Election 2013

Candidates 2013 

The Nominating and Elections Committee is pleased to announce 2013 slate of candidates for Vice Chair-Chair Elect and Steering Committee for the Congressional Papers Roundtable (CPR). All the candidates have diverse back-grounds and professional contexts, but they all have significant experience with congressional papers and professional engagement. If you require additional information about any of the candidates, please contact them directly. Voting for the election will be electronic and will occur via the Society of American Archivists Web site. SAA staff will make online ballots accessible to CPR members during the first week of July. Voting will be open for at least two weeks. The Nominating and Elections Committee will announce more specific dates via the listserv as they become available from SAA. The candidate profiles and statements as well as the general election timetable will be available on the CPR Web site. The Nominating and Elections Committee will announce the election results as soon as SAA makes them available to us. Finally, the Nominating and Elections Committee wishes to thank all the candidates for agreeing to run for office.

2013 CPR Nominating and Elections Committee

Ben Rogers, Chair

Katherine Fleming

Mary Anne Hamblen

Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Congressional Papers Roundtable

The chair, vice-chair/chair-elect, and the immediate past chair serve as officers of the roundtable. Only individual members of SAA and the Congressional Papers Roundtable may hold these positions. The officers make a commitment for three years to serve one year each as vice-chair/chair-elect, chair, and immediate past chair. Each is expected to attend the annual meeting.

Candidates (one vacancy, one candidate):

ROBERT P. SPINDLER

Tempe, Arizona

(h) 480 838-4468 (w) 480 965-9277

spindlers1@cox.net

http://www.public.asu.edu/~spindler/

Robert received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in American History from Boston University and his Master of Science from the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science. He was formerly Project Archivist at the Peabody Museum of Salem, Massachusetts and has served as a professional consultant to the Polaroid Corporate Archives, the Regents of the University of California, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Maine Maritime Museum, and the Milton H. Erickson Foundation. Mr. Spindler is Distinguished Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and a past chair of their 2012 Annual Meeting Program Committee, Nominations Committee, Committee on Archival Information Exchange and Description Section.

In 1998 he was one of fifteen archivists awarded SAA’s C. F. W. Coker Prize for his participation in the international development team for the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Tag Library. He has presented and published regularly on archival description, electronic records preservation, and internet ethics issues.

Title: University Archivist and Head, Archives & Special Collections

Institution: Arizona State University Libraries

Education: BA and MA History, Boston University; MS, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, concentration in archives management.

Experience with Congressional papers:

From 1988-1996 as Curator of Manuscripts I directed arrangement and description for the Department of Archives and Manuscripts, including a project to rehouse and redescribe 850 linear feet of Senator Carl T. Hayden Papers. I also participated in the closure of US Representative John "Jay" Rhodes local office and in a major fundraising event celebrating our "US Congressional Research Collection" in that period. Part of that event included brief interviews with several congressional staff members and solicitations of papers from key staff members like Roy Elson. Since becoming department administrator in 1996 I developed working relationships with Congressman John Rhodes and Eldon Rudd and organized a a collaborative online exhibit and digital library project with ASU's public history program regarding Congressman John Rhodes. Recenty I acquired the records of Congressman Harry Mitchell, and our program accepted responsibility for the Senator Barry Goldwater and Senator Paul Fannin Papers from the Arizona Historical Foundation. I am currently directing a records survey project for additional Paul Fannin Papers and I am actively engaged in agreement negotiations, appraisal and physical acquisition of the Senator John McCain Papers. We currently preserve and make accessible the papers of thirteen members of Congress from Arizona.

What do you bring to the CPR Steering committee?

While I am a relative newcomer to the Roundtable and the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress, I have extensive experience in various levels of governance for the Society of American Archivists and I am the immediate past Program Committee co-chair. My knowledge of SAA could facilitate advancing the CPR agenda within that organization.

What would you like CPR to do in the next 3-5 years?

I would like to see CPR leverage electronic publication opportunities within and outside SAA to make the process and products of scholarship in congressional collections more visible to the SAA membership and the general public.  I would like CPR to make explicit and accessible the best practices we have available regarding efficient appraisal, acquisition, description and preservation of congressional electronic records. I would like CPR to have at least one formal program session accepted for the SAA Annual Meeting each year.

Steering Committee 2013-2014, Congressional Papers Roundtable

The Steering Committee directs and coordinates activities of the roundtable and approves appointments made by the chair if vacancies occur.

