2014 Privacy and Confidentiality Steering Committee Election

Valerie Gillispie
Nominee for Privacy and Confidentiality Roundtable Vice Chair / Chair-Elect 2015 (2-year term)

Biographical Note

Valerie Gillispie has been the University Archivist in the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke since 2011. In that role, she oversees institutional records and manuscript collections related to the University. Previously, Valerie was the Assistant University Archivist at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She has a master’s in public history from NC State, and a master’s in library science from UNC Chapel Hill, as well as a bachelor’s degree in history from Macalester College. Valerie has been a member of SAA since 2005.

Candidate Statement

I am interested in working the Privacy and Confidentiality Roundtable to illuminate some of the important and complicated issues related to restricted records in our repositories, be they institutional, corporate, personal records, or otherwise. The exposure of Boston College oral histories and the record gathering of the NSA are recent examples of the importance of records restrictions and privacy. I would like to work with the members of the roundtable to develop educational programming at and through SAA, and to find effective ways to share information among ourselves in between meetings. Whether we work as lone arrangers or in large institutions, we face an increasingly complex set of choices and approaches in our work. Finding a balance between appropriate restrictions and providing access for researchers is critical in responsibly executing our roles as archivists.

Meg Tuomala
Nominee for Privacy and Confidentiality Roundtable Steering Committee 2014 (2-year term)

Biographical Note

Meg Tuomala is an Assistant Archivist at the Gates Archive in Seattle, WA. The Gates Archive focuses on the preservation of the Gates family’s personal and philanthropic endeavors, including records of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, Meg was the Electronic Records Archivist in the Wilson Special Collections Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she managed efforts to acquire, preserve, and provide access to born-digital special collections and archival materials. She holds an MSLS with a concentration in Archives and Records Management from the School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is a certified archivist.

Meg currently serves on SAA’s Standards Committee (2013-2015, co-chair 2014-2015) and Records Management Roundtable Steering Committee (2012-2014).

Candidate Statement

I have a keen professional interest in privacy and confidentiality issues. As the trusted custodian of the personal and philanthropic archival collections of the Gates family, the Gates Archive is exploring new and innovative ways to manage the privacy of our donors.

I am interested in tools and strategies that archivists can use to better find, process, and manage sensitive data and information, as well as how our professional conversations can influence and inform work in this area. I am also interested in how we can better communicate the issues swirling around privacy and confidentiality to various stakeholder groups outside of the immediate archives sphere—to colleagues in allied professions, donors, and researchers.

If elected to the Privacy and Confidentiality Steering Committee, I hope to continue the work I started during my time on the Records Management Roundtable Steering Committee collaborating with other SAA component groups to host virtual discussions and other informal opportunities for professional development where our mutual areas of interest and expertise intersect. Please see http://saarmrt.wordpress.com/category/rmrt-virtual-hangouts/ for examples of some of the virtual discussions we’ve hosted.

Lorain Wang
Nominee for Privacy and Confidentiality Roundtable Steering Committee 2014 (2-year term)

Biographical Note

Lorain Wang is the processing archivist for the Smithsonian Institution's National Anthropological Archives, a position she has held since 2005. She is responsible for the processing and cataloging of manuscript and mixed-media collections. Prior to that she worked at the Sierra Madre Public Library as an associate librarian, managing the local history collection. Lorain holds an MLIS with a specialization in Archival Studies from UCLA.

Candidate Statement

At the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) I encounter a variety of sensitive materials that run the gamut from culturally sensitive information to medical records. These issues are often complex, and providing access to archival records and protecting the privacy of individuals and groups can be a difficult balancing act. I have found discussions at the Privacy & Confidentiality Roundtable meetings and on the roundtable listserv to be thought provoking, and as a member of the Steering Committee, I would like to continue this kind of engagement and provide opportunities for archivists to share their experiences, concerns, and perspectives. I would also like to see this roundtable develop ways to more actively support and guide repositories in establishing privacy and access policies.