Introducing: Society of American Archivists Student Chapter

Career Blog

Published: September 9, 2016 by Kate M. Spaulding

Today I’d like to introduce you to SJSU’s student chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). If you’re a MARA student, MLIS student on the Archival Studies and Records Management career pathway, or curious about archives, your fellow classmates want to connect!

Today I’d like to introduce you to SJSU’s student chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). If you’re a MARA student, MLIS student on the Archival Studies and Records Management career pathway, or curious about archives, your fellow classmates want to connect!

What’s your name, and what role do you play in the organization? 
My name is Rebecca Leung, and I’m the SAASC Chair for the 2016-2017 academic year. I would also like to introduce Tiana Trutna, who is the Vice Chair and the leader of the Events Team. Amanda Mellinger is our Secretary and the leader of the Web Team. A big shout out to our team members Heather Kohles (Events Team) and Melissa Schack Rupp (Web Team).

Can you tell us a little bit about the organization? 
SAASC is the iSchool’s Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists, North America’s oldest and largest archival professional association. To be a voting member of SAASC, you must also be a member of SAA. This is a great package deal because you can take advantage of all of the benefits of our parent organization (a complimentary subscription to Archival Outlook, access to the mentoring program, discounts, and more) in addition to becoming involved with SAASC. However, don’t forget that it is not necessary to be a member to participate in our fabulous online events, tours, and meetings! We invite all students to join us and see what SAASC can offer.

What do you like best about being a part of this organization? (or, what’s your best argument for persuading students to join?) 
As a person who is starting her second career, I am interested in immersing myself in all things related to archives. SAASC gives me the opportunity to learn about the archives world and make connections with students and professionals. I love the online events because I can spend time learning about the different aspects of archives in the comfort of my own home. For example, Katherine Skinner’s presentation on Preservation in the spring inspired me to take her class this semester! Tours are amazing because you can get the insider’s perspective and meet people in person. I also love keeping up with SAASC online. Our blog, Facebook and Twitter feeds are very active, and you can find a supportive community there. Our online publication, Archeota, creates a forum for student voices in a way that I think is really meaningful. Students should consider getting involved with SAASC if they are just a little bit curious about archives! We are a friendly group and would love to connect.

How can students get involved? 
I highly encourage students to get involved. It can add richness and depth to your iSchool experience, and it looks great on a resume or your e-portfolio! There are many ways to participate. Students could publish an article in Archeota, or even participate on the editorial board (we are currently looking for an Managing Editor in Training). Our Events Team and Web Team are looking for members as well. Students can also interact with us on social media or write a blog post for our website! A special project that I have in mind is updating the iSchool’s Career Environments page to include Archives & Records. One final word… all of SAASC’s officers are expecting to graduate in Spring 2017, so if you are interested, now is the time to get involved!

Are there any upcoming events you’d like to tell us about? 
Sure! Tiana, who serves the iSchool community as both SAASC’s Vice Chair and the Chair of ALASC, organized a Student Showcase Panel last semester. This is an extremely worthwhile event that allows students to learn about the iSchool’s student associations. This semester, the Panel will be held on Wednesday, 9/14 at 7pm Pacific Time. SAASC is proud to participate in this event. In addition to that, we have tentative plans to hold a tour of the SJSU archives and an online event later in the fall. Keep an eye out for the 3rd annual SAASC open meeting and tour of the California State Archives in Sacramento at the end of spring semester!

Tell us where to find your organization on the interwebs! 

Comments

Post new comment