Candidates (two vacancies, four candidates):

Gary Chaffee  

Title: Archivist, Barbara Jordan Archives

Institution: Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas

Education:

BA, English, University of Wyoming, 2008

MLIS, University of Kentucky 2010

Gary received his B.A. in English from the University of Wyoming and his Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science.  Since 2010 he has been the archivist for the Barbara Jordan Papers at Texas Southern University and is currently the interim coordinator for Special Collections at the Robert J. Terry Library at TSU.  He has been a member of the Society for American Archivists, the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress, and currently serves on several library committees at his home institution. His most recent publication, "Preserving Transience: Ballet and Modern Dance Archives" was published by Libri in 2011.

Experience with Congressional papers:

As the graduate assistant for the Public Policy Archives at the University of Kentucky, I performed preservation work on the Earle C. Clements Papers from 2009-2010.  Since 2010 I’ve been responsible for the processing of the Barbara Jordan Papers at Texas Southern University, including the creation of a finding aid and digitization and preservation of the audiovisual components of the collection.  Advocacy and outreach for Jordan Papers includes creation of physical and digital exhibits, presentations  and implementation of social media.  Additionally, we are currently in the process of acquiring the papers of former Texas House member Al Edwards.  I am a member of the CPR’s Diversity Task Force, and a member of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress.  

What do you bring to the CPR Steering committee?

I feel that the archives we serve are, at the base level, a collaborative effort; I feel the CPR should be a collaborative effort as well.  I am very much a team player and good listener.   And as an archivist in an academic institution, every day I see the importance of educating our communities, our students, and our funding agencies on the importance of Congressional archives as a way to understand our political processes and systems—and it’s an education that is critical to spark the interest of the future potential archivists that will need to take our places someday.

What would you like CPR to do in the next 3-5 years?

I definitely see a need for more outreach to continue to build interest in the CPR—not only for our membership numbers but as a way to advocate for collections that tend, in my humble opinion, to be marginalized.  To that end, I would also like to see a specialized workshop available through SAA’s Continuing Professional Education program for dealing with Public Policy archives; the CPR membership knows the challenges we face as archivists of these types of collections, and it would be nice to have something available for those archivists who are suddenly saddled with a Congressional collection for which they have little or no processing experience. Lastly, there has been talk of a possible “rebranding” for the CPR in the past year or so; I feel this would be a positive move for the Roundtable to explore as a way to not only stir interest in potential new members, but to re-spark the interest in the Roundtable for some of our veteran members.

Audrey McKanna Coleman

Title: Senior Archivist

Institution: Dole Institute of Politics

Education: BA, Spanish, University of Kansas; MA Museum Studies with History concentration, University of Kansas

Audrey McKanna Coleman was recently named Senior Archivist at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas. Coleman heads a staff of professional archivists, museum professionals, and students, and looks forward to furthering the development of a robust digital, physical, and interactive community presence for the Dole Archive collections. Along with other Institute leaders, Coleman will also participate in the strategic development of Institute programming and resources. 

Audrey received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas (KU). She was formerly Coordinator of Manuscript Processing at the Spencer Research Library, and Assistant Curator of Visual Resources, History of Art Dept., all at KU. Ms. Coleman’s active record of professional service includes terms as Senior Co-Chair of the Kansas City Area Archivists and, currently, as Co-Chair of the Midwest Archives Conference Local Arrangements committee for MAC 2014. Her diverse professional background reflects an interest in interdisciplinary studies, humanities, and the synergy of library, archives, and museum collections.

Experience with Congressional papers:

I’m relatively new to my position (August 2012) and to the management of Congressional papers. However, the collection I manage is large (1700 linear feet of paper materials, in addition to a/v formats and objects) and documents a 35-year political career. The Dole Archive, which I lead, is comprised of library, archival, and museum collections, as well as a permanent exhibit gallery and temporary exhibit space. My professional experience (in archives, libraries, museums, and visual resources) reflects the same diversity and as such is a little nontraditional for this sub-field.

What do you bring to the CPR Steering committee?

Enthusiasm and a fresh perspective, as well as nearly 10 years of professional leadership experience at the local and regional levels. I like to talk theory but also like to get things done – developing manageable and sensible solutions to multifaceted practical problems. I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things. I see our archival material as very much “alive” and relevant to the interests of nearly everyone; there is so much “voice” in even the most routine documents and I love demonstrating that fact for our visiting public (non-academic researchers) .

