An Archivist's Tale

Kerri Anne Burke, Global Curator of the City Heritage Collection at Citi Group, and Alan Delozier, University Archivist and Education Coordinator at Seton Hall University, who are married to each other, inaugurate the 2X2 series of podcasts, where one archivist couple interviewing another archivist couple. Learn how they discovered the profession, discovered each other, and solve archival problems together.

Elizabeth Myers, Director of Special Collections at Smith College, discusses how she developed an interest in archives while working on her Ph.D. in history, how she studied to teach herself to be an archivist, and how she moved from a job as a lone arranger to one managing people at Wayne State and Smith. We also discuss deaccessioning and the Archives Leadership Institute in depth.

Kent Stuetz, former Regional Advisory Officer for the New York State Archives, recounts his tales of helping local governments manage their archives and records, supporting one of the largest grants programs for records in the world, and participating in two successful statewide archives advocacy initiatives.

Danna Bell, Educational Resource Specialist at the Library of Congress, discusses her unexpected beginning as a college dormitory director through her transition to archives and her eventual transformation into a multivalent information professional. Along the way, she discusses the librarianization of archives, her deep work as a leader of archival associations, and her professional focus on service.

Josue Hurtado, Coordinator Public Services and Outreach at the Special Collections Research Center of Temple University, discusses his beginnings in archives at Stanford University, his work with records relating to the AIDS crisis while working at University of California San Francisco, his work at the Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan, his current position and his work as the coordinator of the Committee for Diversity & Inclusion for the Mid-Atlantic Archives Conference.

Karen Trivette and Geof Huth, hosts of An Archivist's Tale, recount their time at the meeting of the International Council of Archives' Section on University Archives and Research Institutions held in Salamanca, Spain, in October 2018, including the issue of translation in multi-lingual conferences, the death of Geof's former colleague Art Sniffin just before the conference, and the value of the papers they heard and of the friends they made in Salamanca.

William J. Maher, the Director of University Archives at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, discusses his start as an archivist, his professional involvement in the Society of American Archivists and the International Council of Archives, his thoughts on the true meaning of "archives," the importance of archives as evidence, and his work internationally regarding intellectual property rights. (Photo Credit: Brian Stauffer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Shelley Sweeney, Head of the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections, describes her work with Indigenous Canadians decolonizing and indigenizing archives, with the Canadian Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, her professional involvement nationally and internationally, and her experience with archives of the paranormal.

In a laugh-filled episode, Geoff Williams, former University Archivist at the University at Albany, SUNY, talks to An Archivist's Tale about how he accidentally became an archivist, his first (which was also his last) job as an archivist, his interest in service and in college history, his "Ask Geoff" column, and a little about his influence on Geof Huth, a protege of sorts of his.

Lisa Mix, Senior Archivists at NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medicine, discusses her life as an archivist almost always working in medical archives, back and forth across the country, and the interesting records held by and myths about medical archives.

Rachel Vagts, Head of Special Collections and Archives at Berea College, talks about her beginnings as an archivist, the pleasures of working in small college archives, and her central role in assuring the success of the Archives Leadership Institute over the last six years. Oh, and bell hooks!

Terry Baxter, Archivist for both the Oregon Country Fair and Multnomah County in Oregon, discusses his start in government archives, his involvement in Camp Pitt and the Archives Leadership Institute, and his efforts supporting certification as another means to bring people into the profession of archives.

Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Director of Special Collections and University Archivist at Wake Forest University and then the President of the Society of American Archivists, talks about the unusual start of her career (focused on fly-fishing), her achievements as president of SAA, and what archivists need to know about archivists.

Kathleen Williams, Chief of Archives at the National Gallery of Art, talks to An Archives Tale about her career primarily as a museum archivist, her important role in the creation of the Archives Leadership Institute, and her advocacy work for archives.

Sarah Demb, Senior Records Manager/Archivist at the Harvard University Archives, tells us the three-country story of her career as an archivist, then a records manager, and somehow now both.

Rosemary Pleva Flynn, Principal Librarian and Team Lead for the University of North Dakota Energy Environment Research Center, talks about her work at the crossroads of libraries and archives, her involvement in the Archives Leadership Institute, and her leadership on the online Dictionary of Archives Terminology.

Kevin De Vorsey, an electronic records policy analyst at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, discusses the trajectory of his career from museums to technology to archives, while he deeply covers his technology work at NARA, including the assessment of blockchain technology and the importance of metadata in digital preservation.

In a special episode, Geof Huth and Karen Trivette discuss their experiences at the 2018 Archives Leadership Institute held at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. Karen recounts her experience as a member of that cohort, and Geof reflects on the seven ALIs he has attended, one as a cohort member, and the last six, including this one, as a member of the ALI Steering Committee.

Christopher Barth, the Library Director at the U.S. Military Academy, talks about his career stretching from Alaska to West Point, his work teaching strategic visioning and ethics at the Archives Leadership Institute, and his personal story as a victim of a significant archival theft.

Mark Nigro, Learning Training Coordinator of Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College, talks to An Archivist's Tale about his work helping people and groups achieve their potential and collaborate effectively. Mark reviews his career and about his work with the Archives Leadership Institute as a primary instructor over the last three years. Karen, Geof, and Mark also review their experiences at this last year of ALI held in Berea.