Christopher J. Prom Appointed Publications Editor

CHICAGO — Christopher J. (Chris) Prom, assistant university archivist and associate professor of library administration at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, was appointed Publications Editor of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and will begin his three-year term on February 28, 2013. The appointment was made by the SAA Council following a four-month search.

“Chris is a scholar and an innovator,” said SAA President Jackie Dooley, “which bodes well for continuing SAA’s robust publishing tradition.”

More than 40 books along with dozens of case studies and other electronic content have been published by SAA since 2000. The Publications Editor is responsible for setting a vision and providing philosophical direction for the program, directing the work of the eight-member Publications Board, acquiring and reviewing manuscripts, and maintaining a transparent review process.

A Fellow of SAA, Prom has published and lectured widely. He co-edited with Ellen D. Swain College and University Archives: Readings in Theory and Practice (SAA, 2008), and is currently co-editing with Thomas J. Frusciano Trends in Arrangement and Description (SAA, forthcoming January 2013). He is the author of the technical watch report Preserving Email (Digital Preservation Coalition, 2011) and has regularly contributed articles to professional journals, including The American Archivist, Journal of Archival Organization, Provenance, and The International Journal of Digital Curation.

In addition, Prom is helping to shape the development of ArchivesSpace, a software suite for archivists and manuscript curators.  During 2009‒2010, he was a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at the University of Dundee (Scotland), where he conducted the “Practical E-Records” project, seeking to develop cost-effective approaches to manage born-digital records using archival principles.

“I’m excited to be working with SAA, which has been an instrumental part of my own professional growth,” said Prom, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Marquette University and a PhD in history from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “All of humanity has a stake in how we select, preserve, and provide access to primary source records, and SAA’s publications demonstrate how core archival values make the world a better place. By collaborating with members and other professionals, we will continue to build a literature that is useful and vital for archivists and people from all walks of life.”

Prom will succeed Peter J. Wosh, director of the Archives/Public History Program at New York University, who is completing his second three-year term as SAA Publications Editor.