2025 Election: Candidate Statements

Thank you to all of our excellent candidates for standing in the 2025 Accessioning, Acquisitions, & Appraisal Section election. Please take some time to review their candidate statements and get to know them so you can make an informed choice.

You will be voting for:

• One Vice Chair/Chair-Elect for a three-year term; and
• Two Steering Committee members (two-year terms).

Ballots will be managed by SAA staff through Survey Monkey; keep an eye on your inbox for when the ballot opens!

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Candidate

The following candidate is running for the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect position:

Mae Casey
Accessioning and Collections Management Archivist, Penn State University

Candidate Bio:
Following a thirteen-year career in public education, I returned to school, earning an MLIS as well as graduate certificates in Archival Studies and Digital Information Management in 2019. My first job out of graduate school was as the Curator of Collections for the 390th Memorial Museum that also had its own library and archives. In this role, I oversaw the archives from a supervisory position – working at a bird’s eye level – and the experience helped me to examine the archives’ relationship to the greater organization’s mission as well as how it interacted with both the museum and library sides. In January 2022, I began working at the Penn State Eberly Family Special Collections Library as the Accessioning and Collections Management Archivist. The position was brand new and involves me working closely with my archival and curatorial colleagues to develop and solidify workflows that get new collections (or accruals to existing collections) quickly into our system. My job involves assessing the collections/accruals, creating accessioning records for them, developing minimal level finding aids and publishing them, and assigning them physical locations. My work ensures that all accessions are given appropriate care and attention, and guarantees they are made available via MPLP methods instead of languishing as “pending” for years. I have placed particular emphasis on inclusive and reparative description in accessioning DEIA collections by adjusting existing workflows, developing a “minimal processing plus” model, and giving two internal presentations to Penn State Library colleagues on the topic in the last year. In the last year, I have applied more time to collections management, specifically in the areas of ethically stewarding physical materials, maximizing existing storage space, and ensuring consistent location information for all collection items. My scholarship is heavily focused on tools that support real world archival accessioning, including minimal description. In July 2023, my colleagues and I presented at the SAA annual meeting on accessioning in a post-pandemic environment.

Candidate Statement:
My job has two primary roles: accessioning archival materials and managing existing collections. Each archive I’ve worked in has had heaps of legacy projects that were deemed “low priority” at the time of their acquisition and have been sitting on shelves without any record for years. I seek to avoid growing our already extensive backlog by keeping availability and stewardship of archival materials at the forefront of everything I do. Such accessioning work not only stops the growth of the backlog but also supports the strategic collection development and cultivation performed by our team of curators. The goal that guides me in everything I do is putting accurate information into the hands of our patrons. Information can never become knowledge if it is not accessed and shared.

The second part of my job is collections management, an umbrella term that describes best practices for locating materials, maximizing storage space, ensuring excellent stewardship and swift conservation intervention, maintaining accurate location documentation, and ensuring all electronic points of access contain the same correct locations information. As with accessioning, this work guarantees stewarded materials are swiftly available to patrons. In many ways, accessioning and collections management are firmly intertwined and any conversation about one will inevitably touch on the other. Similarly, developing best practices and successfully maintaining standards for one will positively affect the other.

Positive trends within the field indicate accessioning is (a) finally being recognized as separate from processing, (b) is incredibly meaningful and vital to archival work, and (c) allows archives to achieve the golden minimum in finding aids for all collections. Even so, as a relatively recent graduate, I can attest that this trend has not yet fully reached our educational institutions, and that many archival students are either taught that accessioning and processing are essentially the same thing or have simply never been taught how to accession a collection. Similarly, discussion of what collections management is and entails is limited to very general overviews without much opportunity or encouragement to explore the nuts and bolts of repositories’ systems.

As vice-chair of this committee, I hope to raise awareness among working archivists about the vital role accessioning plays in the acquisition process; to support education of current archival students on the necessity of accessioning and collections management; to engage in large-scale conversations about the realities of collections management; to share and collaborate with colleagues the workflows that are helping Penn State be successful in achieving the golden minimum; and, as archives face head-on a history of underrepresenting minority groups, to communicate how consistent accessioning and collection management practices can help us bring representation to these groups in an efficient and timely manner.

