentation as part of “No Monuments in the Archives: Historical Records and Contested Public Space,” Society of American Archivists and the Council of State Archivists Joint Annual Meeting (2018).
• “Treasures in Our Backyard: Bringing Special Collections to K-12 Learning Environments,” Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of Association of College and Research Libraries Preconference (2016).  
• “Academic Archives and Public Engagement: Connecting Collections with the Communities They Serve,” International Council on Archives Annual Conference, Reykjavik, Iceland (2015).

QUESTION POSED BY NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Although Nominating Committee members serve for just one year, their work has a lasting impact on SAA and its members through the selection of Vice Presidential, Council, and Treasurer candidates, as well as selection of the Nominating Committee slate that determines the next set of slates. Given the long-term reach of the Nominating Committee, what will be your approach in developing a slate of candidates that 1) demonstrates commitment to SAA's strategic goals and 2) facilitates the organization's mission of promoting the value and diversity of archives and archivists?  

CANDIDATE'S RESPONSE

Change is inevitable, and SAA must continue to seek ways to embrace larger societal and cultural transformations while adhering to the core values and code of ethics we steward. The Nominating Committee for SAA should seek emerging leaders to chart our course with a commitment to not only allowing but encouraging generational change and succession. As a committee member, I will seek out candidates who have demonstrated vision and success at achieving strategic goals that align with SAA’s mission, but whose ideas offer new opportunities to continue to move us forward.

Our leadership should represent the multitude of institutions and professional roles in SAA, from theoreticians and scholars to outstanding administrators and public servants.  The association's leadership reflects how the ideals of the organization manifest in real world decisions. Although active members with positions in academic institutions that prioritize professional service are sometimes the most visible, I believe the Nominating Committee should seek diverse perspectives from leaders with proven track records of programmatic achievement and accountability across the spectrum of archival practice.

My career in outreach and research services has focused on opening the archives to students and learners of all ages and levels of ability. As a member of SAA, I am committed to ensuring that records of enduring value empower all people to tell their own stories and claim their rights. I believe that SAA should have leadership willing to take on monumental tasks such as deconstructing institutional biases and structural oppression while focusing on how we can address other immediate social needs such as impediments to information access and learning in rural and impoverished communities. Our strategic goals of advocacy, professional development, advancing the field, and meeting members' needs ideally should support each other as SAA moves toward a more diverse and evolving group of individuals each doing their part to create an ever more inclusive, open, and collaborative society.

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