2023 Labor Archives Section Co-chair election - Candidate statement

The following candidate is running for the Co-chair position: 

Vakil Smallen

International Brotherhood of Teamsters Labor History Archivist, George Washington University

Since 2019, Vakil Smallen has been the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Labor History Archivist at the George Washington University, where he works closely with the Teamsters to preserveand ensure access to the records of their history and the history of American labor more broadly. Prior to taking this position, he was the archivist for the National Education Association Library & Archives.

Vakil has been an active member of SAA’s Labor Archives Section for many years. Most recently, he was involved in updating the Labor Archives Section Directory: Labor Archives in the United States and Canada. He is interested in exploring how primary sources can help future generations learn about labor history, especially what about the labor movement has successfully improved the lives of working people. He received his Masters Degree in Library Science with a focus on Archives in from the University of Maryland College of Library and Information Sciences in 2007.