What would you like CPR to do in the next 3-5 years?

I’d like to give special support to our members who work in facilities under financial strain (which, it seems we all are in one form or another). How can we best demonstrate our value as service and a resource to our resource allocators? How can we maintain or reintroduce lost/low priority functions in manageable ways? What works, what doesn’t, and what new approaches might be tried?

Brian Keough

Title: Brian Keough, Head, M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives

Institution: University  at Albany, SUNY

Education:

Master of Arts, History, University at Albany, SUNY

Master of Library Science - Concentration in Archival Administration, University at Albany, SUNY

 Bachelor of Arts, American History, West Chester University, West Chester, PA

Since 2001, Brian Keough has served as Head of M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University at Albany, SUNY. Keough received a Bachelor of History from West Chester University, and master’s degrees in American History and Information Science & Policy from the University at Albany, SUNY.  He was formerly archivist at the Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Archive & Collection (HWAC), and archivist at the Schenectady Museum’s General Electric Archive. He has presented papers at MARAC and SAA conferences, and was the chair of the SAA Congressional Papers Roundtable, 2009-2010.

Experience with Congressional papers:

Currently, I manage the New York Modern Political Archive at the University at Albany, SUNY.  The New York Modern Political Archive contains 27 collections of former members of New York’s Congressional delegation, and 46 collections of former New York State legislators.  My main responsibility is to acquire political collections for the New York Modern Political Archive, and oversee processing, reference and outreach services. Our most recent acquisition was the papers of U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who served in the New York State Assembly from 1974-1992, and in Congress from 1992-2012. At the 2013 SAA conference in New Orleans, I am presenting a paper, “The Ownership and Value of Elected Officials' Papers for the Study of the Civil Rights Movement.”

What do you bring to the CPR Steering committee?

As a Steering Committee member, I would bring my enthusiasm and concern for the preservation and accessibility of congressional collections. I have worked with political papers for over 15 years, and gained considerable experience dealing with the papers of individuals elected to local, state, and federal office. I previously had the honor of serving on the Congressional Papers Roundtable Steering Committee from 2006-2010, including a term as the CPR Vice Chair/Chair, 2009-2010. I am familiar with the people and activities of CPR, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to serve on the Steering Committee again.

What would you like CPR to do in the next 3-5 years?

During the next 3-5 years, I would like to see CPR share information about approaches to managing electronic records. I am also interested in increasing outreach to members of Congress, who could support funding for Congressional Papers and state research centers. Furthermore, I would  encourage initiatives that promote diversity within CPR and SAA, try to forge links with related SAA Roundtables, and reach out to archivists who are new to congressional papers.

Renna Tuten

Title:  Public Services Coordinator

Institution:  University of Georgia Russell Special Collections Libraries

Education:

BA – University of Georgia – Art History

MA – University of Mississippi – Southern Studies

MLIS – University of South Carolina – Library Science

Experience with Congressional papers:

From 2006 to 2011, I worked for the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies as first an Assistant Outreach Archivist, which consisted of developing programming and exhibits centered on the department’s collections, and later as a Processing Archivist. This position consisted of working on collections of both congressional and gubernatorial papers as well as working in reference and in acquisitions. Currently, my work as the Public Services Coordinator involves facilitating user access and providing reference for not only the Russell Library political collections but two other special collections departments.

What do you bring to the CPR Steering committee?

My experience working with congressional papers, both old and new, has given me a healthy respect for the ways in which record keeping has changed and what impact electronic records brings in terms of public access to the public record. Also, my current work in a public services setting has allowed me to do more extensive reference work involving political papers; this has resulted in my being more passionate about implementing best practices in terms of arrangement and description.

What would you like CPR to do in the next 3-5 years?

Working with the public constantly reminds me that outreach and advocacy are two elements of our work that are still very important so that the public knows what we do and how it affects them as citizens with rights to access public records; thus, outreach and advocacy efforts are paramount. CPR is an extremely collegial group that has a wonderful rapport among its members and it would be a boon to work with the new SNAP (Students and New Archives Professionals) Roundtable to showcase what we do. Partnering with other roundtables with overlapping subject focus – for instance, Privacy and Confidentiality, Military Archives, or Women’s Collections - for programs and surveys would be beneficial to all involved.