Elections 2020

Vice-Chair/Chair 2020-2023

Maria Leighton

Archivist

Southern Maryland Studies Center, College of Southern Maryland, La Plata, MD

Bio:

Greetings.  I am Maria Leighton, a dedicated, detail oriented, highly organized and proactive archivist managing the Southern Maryland Studies Center, College of Southern Maryland since September 2019.  As a new graduate of the MS in Library and Information Science, Archives Management concentration from Simmons University (January 2019) and a career changer, I offer a combination of formal education and extensive administrative experience in government, education and private institutions.  

Candidate Statement:

I’ve been a member of the Lone Arrangers Section since March 2019 and have benefited from the information and support of SAA’s different sections since May 2017 when I started the master’s degree.  Now that my dream of becoming a lone arranger has come true, I wish to contribute and support other lone arrangers and new professionals, especially during these uncertain times.

Robert Schimelpfenig

Archivist, Washington State University Vancouver Library, Vancouver Library, WA

Bio:

I began my profession as an archivist 14 years ago at the Washington State University in Vancouver (WSU), one of five campuses in the WSU system. Here, I helped the Library create its Archives and Special Collections from the ground up, starting with just a few boxes in a corner office. As one of the smaller campuses in the WSU system, I worked for many years without a budget as a part-time archives specialist. During this time, I learned the ins and outs of managing a small archive, seeking every training opportunity to support me in this unique role. Transitioning to an electronic system and establishing a small-scale digital program are two of the initiatives that I advanced in this position. Two years ago, I was hired as the Library’s full-time archivist. In this capacity, I have continued building the Archives and Special Collections, strengthening relations on campus and in the local community. One of my main passions in this role is working with outside organizations on collaborative projects. My early contributions include helping to coordinate the digitization of regional, ethnic history materials in the Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive. More recently, I have collaborated with museums and historical organizations county wide on projects that encourage resource sharing, opportunities for grant funding and general support among archivists and collection managers. A genuine interest of mine is turning collaborative projects with local organizations into long term partnerships that can benefit the overall preservation of collections and community history.

Candidate Statement:

Hello fellow lone arrangers. My name is Robert Schimelpfenig and I am submitting my nomination for position on the Lone Arranger Steering Committee. I am a passionate lone arranger who has worked diligently over the last decade to create an archive from the ground up. I am sure that many of us know the struggles of working as a one-person operation with a limited budget. In my experience, this lack and limitation has encouraged me to be a creative collaborator. By my nature, I build partnerships. Over the years I have banded together with local historical museums and other organizations to develop strategies for resource sharing, to seek out grant funding for digital projects, share collection materials for exhibits and assist with preservation activities. I have found that working with others to support one another in ways that are mutually beneficial is an important way for lone arrangers to build community so that we are not always standing alone in the vital work that we do. I seek to serve on the Lone Arranger Steering Committee as an opportunity to further relationships with others as we think of ways to support one another and bring new ideas to advance the stewardship of archivists and our particular missions.

Amy Moorman, MA, CA, DAS

Archivist

Martha Smith, PhD, CSJ Archives & Research Center, Avila University, Kansas City, MO

Bio: 

Amy has nearly thirteen years of experience working in archives, from religious organizations to museums to state government to academic institutions. She has a Master’s degree in History from the University of New Hampshire, has been a Certified Archivist since 2012 and a Digital Archives Specialist since 2016. She also attended the Archives Leadership Institute in 2019, where she appreciated the opportunity to learn about the intersection of technology, leadership, and intercultural competency as it impacts the archival profession.

Candidate Statement:

I have been working as a solo archivist for nearly 4 years now, in my current position at Avila University, as well as my most recent job at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. I enjoy the unique problem solving skills required to tackle all manner of tasks we experience as solo archivists, and my favorite part of the job is matching high-level administrative policymaking with hands-on archival processing. No other position I’ve held in this field allows for such diversity of responsibility as being a solo archivist.

But I also recognize that solo archivists are uniquely challenged by their job status in ways that often cause a dearth of networking and professional development opportunities. I value the SAA Lone Arranger section for providing opportunities to address these challenges, and would appreciate the opportunity to serve as Vice-Chair/Chair Elect in order to strengthen the diverse network of solo archivists and provide access to resources tailored specifically to our needs within the field.

Steering Committee 2020-2022

Samuel Adams Alexander

Librarian-Archivist

Charlotte County Archives, Port Charlotte, FL

Bio: 

Samuel Alexander is a Librarian-Archivist with Charlotte County in southwest Florida. Since entering this position at the end of 2019 as a lone arranger, he has worked to introduce new standards to his institution through implementing policies, managing collections, and strategizing with administration to carry out improvements. Despite being in the early stages of his career, Samuel Alexander hopes to contribute both to the Charlotte County archives and the archives field.

