Bethany Anderson Named Reviews Editor of The American Archivist

CHICAGO—Bethany Anderson, archival operations and reference specialist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has been named reviews editor of The American Archivist, the journal of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and the leading publication in the archives field.

As reviews editor, Anderson will join the journal’s Editorial Board and work in collaboration with Editor Gregory S. Hunter to commission review essays that evaluate recent relevant writings and their relationship to archives. She will also select books for review; assemble, maintain, and refresh a cadre of reviewers; edit copy for the reviews section of the journal; and oversee contributions to The American Archivist Reviews Portal, which features online-only reviews of the websites, digital collections, and technologies that have an impact on the archives profession.

“Reviews provide an important space for personal reflection, reaction, and engagement with the literature that shapes and molds the archives profession,” Anderson said. “I look forward to continuing to expand this space to include reviews of the literature that reflect the evolving nature of archival theory and practice as well as the growing interdisciplinary corpus from related disciplines that continuously intersects with archives in new ways.”

Anderson, who holds an MS in information studies from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago, has served SAA’s publishing program in a variety of capacities. She contributed a case study to Module 8: Becoming a Trusted Digital Repository by Steve Marks. Last year she was a member of the Online Publication Working Group that identified and explored options for a new publishing platform for The American Archivist. Previously she served as an intern on the Publications Board, which directs SAA’s nonserial publishing operation.

“Bethany impressed the search committee with her vision for the Reviews Section and Reviews Portal, her familiarity with SAA’s publications program, and her track record in professional activities,” Hunter added.

Anderson will officially assume her responsibilities as reviews editor at the end of August. She succeeds Amy Cooper Cary of Marquette University, who held the post since January 2010, before being elected to the SAA Council in the spring. 

Established in 1938, The American Archivist is a refereed journal. It seeks to reflect thinking about theoretical and practical developments in the archives profession; about the relationships between archivists and the creators and users of archives; and about cultural, social, legal, and technological developments that affect the nature of recorded information and the need to create and maintain it.

August 2015