Candidates for President
Erik Moore
Employment University Archivist & Co-Director, University Digital Conservancy, University of Minnesota Archives, 2012–present; Assistant University Archivist and Lead Archivist for the Health Sciences, University of Minnesota Archives; 2010–2011; Project Archivist, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, 2006–2010; Digital Program Associate, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, 2002–2006. Education M.L.I.S., Dominican University, 2005; M.A., Historical Studies, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 1999; B.A., Russian Studies, Gustavus Adolphus College, 1995. Professional Activities MAC: Member since 2006; Vice President, 2016-2018; Council, 2013–2016; Nominating Committee, 2011; Local Arrangements Committee, 2011; Marketing Tools Task Force, 2010–2012; Webmaster, 2008–2012; Program Committee, 2008. SAA: Member since 2004; Electronic Records Section Steering Committee, 2013–2016; Membership Committee, 2012–2015; Chair, Research Libraries Roundtable, 2011–2013; Key Contact, 2007–2012; Program Student Subcommittee, 2007. Twin Cities Archives Round Table (TCART): Member since 2005; President, 2006–2010; Webmaster, 2005–2010. Question for Candidate: What are MAC’s key strengths and weaknesses when thinking about the diverse backgrounds of its members (educational and training, ethnic and cultural, geographic, and organizational)? As President, how will you help create a collaborative atmosphere in order to build on its strengths and address weaknesses? Response from President Candidate Erik Moore: MAC’s fundamental weakness is not raising the value of the needs of those who have the least voice in our membership and our leadership. While serving as MAC’s Vice President, I oversaw a task force that reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the annual symposium. What we discovered in this process is that MAC does not take the opportunity to reach out to develop member components. Symposia and educational workshops focus primarily on tools and standards making our approach to our profession a pragmatic, scholastic exercise that excludes many. What is missing is an opportunity to develop conversations, dialogue, and relationships between members and beyond. While these relationships can develop naturally through our meetings, MAC could do more to foster these connections and make them more inclusive, not just within our membership, but with the many communities within our region who are doing the work of archives who are not part of MAC. More to the point, also while serving as Vice President, a MAC member told me that MAC has avoided race as an issue in our organization. That archivists of color in the region choose not to participate in MAC believing they are not welcome. Diversifying our organization at all levels is the only way we can become more welcoming. The process will challenge us in many ways and it will not be easy to see or appreciate how our institutional and unintentional prejudices will block us at every step along the way. The fear of addressing these uncomfortable biases is what makes others feel unwelcome. What is past does not need to be prologue. I believe MAC’s greatest strength is the resolve to be a more welcoming space. Anke Voss
Employment: Director of Archives and Special Collections, Champaign County Historical Archives, The Urbana Free Library, 2005-present; Adjunct Lecturer, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006-present; Archivist/Special Collections Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2000-2005; Project Archivist, Rockefeller Archive Center, 1996-1999; Project Archivist, Lafayette College, 1994-1996; Assistant Editor, 1993-1994, Research Assistant,1990-1993, Margaret Sanger Papers Project, Smith College/New York University; Archives Intern, Sophia Smith Collection/College Archives, Smith College, 1989-August 1990. Education: M..L.S., University at Albany, The State University of New York, 1993; M.A., History, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1989; B.A ., History, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1986. Professional Activities: MAC: Member since 1999;Council (elected), 2016-2019; Cochair, Organizing Committee, Fall Symposium, 2014; Chair, Nominating Committee (appointed), 2012-2013; Treasurer (elected), 2010-2012; Public Information Officer (appointed), 2008-2010; Cochair, Organizing Committee, Fall Symposium, 2007; Cochair, Local Arrangements Committee, Spring annual meeting, 2006; Nominating Committee (Elected), 2005-2006; Cochair, Program Committee, Fall annual meeting, 2004. SAA: Member since 1994; Manuscript Repositories Section, (Chair, Vice Chair, Steering Committee), 2014-2017; Chair, Public Library Archives/Special Collections Roundtable, 2013-2014; Steering Committee, Manuscript Repositories Section, 2010-2012; Cochair, Women’s Collections Roundtable, 2006-2007; Steering Committee, College & University Archives Section, 2005-2007; Cochair, Preservation Section, Publications Committee, 2000-2001; Cochair, Preservation Section, Education Committee, 1997-1999; Editor, Infinity, Preservation Section Newsletter, 1997-2000. Other: Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference: Program Committee, Fall 1999 Meeting; Local Arrangement Committee, Spring 1998 Meeting; Program Committee, Fall 1996 Meeting; Nominations and Elections Committee, 1997-1998. Other Selected Activities: Archives Leadership Institute, Berea College, 2017; Perspectives on Women's Archives, Edited by Tanya Zanish-Belcher with Anke Voss, SAA, 2013; Marcia Thomas and Anke Voss, Compilers, Emergency Response Planning in College Libraries, CLIP Note #40. ACRL/ALA, 2009. Question for Candidate: What are MAC’s key strengths and weaknesses when thinking about the diverse backgrounds of its members (educational and training, ethnic and cultural, geographic, and organizational)? As President, how will you help create a collaborative atmosphere in order to build on its strengths and address weaknesses? Response from President Candidate Anke Voss: Since adopting its strategic plan in 2016, MAC has attained important milestones. It continues to offer value to members throughout the region, and engagement with the profession, including new initiatives like the upcoming business archives pre-conference. I would advocate for exploring ways to make MAC’s resources even more accessible, by developing webinars based on content developed at MAC meetings, Speaker’s Bureau presentations, and in collaboration with other organizations. MAC is welcoming to the new practitioner as well as the seasoned professional. But participation in all areas of our organization is what’s imperative to create a collaborative atmosphere, representative of the interests of all members. As president, I would not only advocate for meeting strategic goals to increase membership, but also achieve participation at all levels of the organization, and represent the diverse backgrounds of our membership. As recommended by Council member Harrison Inefuku, let’s commit to seeking diversity in leadership positions, but also our presenters, and reflect the backgrounds of our membership, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, years in the profession, region, and type of institution. Finally, in our effort to welcome student members, we’ve taken a great step by offering a reduced student membership. I also support Council recommendations to further engage students, by establishing a presence at area library programs, by appointing MAC student representatives and collaborating with existing SAA student chapters. I also support Council recommendation to explore establishing student internship opportunities with MAC committees and Council. I would be very honored to serve MAC as president. I look forward to working with MAC’s leadership and members to build on its strengths and to be responsive to the needs of all of its members and issues that concern our profession. Thank you for your consideration. |
