SNAP 2014 Elections: Candidate Statements

SNAP 2014-2015: ELECTION CANDIDATES & STATEMENTS

VICE CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT

Candidate: Caitlin Wells

Statement:

I graduated from the history/library science dual master’s program at the University of Maryland in 2013, and I am currently working as the archivist for the Rio Grande Historical Collections at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I’m currently involved with SNAP as a member of the steering committee. I am running for SNAP vice chair/chair elect because I am committed to the goals of SNAP in supporting student and new professionals within SAA and the profession as a whole. As someone just starting out in the field, I appreciate SNAP’s efforts to highlight the difficulties encountered by students and new archivists. As vice chair/chair elect, I would continue to advocate on behalf of those entering the profession and work to ensure a welcoming atmosphere for SAA members at all stages of their careers. 

SECRETARY

Candidate: David McAllister

Statement:

Hi, my name is David McAllister and I am graduating with an MS in Library and Information Science from Drexel University in June of 2014. I currently work at Gwynedd Mercy University as the one-and-only archivist. I have been an active reader of SNAP activity since I started at Drexel. I think that SNAP has demonstrated that it can be a powerful forum for expressing student and emerging professionals’ opinions. The profession of archivist is my second career, one I am extremely excited and happy to be a part of. Before this, I earned a Ph.D. in American history and have been teaching at various colleges and universities for over a decade.

STEERING COMMITTEE 

Candidate: Dan Johnson

Statement:

I am Dan Johnson, a metadata paraprofessional at the University of Houston (UH) in the Metadata and Digitization Services Department. I am also a part-time student at the University of North Texas working on an MSLS degree. I have more than three years’ experience creating descriptive metadata for archival materials in CONTENTdm. In addition to my metadata creation responsibilities, I have trained student workers and interns in descriptive metadata best practices. I was recently selected as one of five Mosaic Fellows by the Association of Research Libraries in conjunction with the Society of American Archivists, and will be starting my internship with the Special Collection Department at the University of Houston this fall. At UH, I have served on the Training Committee, the Awards Committee, and several search committees. I recently joined SAA as a student member and would enjoy the opportunity to use my talents and experience at a national level, serving as a steering committee member of SNAP. I hereby submit my nomination for your consideration. 

 Candidate: April Akins

Statement:

My name is April Akins. I recently received my Master of Science in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee. I am currently seeking archival employment opportunities. My professional interests include rare books, manuscripts and special collections. I also want to focus on the next generation of archives; the digital realm. Since I am new to the profession I want to share not only my new professional perspective to the roundtable, but learn more about the profession through roundtable interactions. While attending the University of Tennessee, I served as the SAA Student Chapter President. In this role, I ran the monthly meetings and worked with other officers to ensure quality speakers and programs were provided to chapter members and other students in the program.

Candidate: April Sparks, C.A.

Statement:

My name is April Sparks and I am putting myself forward as a candidate for the steering committee because I am interested in taking a more active role in the SNAP round-table. I received my BA from Mount Holyoke College in 2004, my MLIS from Kent State University inv2010, started my first professional position in the fall of 2011, and attained full certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists in 2013. I am currently working for the National Park Service in Alaska processing archival backlog. As an archivist with a few years of experience I feel that I can help to identify issues facing new archivists and archival students. I have been a member of SAA since March 2010 and served in a leadership role in the student chapter at Kent State. This experience involved communicating with the membership of the student chapter and maintaining operation of the student chapter. I look forward to the opportunity to serve in this role and be part of the work of this round-table.

Candidate: Roxanne Dunn

Statement:

My name is Roxanne Dunn and I joined Southeast Missouri State University in July 2013 as the Archival Assistant staff member in Special Collections and Archives after graduating from UIUC with an MLIS in May 2013. After a formal search, I was promoted to the faculty position of Special Collections and Archives Librarian at Southeast in April 2014. I also earned a MS (journalism) from the University of Illinois in 2005. My position as Special Collections and Archives Librarian has many components typical of a smaller, regional academic repository, and I have heavily invested in marketing and outreach for my department across campus and across the community. My department will be well represented at the library’s 75th anniversary celebration this fall and I am chair of the committee to establish a “Friends of the Library” donor group for our library. Marketing was crucial for me as a student seeking employment. I seek the opportunity to serve as a steering committee member because I am very interested in helping members of SNAP continue to learn ways to better market and promote themselves. I feel I have many insights to offer having just gone through the academic search process successfully twice in one year. One of the most interesting and rewarding parts of my current position is the opportunity I have to mentor my graduate assistant and student workers. I would like to expand the positive impact I have locally to a wider range of archival students and new archivists. The SNAP roundtable has been very valuable to me and I would like to pay that forward. I have served on several committees at work and am serving on a committee for our university's SAA student chapter. I firmly believe committee service enhances leadership skills, builds a strong foundation for professional success, and is an enjoyable way to promote and enhance the membership of an organization. I would like to serve as a steering committee member to provide that leadership and be a conduit for members.