The 2014–2016 ARL/Society of American Archivists (SAA) Mosaic Program fellows participated in the second annual Mosaic Leadership Forum on August 18, 2015, during the SAA Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Also participating this year was Rachel E. Winston, one of the two 2015 winners of the Harold T. Pinkett Minority Student Award, which SAA presents to minority graduate students who, through scholastic and personal achievement, manifest an interest in becoming professional archivists and active members of SAA.
The daylong Mosaic Leadership Forum focused on leadership in the archives profession, increasing diversity in the field, and involvement in professional organizations at SAA and beyond. The event also included a practical session on job interview techniques and strategies for transitioning into the professional archives workforce. Fellows were met with opportunities to interact and network with advanced professionals who have taken on a variety of roles within their organizations as well as opportunities to further build community as a cohort.
Mosaic Program Advisory Group member and moderator of this year’s forum, Rose L. Chou, said, “The entire experience really highlighted the importance of building a support network and providing areas for professional growth for students and new archivists. As a member of the Advisory Group, it was rewarding to see how our work throughout the year came together to support this group of highly insightful and ambitious students.”
Funded by a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the goal of the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program is to recruit students from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups who are committed to the archives and special collections profession and to advancing the diversity concerns within the field. The agenda for this year’s forum (PDF) and more information about the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program can be found on the ARL website.
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in the US and Canada. ARL’s mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the web at https://www.arl.org/.
Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists (SAA) is North America’s oldest and largest national archival professional association. It is the preeminent source of professional resources and the principal communication hub for American archivists. Through its activities and advocacy efforts, SAA promotes the values and diversity of archives and archivists and enables archivists to achieve professional excellence and foster innovation to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of enduring value. SAA is on the web at http://www.archivists.org/.