Candidate Statement: 

I’ve been working as the Librarian-Archivist in Charlotte County for the past 6 months. I have been a member of SAA since 2018, when I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Master of Library and Information Science degree, and since joining, I’ve been looking for ways to become more involved with the archival field. Now that I’m working in a lone arrange position, I feel I would be able to make contributions as a lone arrangers steering committee member.

Betty Shankle, MLIS, DAS, RIM

Records & Archives Manager

Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library, University of North Texas

Bio:

Betty Shankle is the Records & Archives Manager at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. She has a MLIS with a focus on Archives, a Digital Archives Specialist certification, and an ARMA Records & Information Management certificate. She has worked in the Archives profession since 2004, published many archival articles, presented at local and regional conferences, curated several archival exhibits, and has served on multiple professional committees.

Candidate Statement: 

Working in a health science center archives as the Lone Arranger since 2018 has been a new experience and challenge. The position for which I was hired as Records & Archives Manager was new to the campus. Prior to my hiring, a reference librarian took some archival courses and spent her last few years before retirement in the Archives. An ongoing challenge is to restructure the long run-on collection of materials with no breaks in box numbering sequence for singular archive collections. Forms, policies, and procedures are sparse. Photographs are digitally and physically duplicated in multiple locations. On the bright side, faculty, staff and researchers are now aware that we exist and that yes, the campus does have a University Archives with an experienced Archivist on board.

I am excited to be a candidate for the Lone Arranger Steering Committee. Archives has been my passion since 2004. Working on the Committee with advanced Lone Arrangers will be a privilege and a place where I can learn from those who are practiced in the field of Lone Arranging. I hope to bring years of archival and records management experience to the table while encouraging and supporting the profession.

Peter H. Weis

Archivist of the School

Schauffler Library, Northfield Mount Hermon, Mount Hermon, MA

Bio:

I began my training for the position of Northfield Mount Hermon archivist shortly after I learned to walk — literally. The son of a longtime teacher, I began my apprenticeship at the age of 2 when my family moved to the school in 1962. There, I was graduated with the class of 1978 and earned a bachelor's in liberal arts at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico (1984). Graduate school brought me back to the archival sciences, when I earned a master's in public history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1997) and a master's in library science from the State University of New York at Albany (1998). In the fall of 1999, I returned to Northfield Mount Hermon for a one-year appointment as archivist. I never left. More than twenty years later, I still delight in both the school and my work. My articles on school history appear regularly in the alumni magazine, and I was a contributor to a 2010 volume on the school's history, Lift Thine Eyes. Parliamentarian to the faculty, I also serve as the advisor to both the Debate Society and The Hermonite, the school's student produced newspaper. I've served in various roles in the faculty governance system, most recently as part of the Executive Committee which led a three-year effort to reform our faculty by-laws.

Candidate Statement:

Throughout my career as an archivist, I have always been a "lone arranger," even though I would prefer a less whimsical term for our situation. Like many of us, I lead a fairly blinkered existence. My work keeps me busy and I tend to be so focused on the tasks in front of me that my collegial experience is limited. I suddenly find, with more than two decades of experience, that it might be good to share some of it with others. Last summer I attended the S.A.A. national conference for the first time, as part of a panel led by Anna Kephart: “Future-Proofing Small Archives: Strategies for Transformative Leadership Transitions.” I would like to offer more to our group.

Catherine Lucy

Director of the Carondelet Consolidated Archive

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis, MO

Bio:

Catherine Lucy has worked with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) since August 2018 when they consolidated their North American holdings into one physical location in St. Louis, MO, now known as the Carondelet Consolidated Archive.  Prior to her employment with the Sisters, Catherine spent twenty-two years working in library services, including six years as the lone arranger at Fontbonne University, a CSJ-sponsored institution in St. Louis.  In her current position, Catherine has created a comprehensive policy manual and a webpage for the consolidated archive. She has also started a digital collections page hosted by the Internet Archive.  Current projects include integrating multiple databases into one for ease of searching and managing an ambitious digitization project of audio-visual materials.  Catherine enjoys working for the congregation, preserving their heritage, and living their mission to “serve the dear neighbor.”

Candidate Statement:

Catherine is a member of the Society of American Archivists, Midwest Archives Conference, Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious, Association of St. Louis Area Archivists, the St. Louis Area Religious Archivists (SLARA), and the Missouri Library Association (MLA). She currently serves as the recorder for SLARA and the chair for MLA’s Genealogy and Local History Community of Interest.  She holds a BA in English from Webster University and an MLIS with an archival studies concentration from San Jose State University.