Steering Committee Member Candidates 

 The following candidates are running for the section steering committee: 

Taylor Henning
University Archivist, Florida State University

Candidate Bio:
Taylor Henning is the University Archivist at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, Florida. In this position, she is responsible for selecting, acquiring, appraising, arranging, describing, and promoting access to records and materials documenting the rich history of FSU. She also fields reference requests, provides research consultations, curates exhibits, contributes to instruction services, and leads other outreach activities. Taylor earned her MS/LIS at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in May 2020. At FSU, Taylor received a Master of Arts in German Studies in 2018 and a Bachelor of Arts in German and International Affairs in 2015. Taylor has served in multiple roles in local and national archival organizations. She was the Vice President and Conference Coordinator of the Michigan Archival Association in 2022-2023. She currently serves on the SAA 2025 Program Committee and was previously an SAA Mentor. She has assisted in planning the National Disaster Recovery Fund for the Archives (NDRFA) silent auction for the 2025 SAA Annual Meeting. Currently, she is the Awards Committee Chair for the Society of Florida Archivists. Taylor is enthusiastic about serving SAA’s Accessioning, Acquisitions, & Appraisal Section and collaborating with archivists across the country. As a University Archivist, Taylor is passionate about cultivating the Archives as a welcoming and inclusive space and about working to build a more diverse and inclusive historical record.

Candidate Statement:
I am passionate about serving SAA’s Accessioning, Acquisitions, & Appraisal section to give back to an organization that has become central to my professional work. I have been impressed by the work of the section, namely its webinar offerings and the Archival Accessioning Best Practices. I attended the Accessioning Best Practices Symposium at SAA’s 2024 Annual Meeting and was inspired to become more involved with this group. If elected, I would advocate for more programming in the form of webinars and events, as well as better providing resources to assist archivists who accession, acquire, and appraise materials in their work. Topics could include acquiring in times of crisis, collecting with limited storage capacity, and working with difficult donors. If elected, I would strive to bring these ideas to fruition in service of the section and its membership. I believe that my experience and vision for the section would be a benefit to the Section Committee and am honored to ask for your vote in this election.

Kelly Kress 
Senior Accessioning Archivist, Huntington Library

Candidate Bio:
Kelly Kress is an archivist with professional experience in academic institutions, independent research libraries, and non-profits. She has a solid background in archival processing and collection management, and experience handling a variety of archival formats. She is currently a member of the Society of California Archivists, and in 2024 was appointed to the Usability sub-team of the ArchivesSpace User Advisory Council. A member of the AAA section for the past 3 years, she spoke at the Triple A Talk on Reappraisal and Deaccessioning in May 2024. Other SAA involvement includes editor of the Performing Arts section newsletter from 2018-2020.  

Candidate Statement:
In my current role as Senior Accessioning Archivist at The Huntington, a new position for the library when I was hired in 2021, I lead an archival accessioning program incorporating processing at the time of accessioning, retrospective accessioning, and deaccessions management. Some processes were in place when I started, but by drawing on previous work experience and collaborating with colleagues, I was able to streamline intake workflows, improve documentation, and begin an Accessioning as Processing workflow for new collections. Fortunately, my hiring coincided with the publication of the 2021 Archival Accessioning book, and having SAA-supported guidance to consult and reference was instrumental in the successful implementation of new procedures. With the recent launch of the Archival Accessioning Best Practices, I was happy to see how well our current program aligns with them in some areas, but can also identify areas of improvement. We are about to begin born-digital accessioning, and I’m grateful to have the support of SAA-supported guidelines and membership in the AAA section to help us get where we want to be.  

It’s been tremendously satisfying to see significant outcomes related to improved accessioning practices, and I’m interested in exploring other ways accessioning work can have an impact. I’m excited for the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from other archivists in the AAA community with a position on the steering committee.  

