We are pleased to announce details and registration for the upcoming virtual panel discussion co-sponsored by CARL’s Academic Librarians’ Interest Group North (ALIGN) and the Society of California Archivists (SCA):
Doors Wide Open: Advancing Inclusive Access to Special Collections
Thursday, March 4 at 10:30am-12:00pm PST
Register via Zoom
Any search of library or education literature for the term 'library anxiety' reveals a decades-long effort to alleviate the reluctance in user populations, particularly students in higher education, to seek assistance from a librarian or to view the library as approachable or comprehensible at all. This phenomenon is perhaps even more acute in the case of special collections and archives, in which potential users often sense (and the environment can imply) an off-putting air of exclusivity, privilege, and being reserved only for 'serious researchers'. In an era in which institutions are being compelled to address their historical lack of inclusiveness, how can special collections and archives break down these barriers, perceived and actual? How can the broad diversity of the student population be successfully welcomed virtually and in person, and encouraged to engage with primary-source materials?
The following panelists will present on these topics, with time after the presentations for Q&A and discussion:
- Kelci Baughman McDowell and Erin Louthen, Santa Clara University
- Jackie Beckey and Maggie Hughes, The Huntington Library
- Sandy Enriquez, UC Riverside
- Michaela Ullmann, University of Southern California
Please register for the Zoom webinar at this link:
https://ucsc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pc9tynoQQbmf9AgZSgegcA
Participation in this event is subject to the codes of conduct of both the Society of California Archivists and California Academic and Research Libraries.
Automatic live transcription will be available for this webinar. If you require any accommodations, or have any other questions, please contact a member of the ALIGN/SCA Discussion Panel Planning Committee: Ken Lyons (kbplyons@ucsc.edu), Alix Norton (alix.norton@ucsc.edu), Rachel Jaffe (jaffer@ucsc.edu), or Hesper Wilson (hspr@sfsu.edu).
More information about the panelists:
Kelci Baughman McDowell is the Research & Instruction Services Coordinator for Archives & Special Collections at Santa Clara University Library. She holds an MLIS from SJSU and an MFA in Writing from USF.
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As The Huntington’s Reader Services Librarian, Jackie Beckey (she/her/hers) provides support for advanced research in the humanities, develops outreach initiatives for the Library, and manages projects that leverage digital library technologies to enhance user experience. After earning a Master’s in Library and Information Science from St. Catherine University in 2013, she worked at the Minnesota Historical Society as a Reference Librarian. In that role, she provided archival research instruction and developed outreach strategies to assist local tribal communities in building their archives. She is highly motivated by connecting collections and communities, especially when she can help empower a new community of users.
Jackie is a current member of the Society of American Archivists, Native American Archives Section (NAAS) Steering Committee, and serves on the National Strategic Planning Council for the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM).
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Sandy Enriquez is the Special Collections Public Services, Outreach & Community Engagement Librarian at the University of California, Riverside. She holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies from New York University and an M.A. in Library and Information Science from Long Island University. Her research interests include fandom culture, BIPOC speculative fiction, and archives as sites for Indigenous and Latinx community empowerment.
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Maggie Hughes (she/her/hers) is the Archival Processing Manager within the Acquisitions, Cataloging, and Metadata department of the Huntington Library. She leads a team of archivists dedicated to processing archival collections, manuscripts, and visual materials. Current projects include a survey of archival collections, implementing ArchivesSpace, and updating policies and workflows. She’s previously held positions at UCLA, the Getty Research Institute, and UCSF.
Maggie earned a Masters in Information Science from the University of Michigan. She’s a member of the Society of American Archivists, a member and former Chair of the ArchivesSpace Technical Advisory Committee, and serves on the board of the Society of California Archivists.
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Erin Louthen is the University Archivist & Historical Records Manager at Santa Clara University, where she is responsible for the management and coordination of activities in the University Archives, as well as the care and management of archival collections in the Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) department. Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Master’s of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.
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Michaela Ullmann is the Exile Studies Librarian and Instruction Coordinator at USC Libraries’ department of Special Collections. She holds a Magistra Artium degree (M.A. equivalent) in Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology from University of Bonn (Germany), and a Master of Library and Information Sciences degree from San José State University. At the USC Libraries, Michaela oversees the Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, home to Lion Feuchtwanger’s invaluable 30,000 volume rare book collection, as well as papers by German-speaking intellectuals and artists who fled Nazi-Germany and came to Los Angeles in the 1930s and early 1940s. As Instruction Coordinator, she leads her department’s instruction efforts, designs and facilitates primary source instruction in a wide range of subject areas, and collaborates closely with instructors on developing assignments and tools to further students’ engagement with rare books and archives.
