Officer and Steering Committee Candidates for 2016-2017

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISITS

Archival History Round Table

Election of Officers

2016-2017

The election of new officers for the Archival History Roundtable will be held for the following positions: Vice Chair/Chair-Elect (1 position) and Steering Committee (3 positions). 

Each candidate was invited to submit a brief background statement of experience and interest in the Archival History Roundtable.

Candidate for Vice Chair/Chair-Elect:

Kelly Kolar (Middle Tennessee State University)

I am running for the position of Vice chair/Chair-elect of AHRT.  I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Public History program at Middle Tennessee State University, where I teach archival management and history courses as part of our graduate Public History Program.  I have also worked as an archivist at the Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War, UCLA Performing Arts Special Collections, and the University of Southern California Special Collections. I hold an MLIS with an archives specialization and a PhD in Russian History from UCLA. My specific research interests are Russian and Soviet archives and the creation of public memory under communist regimes. More broadly, I am interested in all archival history and the intersection of the disciplines of history and archives.

Since becoming a member of AHRT Steering Committee in 2015, I have contributed to our roundtable’s efforts to establish a publication, develop programming for our annual meeting at SAA, and expand access to sources on archival history by compiling a bibliography of the History of the World’s Archives from 1588-1898. As Vice-Chair/Chair Elect I would carry on and expand the work of these projects, and continue to build our social media presence. Under our current steering committee and chair, Alison Clemens, we have made significant progress in establishing a roundtable publication. I am excited about the prospect of continuing to organize and launch our new publication, which will not only be an excellent site for archival history, but a venue for AHRT’s many members to share their interests and knowledge of archival history. I look forward to the opportunity to further serve the Archival History Roundtable. 

Candidates for Steering Committee:

Jennifer Mitchell (Louisiana State University)

My name is Jennifer Mitchell and I am Head of Archival Processing with LSU Libraries Special Collections. I have been a member of SAA since 2010 and have most recently served as chair of the Description Section. I hold a Master of Arts in History from Virginia Tech and a Master of Library and Information Science from Wayne State University. For the past several months I have been working on a research project investigating the early history of the LSU Department of Archives and Manuscripts, a precursor of the Special Collections department. My research has only deepened my appreciation for my work as an archivist and strengthened my connection to our collections and institutional practice. In the course of this project I have made use of the AHRT’s Bibliography of Archival History and found it to be a tremendously valuable resource. I would appreciate having the opportunity to serve on the steering committee for the roundtable and contribute to the Archival History Roundtable’s mission of promoting the study of the history of the archival profession.

David M. Hovde (Purdue University)

I have had a long interest in library and archival history, and have studied both since the mid-1980s.  Since 2006, I have held the position of Research and Instruction Librarian in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center at Purdue University.  In that same year I joined the editorial board of Libraries & the Cultural Record under Dr. David Gracy II and served on the board until 2012.  I had been a reviewer for that journal for a number of years before joining the editorial board.  Since 1989, I have authored or co-authored a number of book chapters, journal articles, encyclopedia entries, conference papers, and a book in the area of library history.  I have also served on various committees and held elected positions in the Library History Round Table of the American Library Association.  I am very interested in being on the steering committee and help strengthen and develop the Archival History Roundtable and its program.

Lorraine Madway (Wichita State University)

I am interested in serving a third term on the Archival History Roundtable Steering Committee in order to contribute to discussions and activities which promote knowledge of archival history among members of our profession. During the past year my contributions included compiling resource lists on journal articles on archival history, identifying additional sources for AHRT’s bibliographies of archival history, and providing analyses and feedback on AHRT’s program on Southern Archives/Social Justice for the SAA 2016 annual meeting. After more than a decade of experience as the Curator of Special Collections and University Archivist at Wichita State University Libraries, I remain committed to helping stimulate interest in archival history among SAA members and the broader community. To advocate effectively to members of the public the importance of documenting history, it is essential for us to engage in a similar process of learning about our profession’s own past. This focus will help us increase our understanding of the archival mission among archivists and build collaborative relationships that enrich our professional lives.