Ryan Leimkuehler
University Archivist, Kansas State University

Candiate Bio:
Ryan Leimkuehler is an accomplished archivist and academic with extensive experience in accessioning, acquisitions, and appraisal. Currently serving as the University Archivist at Kansas State University, Ryan provides expert guidance on archival administration, records management, and compliance with legal standards. He has made many contributions to the field of archival science through his leadership in the SAA Records Management Section, co-editor for the Archives and Primary Source Handbook, and adjunct faculty for Emporia State University SLIM program.

Candidate Statement:
I am seeking to serve as member at large for the AA&S section because it closely aligns to the work I do regularly as university archivist. I am interested in leadership and providing worthwhile professional development opportunities for the membership of the section and growing opportunities to discuss and participate with colleagues. I have served as a member on other SAA steering committees and I could leverage some of those relationships to collaborate with other sections. This position will allow me to stay actively engaged in our profession, expand my knowledge, and grow my professional network. I am eager to contribute to the AA&S section and support its mission through my experience and dedication.

Elise Riley
Accessioning Archivist, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University       

Candidate Bio:
Elise Riley is the Accessioning Archivist for the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. She was an ALA Spectrum Scholar in 2018 and earned her MLIS with a concentration in Archival Management and an MA in History with a focus on women’s history from Simmons University in 2020. Prior to Yale, Elise worked as an Outreach Archivist for the Quaker organization New England Yearly Meeting, and as a Senior Archives Assistant at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (2020-2023). In her role, she has served on task forces for Born Digital Workflows; Shipping, Transfers, and Receipt; and Pre-custodial Support and Accessioning Requirements. Elise also serves on the Reparative Archival Description Task Force at Yale Libraries and recently led a subgroup to create “Recommendations for Describing Gender Identity.”

Candidate Statement:
I’m interested in serving on the Steering Committee for several reasons. First, I’ve been impressed and grateful for the programming and resources the AAA section offers its members. I want to contribute and grow the section’s programming, especially as the National Accessioning Best Practices are now an SAA standard and more institutions are re-examining their accessioning programs. Second, I’m interested in thinking about how accessioning, acquisitions, and appraisal are a suite of archival activities that are vital to the collection life cycle and how our work can support colleagues in other parts of cycle like processing, outreach, research, and instruction. I also see places where practices from reparative description can be expanded at the accessioning, acquisitions, and appraisal phases. My work is heavily collaborative with other units and archivists. Focusing on the path description takes to help my colleagues complete their work and eventually reaches users is a core tenant to how I conceptualize my work. For me, it elevates the impact early-stage archival work has down the line. I would be excited to bring these perspectives to the Steering Committee and other AAA members.

Leah Tams
Accessions Coordinator, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University

Candidate Bio:
I completed my Master’s degree in Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill in May 2021, focusing my work on Archives and Records Management. I am currently the Accessions Coordinator for Duke University’s Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, a position that I have held for 3.5 years. I have also worked for several years with UNC’s Community Histories Workshop with the Asylum in the Archive initiative. My academic background is in U.S. history and digital humanities, and I have created online exhibits for the Smithsonian Institution Archives and the National Museum of American History. Prior to pursuing my graduate degree, I worked for several years at the University of Mary Washington, my alma mater, as a the Program Associate for COPLACDigital, a groundbreaking initiative to develop multi-campus, team-taught, distance digital liberal arts seminars.

Candidate Statement:
I have almost 4 years of experience accessioning and processing archival collections at the Rubenstein Library, and I am intimately familiar with our accessioning, acquisitions, and appraisal practices. During my tenure as the Accessions Coordinator at the Rubenstein, our accessioning practice has developed and grown into a robust program. With this time and experience under my belt, I am eager to step outside of my own institution and into a leadership position so that I can learn from and help colleagues all throughout the country. During my time as an AA&A Section member, I have greatly benefitted from the monthly discussions, publication of best practices, and sharing of other resources. Furthermore, it has been very meaningful to be a part of a community that believes as strongly as I do in the professional value of accessioning and acquisitions labor. Being an At-Large Member will allow me to be even more active in the Section and SAA more broadly, while also facilitating advocacy for archival labor that is often undervalued or overlooked. I would be honored to be a part of leading the AA&A Section and advancing accessioning and acquisitions discourse for the next 2 years.