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

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

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.

Steering Committee, Programming Chair, Secretary, Treasurer

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

Steering Committee (3-year term)

Jasmine Larkin

Jasmine Larkin is currently the Accessioning Archivist at UCLA Library Special Collections. In this role, she has primary responsibility for accessioning activities and is currently developing a retrospective accessioning project to address UCLA’s collections backlog. She received her MLIS with a specialization in Archival Studies from UCLA, and she previously held positions at the Getty Research Institute and New York University. She has been an active member of LAAC’s Programming Subcommittee since 2019 and recently served as the subcommittee’s co-chair in 2020.

Jasmine appreciates the accessible, supportive, and inclusive community that LAAC has built  over the years. 2020 has demonstrated that our communities are vital for providing the support, knowledge, and resources we need to take on the many challenges we encounter individually and collectively. If elected to the Steering Committee, Jasmine would endeavor to help LAAC continue to uphold and foster an equitable and egalitarian environment for its members, with particular advocacy for emerging professionals and underrepresented groups. Through these efforts to bring new, diverse professionals into the community, Jasmine believes that LAAC will be a stronger organization that is better equipped to support its members and their professional aspirations.

Programming Subcommittee Chair (1-year term)

Michael Sokol

My name is Michael Sokol (he/him). I am a first-year MLIS student at UCLA. Concentrating on Archival Studies, I am interested in community archiving, artist archives, Indigenous librarianship, audio preservation, and the intersection of archives and human rights. I am originally from western Massachusetts and am now based in L.A. I worked as a radio producer and DJ for many years, and I now (sporadically) produce a podcast where I have conversations with artists about the relationship between art and social transformation.

Secretary (2-year term)

Carolina Meneses

Carolina Quezada Meneses was most recently the Manuscripts Division Archival Resident at Princeton University Library where she focused on reviewing, researching, and assisting the Digital Archivist with updating digital processing guidelines. She received her MLIS with a specialization in Archival Studies from UCLA, and has previously worked at UC Irvine Special Collections and Archives and UCLA Library Special Collections. Carolina is interested in the preservation of dance and performing arts and by extension, audiovisual and digital preservation.

I’m really excited to self-nominate for the secretary position at LAAC. I’ve been involved with LAAC since I moved to Southern California to pursue my MLIS back in 2018. I’ve attended a few archives tours, as well as presented at the ArchiveNOW conference in 2018 and contributed to the Movement issue of Acid Free in 2019. Over the years, I’ve met and worked with other members of LAAC and as such feel very rooted in the community and can envision myself becoming a more integral part of the collective.

Treasurer (2-year term)

Lauren McDaniel

I have over fifteen years of collections experience and hold degrees in history, visual and material culture, and archival studies. Currently, I am a temporary Special Collections Archivist at the Getty Research Institute. Just prior, I was the temporary Visual Materials Processing Archivist at UCLA Library Special Collections. While at UCLA, my colleagues and I used our collective power to file a union grievance against UCLA Library regarding temporary appointments. Two years on, the grievance continues, as does our fight against the widespread problem of contingent labor in the cultural heritage and education fields. Since 2003, I have also been a self-employed information professional, managing my own business finances as well as clients’ accounts and expenses.

I have participated in and benefited from LAAC’s valuable network and activities over the past few years, including Acid Free featuring my article about UCLA’s Barbara and Willard Morgan papers in its movement-themed issue. I now want to step up my organizational involvement by running for the leadership position to which I could best contribute: Treasurer. Using my dual skills in organizing—information and labor—I would help make LAAC an even stronger resource and voice for our archival community.

 

 

The Los Angeles Archivists Collective (LAAC) is accepting nominations for the following positions, with terms beginning in 2021

• Steering Committee member (3 years)
• Secretary (2 years)
• Treasurer (2 years)

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 the 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

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, the Holiday Party/Fundraising committee; Nominating committee; and Scholarship committee.

Secretary & Treasurer

The LAAC secretary and treasurer are acting members of the leadership team. The secretary attends community and leadership meetings, in order to accurately record meeting minutes. They also may be asked to update website pages to reflect current resources. The treasurer manages LAAC finances, including bank accounts and programming funds.More information about each position can be found on the LAAC website.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 22nd, 2021 (self-nominations are encouraged).

To submit nominations, email hello@laacollective.org with the nominee name and position. Include a short biography and candidate statement detailing current work, professional interests, and ideas for the candidate's role in LAAC (approximately 200 words). The online ballot will open the week of January 25, 2021.

In addition, LAAC seeks the following subcommittee members:

• Outreach, 3-5 members
• Programming, Chair and 3-5 members
• Publications, 1-2 members (preferably with web production and/or design knowledge)

Members are not elected--they volunteer to be active subcommittee members. Terms are for 1 year. Students are especially encouraged to participate in these positions - LAAC is interested in having local student representatives from UCLA, San Jose State, University of North Texas, and USC.

Each subcommittee will meet in-person or virtually three 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/.

To sign up for a subcommittee member position, email hello@laacollective.org by Friday, January 22, 2021 and specify which subcommittee you are interested in. Please also include a few sentences about yourself.

We look forward to receiving your nominations and applications. Please feel free to email with any questions: hello@laacollective.org.