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I serve as Director of Special Collections and Archives and Assistant Professor of Library Scienceat Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX. Earlier in my career I interpreted 18th- and 19th-century Tennessee history at a house museum near Nashville; served as Director of Research Services at Disciples of Christ Historical Society and taught Biblical Studies at a Christian secondary school.
I hold degrees from Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN) in Biblical studies (BA, MA and MDiv) and the University of North Texas (Denton, TX) in Library Science and Archival Studies (MLS). I have additional certifications through the Modern Archives Institute at the National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, DC) and the Academy of Certified Archivists (Certified Archivist). Since 2016 I have served as Associate Editor of Restoration Quarterly and as Secretary of the Restoration Quarterly Corporation Board.
I have published articles and book reviews in Restoration Quarterly, Missio Dei: A Journal of Missional Theology and Praxis, Tennessee Baptist History, Restoration Quarterly, Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, Archival Issues: Journal of the Midwest Archives Conference, Christian History, and Stone-Campbell Journal. I have several entries in American Religious History: Belief and Society Through Time, a forthcoming multi-volume reference encyclopedia from ABC-CLIO. My most recent publication is "With Quiet Diligence: How Claude Elbert Spencer Formed an Archival Tradition in the Stone-Campbell Movement," in Garrett B. Trott, ed., The Faithful Librarian: Essays on Christianity in the Profession (McFarland, 2019).
Timothy Binkley, C.A., currently serves as Head of Special Collections and Archives at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. From 2009-2020 he served as archivist at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas. His previous professional leadership roles include archivist-curator at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio (2005-2009); pastor of the Onekama (Michigan) Church of the Brethren (1994-2003); and staff member at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan (1985-1990). He is a graduate of Wright State University, Bethany Theological Seminary, and The Defiance College. Tim is the vice president of the Texas United Methodist Historical Society (TUMHS) and editor of the TUMHS Heritage Journal. He has also served on the Church of the Brethren Historical Committee. Tim sees his work as a ministry of building bridges of respect and understanding within and between faith communities and across generations.
Mary Grace Kosta is the Congregational Archivist for the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. She has held this position since 2012. She is a member of the Society of American Archivists, the Archives Association of Ontario, and the Catholic Archivists Group. She spearheads a practicum program for students in the Master of Library and Information Sciences program at the University of Western Ontario, as well as a medical artifacts cataloguing project in collaboration with St. Joseph's Health Care London. She holds a Master's degree in linguistics as well as a Master of Library and Information Sciences degree with a specialization in archives. She lives in London, Ontario.
Brianna LoSardo has been the Archivist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, NJ since August 2019. Her responsibilities include arrangement and description of the collections, acquiring and appraising material for the archives, assisting researchers, and providing guidance to Archdiocesan offices on how to handle their paper and electronic records. Previously she held positions in the archives at Seton Hall University, including as the university's Records Manager (2016-2019) and Special Collections Assistant (2014-2016). She received her M.A. in Museum Professions from Seton Hall University. In 2017 she completed a certificate in Essentials of Records and Information Management through ARMA International, and in 2018 she received certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists.
I received my B.A. in history from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and my M.A in History and M.S. in Library and Information Science: Archives Management from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. After I finished my master's I was a Peace Corps volunteer in China. My experience with archives has spanned local historical societies, historical land sites and buildings, as well as an internship at the Archdiocese of Boston Archive. I also have experience working in public and school libraries. I am currently the archivist at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery and for the Federation of St. Scholastica. I am also a member of the SAA mentoring subcommittee.
I appreciate hearing about the candidates’ professional experiences and credentials, and I thank them for running, but I don’t feel like I can vote until I know what they hope to do as a leader of the section and/or why they are interested in serving in this capacity.
Hi, thank you for your comment. The reason I want to serve as a member at large for the Archivists of Religious Collections Section is to be of service to the religious archival community and to give back to the Society of American Archivists. I have always felt it is a professional duty to contribute one's time, skills, and experience to support others in the archival field, which is why I deliver a practicum program for new professionals. I recently served for two years as the chair of the Archives Association of Ontario Professional Development Committee, which proved to me again the value of participating with others to support identified needs for growth and development. I hope I can bring my skills to the ARCS to help guide constructive dialogue, pinpoint needs in the religious archives sector, and find ways to assist the community. I am committed to religious archives, and to encouraging religious archivists to meet archival standards in their daily work, whether in appraisal, preservation, arrangement, description, digitization, or digital preservation.