Sandy Yang

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

August 2024: At the SAA annual conference, Sandy co-presented a poster with Sierra King and Nestor Rave on “Developing Social Justice Interventions in Archives in Response to Identified Needs.”

[Poster Summary]: The SJ4A program at the University of Alabama’s SLIS, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, aims to increase BIPOC representation in archives by transforming LIS paraprofessionals into community-embedded archivists. This poster showcases the development of three 2023 cohort members, emphasizing how rigorous training and mentorship equip them to serve their communities and advance the archival profession.

Poster: SAA Annual Conference Graduate Poster

July 2024: Sandy presented at both the ALA Annual Conference and the SAA Research Forum. At ALA, she participated in a panel discussing how the SJ4A program has enriched her professional and academic development.

[SAA Research Forum Presentation Summary]: Sandy presented a 3-minute lightning talk at the SAA Research Forum on the Women-Inclusive Archives Toolkit, which addresses the underrepresentation of women in archival collections. Grounded in critical archival theory, feminist perspectives, and an intersectional framework, the toolkit offers scalable strategies to transform archival practices. Sandy’s case study from the Hauser RAND Archives highlighted how internal assessments uncovered and addressed national systemic gender gaps, leading to more inclusive service delivery and physical spaces. Her presentation provided actionable recommendations for institutions aiming to enhance equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice in their archival practices.

Details: SAA Research Forum Lightning Talk Abstract and Slide

June 2024: Sandy engaged with various employee resource groups during her community project internship, focusing on encouraging communities to donate materials to the archive, particularly through the AAPI group. She managed sensitive material transfers, redactions, permissions, and digital archiving challenges. Sandy released three podcast episodes for the SAA student chapter

Podcast Summaries:

Season 4, Episode 3: Angela Houser on Budget-Friendly Strategies for Community Archives (56 min)
Angela Houser, a digital archivist and manager of special collections at UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses practical, budget-friendly strategies for community archiving. She shares insights on maximizing limited resources and the importance of preserving community histories, even with financial constraints.

Season 4, Episode 2: Laura Daly’s Internship Insights at Carolina Justice Policy Center (31 min)
Laura Daly, a recent University of Alabama graduate, reflects on her archiving internship at Duke University, where she processed a significant collection for the Carolina Justice Policy Center. Laura highlights the importance of internships in gaining real-world experience and discusses the challenges and successes of working on justice-related archival projects.

Season 4, Episode 1: SUCHO: Protecting Ukrainian Heritage with Anna Kijas (37 min)
Anna Kijas kicks off Season 4 by discussing the initiative to preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage amid the 2022 invasion. She details the rapid development of the project, the extensive involvement of volunteers, and the strategies used for digital preservation. Anna emphasizes the critical role of archives in safeguarding cultural identity during 

Details: Archives and Community SAA-UA Podcast

May 2024: Sandy will present at the SAA Conference Research Forum on July 17, 2024, discussing her development of a Women-Inclusive Archives Toolkit aimed at addressing gender gaps in archival collections. She was awarded both the Donald Peterson Student Travel Award by SAA and the Rick Burke Scholarship by the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium, which she plans to use for training in building a California Disaster Archives Database. Sandy is set to serve as the incoming 2024-2025 Secretary for the Association of Moving Image Archivists UA Student Chapter and completed the SAA UA Student Chapter podcast with three interviews. She continues to support the University of Hawaii-Maui’s wildfire archival efforts.

March 2024: Sandy submitted a poster application on behalf of SJ4A cohort members to the SAA.

February 2024: Sandy led the podcast initiative for the SAA student chapter and chaired ASIS&T student meetings.

January 2024: Sandy conducted interviews for the SAA podcast and initiated collaboration with the University of Hawaii-Maui on their wildfire archival collection.

October 2023: Sandy was awarded the Spotlight Award at RAND for her efforts in diversifying the collections. She collaborated with Dr. Bonucci on a community archive project for the Maui wildfires as part of ASIS&T, engaging with cultural institutions in Hawaii for future collaborations.

