2021 Election: Candidate Statements

Thank you to our excellent candidates for standing in the 2021 Metadata and Digital Object 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 Co-chair (two-year term); and
• One Steering Committee member (three-year term).

We are also voting on an edit to our Section standing rules, as detailed below.

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

Steering Committee Co-Chair Candidate

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

Lara Friedman-Shedlov
Digital Records Archivist, University of Minnesota

Biography

Lara Friedman-Shedlov (she/they) is Digital Records Archivist for the Archives and Special Collections (ASC) Department at the University of Minnesota Libraries, a new position that was recently created to manage work with born digital archival material. She has been a member of the department's Electronic Records Management Group (currently serves as co-chair) since its inception and played a key role in the development of digital records workflows, description standards, and the selection and implementation of tools. They also continue to serve as Description and Access Archivist for the Kautz Family YMCA Archives, one of the collecting units within ASC.  Lara is currently a member of SAA's Digital Archives Specialist Subcommittee and is also active in the DLF Born Digital Access Working Group, and as a member of DANNNG (the Digital Archival traNsfer or iNgest or packagiNg Group; https://dannng.github.io).  They have a Masters degree in Information and Library Studies with a concentration in Archival Administration from the University of Michigan and are also a graduate of Vassar College.

Statement

As a person whose work has focused on both digital archival materials and description for much of my career thus far, I'm very interested in getting more involved with the MDOS Section.  I'm particularly interested in tools and approaches to facilitate more efficient and useful description of born digital archival collections. I hope to contribute to MDOS's important role in helping practitioners share practical solutions and strategies to manage and provide access to digital content.

Steering Committee Member Candidate

The following candidate is running for the section steering committee:

Edwina A. Murphy
Digital Archivist, Muscogee Nation, Historic and Cultural Preservation Department, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Biography

I hold a Master of Library and Information Studies from Wayne State University, a Bachelor of Arts in History from Michigan State University, and a certificate in Digital Photography from Cornell University.  I am currently the Digital Archivist for the Muscogee Nation.  I have worked for the Arab American National Museum, State of Michigan, and the University of Michigan.  At all three organizations I worked with digital content, metadata, and special collections.

Statement

Be it online or in person, I actively enjoy creating and contributing to library exhibits and enabling the sharing of original documents and art.  I have an interest and experience in transforming materials into digital collections and securing born digital content.

Standing Rules Revisions

The Steering Committee has reviewed the section's current standing rules, and the proposed revisions are needed to reflect current practices and align with SAA section guidelines. 

Please see the proposed changes linked below.