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BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
Bryan Whitledge is the Public Services Librarian at the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University, where he has worked in various capacities since 2011. Like many who work in archives, Bryan stumbled into the profession and found it to be the perfect fit. His passions for archives lie in two aspects of his work: connecting people with the information that will enrich their lives and help them achieve their goals, and helping decisionmakers understand the power of archives.
Bryan began serving in SAA with multiple leadership roles with SAA's Security Section (2014–2018). He has been Michigan's Key Contact since 2019, welcoming new members from the Great Lakes State to the Association. In 2018, Bryan was appointed to SAA’s Committee on Public Policy (COPP), chairing COPP in 2021–2022. In 2021, he was appointed SAA’s liaison to the National Coalition for History, the premier history-related advocacy organization in the United States. Each year since 2021, he has been invited by the National Humanities Alliance to join a panel about advocating for archives on Capitol Hill as part of their Advocacy Day efforts. In 2023, Bryan helped lead the coordinating committee for the second Archives on the Hill advocacy effort in Washington, DC, which was inspired by the 2018 effort, where he was introduced to public policy advocacy.
In addition to serving in SAA, Bryan has been a member of the planning team of the Mid-Michigan Digital Practitioners since 2018. He always puts himself forward to provide any advice or insights to anyone in the field, including serving as a navigator for multiple students and new professionals at the annual SAA meeting since 2017.
Bryan holds a BA (2007) and an MLIS (2011) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a post-baccalaureate teacher certification (secondary-level social studies, 2009) from Eastern Illinois University, and an MA (2019) in political science from CMU.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT (Each candidate prepared a diversity statement according to SAA guidelines.)
Archives exist to be used. The more records being used leads to more stories being shared and a better and more complete understanding. In serving that belief, I know that we need many voices with varied experiences, knowledge, and expertise at the table if we are to achieve the best outcomes as an organization and as a profession. Any organization—especially one focused on unique records that serve as the essential evidence of our human endeavor—is at its best when a diverse group of individuals feels empowered to seize their places at the table and when they find a sense of belonging in working with the others already there.
I regularly work with researchers who don't share the my identity characteristics. I am aware of the privileges I have and I know that my privilege is bound to change over time. Regardless of any differences in background, life experience, or ultimate goals, I take it as my charge to understand where researchers are coming from and then, to be their advocate in finding the information they need to achieve their goals. As a colleague and supervisor, my goal is similarly to understand my colleagues' experiences and viewpoints and then be an advocate to help them find belonging in our profession. This would also be true for me as an SAA leader.
Constantly being curious and seeking to be the most decent human possible has led me on a journey of assessing and reassessing the inequalities and shortcomings that I encounter around me. I strive to keep a critical eye on existing inequalities, and also be aware of emerging inequalities, for instance, how technology might create new divisions, or how regulations have unintended consequences of suppressing voices.
Finally, the principles of diversity, inclusion, and creating a space where everyone feels welcome is more important than ever for archivists. In Peter Gottlieb's 2010 SAA presidential address, he noted the fractured state of the profession with eighty-five professional archival organizations based on geography, type of records, type of institution, and more. We will not make a better world for archives if we are fractured based on differences. SAA is the biggest and oldest organization for archivists. We need to represent all types of archivists because all of our records are part of the diverse patchwork of unique resources that tell the story of our cultures, our societies, and our democracy.
QUESTION POSED BY NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Council members’ most important responsibility is to govern the Society thoughtfully and with an eye to the future of the profession, including supporting SAA’s financial stability and growth and developing and implementing the Society’s strategic priorities. Can you outline specific goals or initiatives you would prioritize during your term to address current and emerging needs and challenges facing the archival profession?
CANDIDATE'S RESPONSE
I have a passion for sharing the power of archives with anyone who will listen, particularly those who set the priorities and agendas for our governments. I am fortunate to have found a home in SAA and the wider archival advocacy community to attempt to influence policymakers to support the programs and policies that matter to archives. So, to that end, I relish the opportunities that Goal 1 of the SAA Strategic Plan: "Advocating for Archives and Archivists," provides for SAA in the coming years.
First, in 2026, the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Archives are in a perfect position to be front-and-center telling the multitude of stories about how the US has evolved. We know that the history of this republic is filled with immensely varied, diverse, and complex stories of incredible accomplishments and painful legacies. The agenda-setters for our semiquincentennial programs are kicking into high gear, now. If archives don't step up to seize this opportunity, we can be confident that plenty of others will… and we risk A250 becoming only about the Liberty Bell and the Boston Tea Party. If we, as individuals, want to see different stories that are more representative of the people who have shaped our country, we, as a profession, need to start moving now to assert that archives be at the top of the agenda.
The second opportunity builds on asserting the power of archives as the essential evidence of our society—we can make archives relevant in the public's eye. When archives are front-and-center in the public eye, we are the trusted stewards of information for countless efforts. Journalists will come to us for background that gives them context for their reporting. K12 instructors can draw on our primary sources (and our lesson plans) to teach a more accurate history to their students. Of course, we must reciprocate, and archivists need to be an ally for K12 instructors to defend history education from the ahistoric attacks of ideological policymakers.
The third opportunity is, unfortunately, closely related to the attacks against history education—archivists are one of the lines of defense against the ongoing attacks on our democracy. Misinformation is possibly the greatest weapon for those trying to destroy our democracy. We need archivists and our professional organizations to assert with the general public and with our policymakers that the public record must be protected. We need an accurate public record that is complete. We also need public records to be secure from malfeasance in their creation and in their transfer to the archives. Finally, we need to maintain open public access to public records so that journalists, citizens, and scholars can use the evidence to hold our policymakers accountable.
As a member of Council, my top priority would be seizing the opportunities we have to assert the power of archives and advocate for the essential evidence of our cultures, societies, and governments.
Slate of Candidates |
The Nominating Committee has slated the following SAA members as candidates for office in the 2024 election: