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February 16, 2024 - Comments Off on 2024 Candidate Bios for LAAC Leadership Positions:

2024 Candidate Bios for LAAC Leadership Positions:

Steering Committee, Secretary, Programming Subcommittee, Outreach Subcommittee

More info about positions and the election process can be found in our bylaws. Voting ends 02/23/2024. Thank you for your participation!

 

 

Steering Committee (3-year term)

Jimmy Zavala

Candidate bio

Jimmy Zavala is the Teaching and Learning Librarian at UCLA Library Special Collections. Prior to joining UCLA, he was the Project Coordinator Librarian for Transforming Knowledge, Transforming Libraries, a three-year IMLS funded grant research project analyzing the intersection of Ethnic Studies and Community Archives. Jimmy received his MLIS with a specialization in Archival Studies from UCLA.

Candidate statement

Jimmy seeks to carry on the groundwork laid by previous and current members of the steering committee and continue to make LAAC a welcoming organization for the archives community in Los Angeles. Jimmy is committed to supporting members of LAAC with the resources the collective has to offer while working towards expanding the membership of the collective. Furthermore, Jimmy pledges to strive towards uplifting communities historically marginalized and underrepresented in the archives field.

 

Secretary (2-year term)

Isabella Sanchez

Candidate bio and statement

Isabella Sanchez is currently an undergraduate student majoring in History while also working as a student assistant at the Special Collections and Archives at CSULA. She plans to attend SJSU for her MLIS with a focus in archives this upcoming Fall semester. Isabella hopes she’ll be able to learn and grow while taking part as an active member of the LAAC and connect more with the archives community in LA.

 

Programming Subcommittee Chair (1-year term)

Jocelyn Acosta

Candidate statement

As the current Programming Chair, I stepped into this role outside of an election cycle and would like to fulfill a full elected term.

 

Outreach Subcommittee Chair (1-year term)

Meg Suhosky

Candidate bio and statement

Meg Suhosky is a project archivist at the Getty Research Institute. They received their MLIS from SJSU and prior to working at the GRI held project and limited-term positions at the Getty Conservation Institute, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Bitch Media, Oregon Health and Science University, and Portland State University. As a member of LAAC Meg has enjoyed connecting with local archivists and is inspired by the group’s genuine network of support and camaraderie. In 2022, they enjoyed volunteering on both the Programming and Outreach subcommittees. They appreciate the opportunity to serve as Outreach chair this year and hope to continue building upon the amazing work contributed by the previous chair.

October 28, 2023 - Comments Off on LAAC Statement of Solidarity with Palestine

LAAC Statement of Solidarity with Palestine

Dear LAAC Community:

As a genocide in Palestine unfolds at this very moment, we look to history to remind us that the root of violence is injustice. We grieve with our Palestinian and Jewish communities for all lives lost, and we stand in solidarity with the liberation of Palestine. Support of the Palestinian people is not antisemitism. It is urgent to be informed and intentional about the narratives we share.

As archivists, it is our duty to preserve history, provide access to evidence, and promote social awareness. As such, we are compelled to acknowledge the historical context underlying the violence in Palestine today. History shows us that this violence did not start on October 7th, 2023. It emerged from 75 years of occupation, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people by the settler colonial state of Israel.

So, to serve our collective learning and liberation, we offer a list of resources, some of which are archives specific and some of which are not.

We add our voices to those of activists, students, and people from all faiths and walks of life speaking out against the ongoing genocide. As information workers, we also express our concern at the rising number of cases of censorship and the stifling of free speech about Palestine and Palestinian human rights. We unequivocally uphold our right to freedom of speech and protection from censorship and harassment.

Collectively, we can use our skills and knowledge to cut through campaigns of misinformation, which we recognize as the manifestation of racism and Islamophobia. Spread awareness on social media. Protect each other during protests by blurring faces in photos to keep identities private. Donate funds, sign petitions, and call your representatives.

LAAC is committed to dismantling systems of oppression, white supremacy, and colonialism everywhere.

In solidarity, 

Los Angeles Archivists Collective Leadership

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

RESOURCES

Archival & Library Organizations

  • Librarians and Archivists with Palestine is a network of self-defined librarians, archivists, and information workers in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.
  • Palestinian Libraries are a focus of the Social Responsibilities Round Table within the American Library Association (ALA).