Linda Meyer (Colorado State University)

I have a keen interest in the history of archival institutions, and would appreciate the opportunity to work on the Steering Committee with other members of the Archival History Roundtable to continue the development of a framework for discussion and education related to the history of our profession. As an associate professor and archivist for the Agricultural and Natural Resources Archive at the Colorado State University Libraries, I worked closely with the founder of our university and agricultural repositories to research and write an article about the history of our own institution’s archives. My current research interests include the histories of academic archives at land-grant universities and the holdings of local, academic, and government archives related to agriculture in the American West. I have published articles in the Journal of Archival Organization and the Journal of Western Archives, and served a term as president of the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists.

I look forward to serving with colleagues in this Roundtable to contribute to activities that broaden the body of knowledge regarding the history of archives.

Steve Fisher (University of Denver)

I would be interested in serving on the steering committee in any capacity. I have been a SAA member for around 40 years and very interested in the archival history RT. I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1977 after studying under the famous Ruth Helmuth. I came to the University of Denver Archives in that same year where the also famous Delores Renze ran the Archives program in the Library School. If I can answer any questions let me know. Steve Fisher, Associate Professor and University Historian, University of Denver Special Collections – Archives, Anderson Academic Commons.

Cory Nimer (Brigham Young University)

I have a deep interest in the history of archives and the archival profession—it gives us a sense of where we have come from, and deepens our understanding of contemporary events. As a roundtable, I believe that there are significant opportunities to support, assist, and encourage our members in researching and writing, as well as expanding the reach of archival history through online sources. I am excited about the initiatives that the roundtable has been undertaking the past few years, and would like to contribute further to this important work.

Donnie Summerlin (University of Georgia)

I am writing to express my interest in one of the steering committee positions on the Archival History Roundtable. I am the Digital Projects Archivist at the Digital Library of Georgia where I have worked for nine years to digitize the state's historical newspapers. I have a B. A in history from the University of Georgia, a M.A. in history from Georgia College, and a MLIS degree from Valdosta State University. Additionally, I have published articles in the Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians, D-Lib Magazine, and the New Georgia Encyclopedia. I have also been an ACA certified archivist since 2010. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Ciaran B. Trace (University of Texas at Austin)

I am interested in serving on the Steering Committee of the Archival History Roundtable. I am an Associate Professor at the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin, where I teach courses in the archives and records management area. I also serve as the faculty advisor for the UT SAA student chapter. I have a Diploma in Archival Studies from University College Dublin and a PhD in Library and Information Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. I have authored a number of historical studies, including an article on the 4-H movement during the Progressive Era (with a particular focus on uncovering the role that records and recordkeeping played in the clubs for rural boys and girls), and an article on the life and early career of Ruth Blair, the first female director of the Georgia Department of Archives and History. I am currently working on a project to trace the rise of the efficiency expert during the Progressive Era and the impact of this work on the state archives of Georgia and of Texas. I am eager to contribute to the Archival History Roundtable, including working on the bibliography of archival history, and helping to contribute to the roundtable’s social media campaign to raise awareness about the history of our profession. I am also interested in helping to build a more robust research infrastructure so that there are more publication venues for our research, and in engaging archival educators in the process of including more archival history content in graduate coursework.

Tamar Zeffren (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee)

I serve as Archival Collections Manager at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in New York, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian organization. I am a certified Digital Archives Specialist and received my M.A. in archival management from NYU.

For the past two years, I have served as Membership Committee Director for the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (A.R.T.), one of the largest local associations for archivists and information management professionals in the United States. One of my primary responsibilities is to foster and enhance professional engagement in A.R.T. To this end, we have developed additional incentives for student members; developed and sustained partnerships with colleagues and institutions in aligned professional sectors, such as the National Digital Stewardship Residency; and expanded our programming slate to the summer months. We continue to solicit and, where possible, implement informed suggestions from our members.

I believe my experiences in this realm will serve me in good stead to support the Archival History Roundtable’s mission to “stimulate interest among archivists in the profession’s own past and suggest ways of studying its history.” It would be a pleasure and a privilege to work with Roundtable colleagues to develop enduring and innovative means to continually engage fellow archivists in accessing, researching, and building upon the archival profession’s storied and multitudinous foundations.