Diversity Award: SAA Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Heritage Archives Roundtable's Webinar Series

The Latin American and Cultural Heritage Archives Roundtable webinar series, “Desmantelando Fronteras/Breaking Down Borders,” is the 2016 recipient of the Society of American Archivists' Diversity Award. Established in 2011, the award recognizes an individual, group, or institution for outstanding contributions in advancing diversity within the archives profession, SAA, or the archival record.

“Desmantelando Fronteras/Breaking Down Borders” was co-founded by George Apodaca, affiliate assistant librarian at the University of Delaware Library; Natalie Baur, most recently the archivist for the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami; and Margarita Vargas-Betancourt, curator of Latin American and Caribbean Special Collections at the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. The webinar series provides a collaborative space for archivists of the Latin American and Caribbean diaspora to share their projects and experiences, facilitating an open exchange of ideas among professionals throughout the Americas. The series, in collaboration with the Digital Library of the Caribbean and the Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries, has provided an exemplary model of cooperative outreach. Topics include digital and documentation projects in Colombia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Florida, Guyana, Honduras, and Puerto Rico, and webinars feature both English and Spanish speakers.

According to one colleague, “This one-of-a-kind project has expanded beyond geographical, language, and theoretical barriers and provides an example of how SAA and American archivists can connect with international professionals.”