Margaret Hewitt

Special Collections Librarian

Butler Area Public Library, Butler, PA

Bio:

Since 2014 I have been Special Collections Librarian for the Butler Area Public Library, where I manage our archival, local history, and genealogy collections. Prior to joining the Butler Area Public Library, I was archivist for the Connellsville Area Historical Society and an art handler, exhibit installer, and gallery assistant for the Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery. I have a BA in History from Alma College, a MA in Public History from Duquesne University, and became a Certified Archivist in 2019. I am a member of SAA, MARAC, and the Academy of Certified Archivists.

Candidate Statement:

I want to join the Lone Arrangers Steering Committee to help amplify the voices and needs of others in our community. The work of a lone arranger can feel isolating at times. When I was hired by the Historical Society after graduate school, I was the first archivist in their decades-long history. As I worked through the organization’s sizable backlog and created order, the Lone Arrangers listserv was invaluable as a resource for realistic, actionable advice in a small, under-funded setting. Now that I am a lone arranger within a larger library system, I look to the group for inspiration for programs, funding, and advocacy. Lone arrangers often excel at “doing more with less” -- less time, less funding, less space -- and that will be no different as we look at an uncertain future in these shaky economic times. As we wonder what a workday will look like in our profession in the coming months, the Lone Arrangers need strong voices that can advocate for all members at all sizes of organizations, and help us support each other.

Rebecca Leung

Archives & Manuscripts Librarian

F. W. Olin Library Special Collections, Mills College, Oakland, CA

Bio:

Though perhaps always an archivist at heart, my passion waited patiently through a first career in architectural lighting. At last, I went back to graduate school at San Jose State University, and graduated with my MLIS in 2017. I have been the Archives & Manuscripts Librarian at Mills College since November 2017. My responsibilities include working with our special collections books, and managing our collection of archives. One of my favorite recent projects was working on the papers of Beate Sirota Gordon. Gordon graduated from Mills College in 1943 and helped write women's rights into the Japanese constitution following World War II.

Candidate Statement:

I never thought of myself as a Lone Arranger. Throughout graduate school, I found myself surrounded by people with similar professional interests. I learned a lot from those around me. Now, two and a half years into my current position, I realize that I am most definitely a Lone Arranger. The only other full time staff member in Special Collections is my supervisor, who is also the Library Director. My perspective has switched from student to teacher as I am motivated to share the mysteries and treasures of the archives with my coworkers and researchers. I realize that the world of the academic library, though connected, is very different from mine. As a member of the Steering Committee, I seek to again join the conversation with fellow archivists, as well as find ways to better serve in my position as a Lone Arranger at my college. I hope to serve the Steering Committee with dedication and help enhance the sense of community for all Lone Arrangers.

Laurel Wilson

Archivist

Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, KY

Bio:

Laurel Wilson is the archivist for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, Kentucky. As the sole staff member at the archives, she is responsible for a collection that dates back to the religious order’s founding in 1858. Previously, she worked in the archives for the Sisters of Loretto and the National Fire Protection Association. She received her MLIS degree from Simmons University and her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University. Prior to pursuing a career in archives, she was a newspaper reporter.

Candidate Statement:

I am not only a one-person archives department, but also someone who must advocate for the importance my work to colleagues at my institution who often don’t quite know what an archivist is or does. As someone who is still relatively new to the archives profession and who lives in a region where professional conferences are rarely held, it’s important to have a community like the Lone Arrangers Section to connect with others who are facing the same challenges. I hope for the opportunity to become more engaged with this community and the SOLO newsletter.

Sauda Mitchell

Archives and Special Collections Librarian

Savannah College of Art and Design

Bio:

Sauda Mitchell is the Archives and Special Collections Librarian at the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah Georgia. Sauda is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Jen Library’s archives and Special Collections, which include the Don Bluth Collection of Animation, artists’ books and other unique materials. She is responsible for providing instruction, research and outreach services as well as the acquisition, preservation, organization and cataloging of archives and special collections materials. She holds an M.L.I.S. with a specialization in archival studies from Drexel University, a B.A. from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Communication Art with a minor in Art History, and a A.A. in K-12 Education from the University of Phoenix. 

Candidate Statement:

While completing my MLIS degree, I entered the archival profession as a reference assistant. I quickly discovered my passion for processing collections. The enthusiasm of early career collection engagement is soon followed by challenges presented when later managing collections with limited resources, space, and staff. In the past 7 years, I have experienced working in both settings where there was a full archival staff and working as a lone arranger, thus providing me with a clear comparison. My interest in serving on the Lone Arranger Steering Committee stems from a need to share my perspective as an archivist in an art library and also to learn about the experiences of others. I believe this ensures that as a collective, we continue to stimulate conversation and promote advocacy for collection processing and care.

Mary Grace Kosta, M.A., M.L.I.S.

Congregational Archivist

Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, London, Ontario, Canada

Bio & Candidate Statement:

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.