Sarah Patton, Candidate for Nominating Committee Member

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

I am currently the archivist at the Nevada Historical Society in Reno, where I oversee our library, manuscript, and photograph collections, run the Research Library, respond to reference inquiries, and oversee our digitization and digital preservation efforts. Prior to starting this position at the beginning of 2022, I worked at the Hoover Institution Library & Archives at Stanford University. I started there as an intern in 2014, was hired as a project archivist, and then transitioned to Research Services Manager.

I received my BA in Psychology from UC San Diego and my MLS with a concentration in Archives, Records, and Information Management from the University of Maryland, College Park.

I previously was a member of the Society of California Archivists (SCA) and am currently a member of the Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA), where I am the chair of the Awards Committee and a member of the Local Arrangements Committee for our 2024 Annual Conference.

I presented at the SAA Annual Meeting in 2018 as part of a panel on "Finding Transparency in Records of Refugee Displacement and Resettlement."

DIVERSITY STATEMENT (Each candidate prepared a diversity statement according to SAA guidelines.)

As a white, cisgendered, able-bodied, neurotypical, upper-middle-class person, I recognize that I have a lot of privilege. Quite frankly, I struggled with how to respond to this prompt without it feeling performative or like I was virtue signaling.

To me, diversity means that you have a group of people who are not all the same—they may be different ethnicities, have different gender identities, have different sexual orientations, be neurodivergent, have a disability, come from different class backgrounds, etc.—and thus they bring different viewpoints and experiences to the table. Equity, to me, relates to fairness and acknowledging that we are not all starting out with the same resources or advantages. If we come back to the table analogy, it would mean ensuring that everyone has a comfortable seat adjusted to the appropriate height and fit to their needs. Inclusion, then, to me would be everyone at that table feeling like they belong, that they have a voice, and that they can speak up and share their opinion.

As so many did after the summer of 2020, I began reading more and trying to educate myself on systemic racism and the biases I hold. I've had the opportunity to attend two DEI webinars through SAA, "Cultural Diversity Competency" and "Tribal Relations: Consultation Tools for Archive Managers Working with Tribal Communities." I have tried to be more mindful of intent versus impact, to learn from my mistakes, and to recognize that this is an active, ongoing process. I strive to listen to people whose lived experience differs from mine and to de-center myself and my feelings.

I have a strong sense of fairness and right and wrong, and I continually endeavor to advocate for inclusive and equitable practices. I would do the same as a member of the Nominating Committee and work to put together a diverse slate of candidates.

QUESTION POSED BY NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Nominating Committee plays a crucial role in shaping the pool of candidates from which the elected leadership of SAA will emerge. What motivates your desire to become a part of the Nominating Committee? What traits and backgrounds do you consider important when selecting potential candidates? Share your strategies for inspiring members to participate, and discuss how you plan to create a candidate slate that enhances diversity and inclusion.

CANDIDATE'S RESPONSE

I agreed to run for the Nominating Committee because I saw it as an opportunity to be more actively involved with SAA and give back to the profession. I still think of myself as an early-career archivist, and as an introvert with a strong inner critic, I have held back from participation in professional organizations, thinking that I don't have anything to contribute. But as I've started to become more involved at the regional level with CIMA, I've seen how rewarding it can be to work with colleagues from different geographical locations and types of institutions on a common goal. I see the Nominating Committee as an opportunity to do this on a larger scale and to better understand SAA.

When selecting potential candidates, I think it's important to look for those individuals who are not afraid to speak uncomfortable truths and challenge the status quo; who have been actively involved in their community, whether or not that has been through their employment or professional organizations; and who have vision and creativity but also recognize the need for a concrete plan and actionable steps.

To inspire members to participate, I think it would be helpful to create either short videos or handouts that describe, in plain language based on feedback from past officers, what the elected positions entail, what the time commitment looks like, and what past electees have found most rewarding. It's one thing to read the Governance Manual and another to clearly understand what one will be doing. Perhaps this is just a reflection of my own lack of knowledge regarding SAA and its workings, but I would guess I'm not the only one in this boat. This could then be shared out to SAA sections and regional archival organizations.

If we want a diverse, inclusive pool of candidates, we will need to be willing to look outside of typical channels for other demonstrations of leadership and creative thinking. This might involve keeping an eye on listservs, watching presentations, and talking with colleagues at a variety of institutions about who they see as emerging leaders. We will need to consider how the cost of SAA membership, which is required to be a candidate, may be negatively impacting who can run. We will need to be mindful of asking those who are already doing a lot to put more on their plates. And we will need to find ways to encourage the voting members of SAA to give equal consideration to candidates who may not have the sort of resume or career accomplishments that they "expect" to see.

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