Meet the 2025 Solo Archivists Section candidates

The Solo Archivists Section (SAS) will elect new leadership to fill two positions for the 2025-2026 term - Vice Chair/Chair and Newsletter Editor.

Ballots will be managed by SAA and will be open June 25 - July 16.

Meet the 2025 Candidates:

Vice Chair/Chair Elect

Hilary Swett, Archivist, Writers Guild Foundation

Bio: I am a solo archivist at the Writers Guild Foundation, a non-profit entertainment special collections library and archive in Los Angeles. Like all of us in small shops, I wear many hats and juggle many responsibilities. I work with donors, appraise, process, describe, catalog and manage collections, supervise interns, handle all research requests and more. I am also active in LA as Subject and the Los Angeles Preservation Network, southern CA library and archives communities. I earned an MLIS from San Jose State and went to film school and worked in the entertainment industry.

Candidate statement: I have benefitted so much over the years from the wisdom and resourcefulness of solo practitioners. The listserv advice was invaluable when I was a new professional figuring everything out. As outgoing chair this year, I would love to continue giving back to this group that has been so important to me. I will continue the work being done to offer helpful, insightful programming and strengthen the supportive community that exists. Conversations and events are beneficial on a practical level but also offer intangible value that can only be gained by sharing our successes, challenges, and advice with people who get it. We are often in such unique professional situations and I look forward to continuing supporting this group and serving on the steering committee for two more years.

Newsletter Editor

Megan Garbett-Styger, Archivist at Point No Point Treaty Council

Bio: My name is Megan Garbett-Styger, and I am a solo archivist at Point No Point Treaty Council, a treaty rights and natural resources management consortium for the Port Gamble and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribes. I received my master’s in history with a certificate in archives and records management from Western Washington University in 2014 and have been the archivist for PNPTC since 2016. I have built PNPTC’s archives from the ground up and am working to establish records management standards for the organization. 

Candidate Statement: Being a solo archivist can be a lonely endeavor and one that lacks the support and resources needed to meet the standards and best practices of our profession. Having the support of other solo and small shop archivists has been invaluable in my growth as an archives professional. The Solo Archivists section of SAA has been my lifeline for advice on, support for, and access to free and low-cost tools and training. As Newsletter Editor, I would strive to support this section in growing and strengthening our network of solo archivists; sharing our struggles, workflows, tools, training and support that make our work more manageable and, ultimately, less lonely.