SAA Members Are Invited to the First Conference on Latino/Hispanic Film, Print and Sound Archives

For the first time a national conference will be held that will address the following questions: What is our Latino legacy that can be passed on to future generations? What are we preserving, what stories do they tell, and how are we using technology to archive Latino history, identity and spirit? Society of American Archivists (SAA) members are invited to attend Memoria, voz y patrimonio: The First Conference on Latino/Hispanic Film, Print and Sound Archives to be hosted at UCLA on August 15-17, 2003. This conference precedes the 2003 SAA Annual Meeting and addresses SAA meeting's theme: "Spotlight on Archives: Showcasing the Diversity of the Archival Enterprise." It will highlight the importance of archives and record keeping which are essential for the Latino community to document and protect its rights, to capture its collective memory, and to ensure access to its cultural past, achievements and legacy.

This conference is the Sixth Institute of the Trejo Foster Foundation for Hispanic Library Education, and is sponsored by the Department of Information Studies of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. The Trejo Foster Foundation was established to bring to the forefront issues concerning library and information services for people of Hispanic heritage in the United States. It is affiliated with the American Library Association and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish speaking. REFORMA http://www.reforma.org is again a co-sponsor of the Institute, and many of its members are playing key roles on the Planning Committee.

"Latino history is U.S. history and its archives should be available for students, creators, artists, scholars and community members to trace its past," states Clara M. Chu, Associate Professor of Information Studies, and Co-Chair of the Planning Committee. She adds, "Ethnic and Latino archives as repositories and a professional field have yet to be fully developed. The financial and human resources, and to some extent interest, have been lacking. The technology, expertise and community support now exist to ensure that Latino history is not subjugated nor overlooked. The footprints of the struggles, triumphs and ingenuity of the Latino community pave the road to the future. Nuestro patrimonio es nuestra memoria, voz y comunidad."

Any individuals wanting to expand their knowledge of managing Latino film, print and sound materials or creating a Latino cultural heritage system or repository should attend the conference. These include: archivists, archival students, community organizers, teachers, performing artists, writers, journalists, and historians among others.

For more information on participation, registration, housing and programs, see our website at http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/LAConf/ or contact Clara Chu (cchu@ucla.edu), Planning Committee or Anne Gilliland-Swetland (swetland@ucla.edu), Program Committee.