Reading Lists:

Local Archives: 

Virtual Archives: 

Donations:

  • Palestine Red Crescent Society is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies providing healthcare and humanitarian assistance to Palestine.
  • Palestine Children's Relief Fund provides free medical care to injured and ill children who lack local access to care within the local health care system.

Actions: 

  • US Campaign for Palestinian Rights offers resources and strategic support for local organizers, activists, and policymakers in solidarity with Palestine.
  • Jewish Voice for Peace is a grassroots movement led by Jewish Americans in solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle.
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January 13, 2022 - Comments Off on 2022 Call for Nominations!

2022 Call for Nominations!

The Los Angeles Archivists Collective is accepting nominations and volunteers for the following positions, with terms beginning in February 2022

  • Steering Committee member (3 years)
  • Subcommittee members:
    • Outreach, 3-5 members
    • Programming, Co-Chair to serve with existing Co-Chair, and 3-5 members
    • Publications, 1-2 members (preferably with web production and/or design knowledge)

These positions will provide LAAC members with an opportunity to lead and contribute to future programming efforts, as well as engage, collaborate, and build relationships with other local archivists and professional organizations. For a complete description of the duties and responsibilities carried out by these positions, see the LAAC bylaws at https://www.laacollective.org/about/bylaws/

Steering Committee Membership

The Steering Committee coordinates the organization’s meetings; presides at all meetings and seeks members to serve on subcommittees. The Steering Committee will also form ad-hoc groups as needed which include, but are not limited to: a holiday party/fundraising committee, a nominating committee, the Mentorship Network team, a website revision committee, and a scholarship committee.

Subcommittee Membership

Subcommittees make up the heart of LAAC and assist in the coordination of much of the organization’s work. The Outreach committee works to connect LAAC members via social media and information dissemination, the Programming committee develops and delivers relevant programs and events, and the publications group works on the digital and physical publications (including Acid Free magazine).

Members are not elected--they volunteer to be active subcommittee members. Terms are for 1 year and are renewable. Students are especially encouraged to participate in these positions - LAAC is interested in having local student representatives from Los Angeles County and the Southern California region.

Each subcommittee will meet in-person or virtually three to four times a year, and check in with other local professional organizations to avoid duplicate efforts and/or identify potential collaborations for projects or events. For more information, see the Subcommittees section on our about page at https://www.laacollective.org/about/.

The deadline for nominations is Monday, January 31st, 2021 (self-nominations are encouraged). To submit nominations or self-nominate, complete this short form.

If applying for a steering committee position you will be asked to include a short biography (less than 100 words) and candidate statement detailing current work, professional interests, and ideas for the candidate's role in LAAC (100 words). For the subcommittee positions, you will be asked to provide a few informal sentences about yourself.

March 23, 2021 - Comments Off on LAAC Stands in Solidarity with the Asian American Community

LAAC Stands in Solidarity with the Asian American Community

Dear LAAC Community:

According to the Stop AAPI Hate National Report, 3,795 hate incidents were reported between March 2020 through February 2021, 45% of which took place in California. These are the reported incidents, with so many others going unreported.

LAAC condemns the harassment and hate crimes being perpetrated against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. We are incredibly heartsick and outraged at the March 16, 2021 murders in Atlanta of Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Yong Ae Yue, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Paul Andre Michels. These murders, along with the increasing frequency of anti-Asian violence across the country, are deeply disturbing. 

Los Angeles is a beautiful and complicated city, with its own fraught history of race and gender-based hate. Racism and sexism aimed at the AAPI community is not new, nor is domestic terrorism. As archival and library professionals, it is essential that we embed anti-racism and anti-sexism into our work and lives, as well as act when it is easier to remain silent. 

This Collective is growing and changing, as it should, and as we grieve together we also hope that we will continue to fight together. We encourage the LAAC community to explore the resources below for ways to take action in support of our AAPI colleagues, friends, families, and neighbors. 

In solidarity,

Los Angeles Archivists Collective Leadership + Founders

RESOURCES

Historical and regional (Los Angeles County) resources:

Resources for supporting the AAPI community:

Active bystander resources and training:

  • Hollaback: Free bystander intervention training to stop Anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment.
  • Stop AAPI Hate: Mechanism for reporting a hate incident. 

Demand accountability from our elected officials:

How to donate to the families of the March 16, 2021 Atlanta spa shooting victims:

 

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January 11, 2023 - Comments Off on 2023 Candidate Bios for LAAC Leadership Positions:

2023 Candidate Bios for LAAC Leadership Positions:

Steering Committee, Publications Subcommittee, Outreach Subcommittee, Secretary, Treasurer

More info about positions and the election process can be found in our bylaws.

Voting ends 01/25/2023. Thank you for your participation!

 

Steering Committee (3-year term)

Lizeth Ramirez

Candidate bio

Lizeth Ramirez is currently a Librarian/Archivist for Los Angeles Communities and Cultures at UCLA Library Special Collections. Her current work and collecting priorities focus on local marginalized communities, working to center them and their stories in the archival record. She received her MLIS with a focus on archival studies from San Jose State University. Prior to joining UCLA, she was an Archivist and Reference Librarian at the Orange Public Library & History Center in Orange, California, where she managed the local history archive for over eleven years. Born and raised in Southern California, she has worked in a variety of library settings as both a library assistant and librarian for over 18 years.

Candidate statement

As a member of the Los Angeles Archivists Collective (LAAC), Lizeth has long admired the community-based approach of the organization and its inclusivity. As a Los Angeles-are archival organization, LAAC’s focus on providing outreach to local communities is vital. This work helps bridge the divide between institutionally held and community held collections and archives. As a member of the Steering Committee, Lizeth would offer her own experience working with local communities to continue such outreach and advocacy. She would also be interested in encouraging the participation in LAAC of archival students and professions operating outside of the academic sphere. Encouraging diversity in both its members and outreach efforts will further strengthen the mission and goals of LAAC.

Jimmy Zavala

Candidate bio

Jimmy Zavala is the Teaching and Learning Librarian at UCLA Library Special Collections. Prior to joining UCLA, he was the Project Coordinator Librarian for Transforming Knowledge, Transforming Libraries, a three-year IMLS funded grant research project analyzing the intersection of Ethnic Studies and Community Archives. Jimmy received his MLIS with a specialization in Archival Studies from UCLA.

Candidate statement

Jimmy seeks to carry on the groundwork laid by previous and current members of the steering committee and continue to make LAAC a welcoming organization for the archives community in Los Angeles. Jimmy is committed to supporting members of LAAC with the resources the collective has to offer while working towards expanding the membership of the collective. Furthermore, Jimmy pledges to strive towards uplifting communities historically marginalized and underrepresented in the archives field.

 

Publications Subcommittee Chair (1-year term)

Lori Dedeyan

Candidate bio

Lori Dedeyan is the Archivist at the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. She received her MLIS in 2014 and has previously worked at the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley and at UCLA Library Special Collections. She enjoys writing on the intersection of art and archives and has done so in the past as a contributor to LAAC’s magazine, Acid Free. Lori has been the Chair of the Publications Subcommittee since 2020 and most recently led the publication of Acid Free’s ARTISTS issue.

 

Outreach Subcommittee Chair (1-year term)

John B. Henry

Candidate statement

As the current Outreach Chair, I stepped into this role outside of an election cycle and would like to fulfill a full elected term.

 

Secretary (2-year term)

Sydney Henry

Candidate bio

Sydney (she/they) is a detail-oriented and organized archival professional with established experience in data and collection management and digital preservation. She is passionate about promoting cultural heritage while aiding institutions in becoming more efficient in their information management. Sydney is currently finishing a grant funded project at the Corita Art Center as a Digitization Project Archivist and will subsequently serve as the Metadata Specialist at The Academy's Film Archive.

Candidate statement

Stepped into the position late and would be delighted to fill a full term. As a recent-ish LA transplant it has been a great way to be involved with local archivists and archives enthusiasts!

Treasurer (2-year term)

Lauren McDaniel

Candidate bio

I have over fifteen years of collections experience and hold graduate degrees in archival studies and the histories of visual and material culture. Currently, I am Special Collections Coordinator and Subject Librarian for History at Chapman University. Previously, I have held temporary archivist positions at the Getty Research Institute and UCLA Library Special Collections. Since 2003, I have also been a self-employed information professional, managing my own business finances as well as clients’ accounts and expenses.

Candidate statement

I am LAAC's current treasurer and am volunteering to continue for another term. If re-elected, I aim to continue to improve upon how we financially communicate to and receive assistance from the Society of California Archivists, as one of its affiliate organizations. I have participated in and benefitted from LAAC’s valuable network and activities over the past few years. In addition to fulfilling my duties as Treasurer, I hope to continue to add to LAAC's value as a peer network during my next term, making it an ever-stronger resource and voice for our archival community.