September 2023: Sandy increased her involvement with ALA, ASIS&T, and SAA student chapters, taking on the role of chair for the sustainability interest group in the SAA UA Chapter.

August 2023: Sandy participated virtually in the SAA Conference and contributed to restarting the community archives podcast within the SAA-UA Student Chapter.

June 2023: Sandy acquired demographic-based usage statistics for her archive at RAND and developed proposals to increase transparency and engagement within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Council. She also presented on a panel at the Society of American Archivists (SAA) regarding her mentorship cohort experiences.

May 2023: Sandy Yang actively contributed to the Staff Council at RAND Corporation, enhancing the DEI knowledge base and providing valuable input in the search for a Chief Diversity Officer.​

My SJ4A ROAD MAP [STRATEGIC EDUCATION PLAN]

FALL 2024

CIS 675: Community-Engaged Scholarship ePortfolio (CE-eP)
Digitizing Women’s Legacies to Expand Archival Access (Fall 2024)

• This Community-Engaged ePortfolio, developed as part of the CIS 675 Fall 2024 course, represents the third phase of an ongoing community project with the Hauser RAND Archives. Building on previous efforts, this phase focuses on the digitization and profiling of nearly 100 women leaders within the archives. The goal is to create a digital collection that enhances the accessibility and visibility of these women’s contributions, advancing the principles of diversity, inclusivity, and equity within archival practices. This work continues the commitment to social justice by preserving and promoting the legacies of women through responsible digital preservation.

SPRING 2024

LS 557: Archival Appraisal. This course explored topics in the selection and appraisal of archival materials, focusing on the principles and approaches influencing how records are selected for long-term retention and preservation.
Assignments:

• Archival Analysis of the Thomas C. Schelling Personal Library: This detailed analysis involved examining the scope, content, and significance of the Schelling Papers within the Hauser RAND Archives. The project provided insights into the intellectual development of Thomas C. Schelling, a Nobel laureate economist and strategic thinker, by analyzing his annotated works and personal library. I identified key themes and contributions in Schelling’s work and proposed strategies for preserving his intellectual legacy, such as digitizing his annotations and creating a thematic guide for researchers.
• Oral History Appraisal and Implementation Plan: I developed an appraisal policy and implementation plan for the Hauser RAND Archives’ oral history collections. This plan aimed to capture and preserve oral testimonies that highlight RAND’s significant role in shaping public policy and societal developments. The project included ethical considerations, legal compliance, and strategies for ensuring the accessibility and preservation of these valuable narratives. For example, I recommended creating detailed transcripts and indexing the oral histories to facilitate research access.

FALL 2023

LS 500: Information Science & Technology. This introductory course examines information science through its conceptual foundations and historical underpinnings, teaching students fundamental approaches to understanding the relationships between information and individuals, organizations, and society.
Assignments:

• Newsletter Project: I created a newsletter reporting on how information science can support sustainable LIS practices for the ALA Student chapter. The project included a framework supported by seminal thinkers in the field and a checklist to ensure the framework’s consistent application. This assignment demonstrated the practical application of information science principles in supporting sustainability initiatives, such as implementing green IT practices and promoting digital literacy.
• Final Project: I developed a user-centered design (UCD) framework to enhance archival accessibility at the RAND Hauser Corporate Archives. This project focused on improving services for women and minority users by integrating user experience design (UXD) principles, ensuring that archival resources are accessible and meaningful. I proposed solutions such as redesigning the archive’s website for better navigation and creating interactive digital exhibits to engage diverse users.

CIS 668: Social Justice ePortfolio (SJ-eP)
Building on Foundations: Enhancing Women’s Archival Presence Towards Social Justice (Fall 2023)

• This Social Justice ePortfolio (SJ-eP), developed as part of the CIS 668 Fall 2023 course, expands upon the initial Diversity & Inclusion ePortfolio from CIS 650 Summer 2023. It further investigates and proposes social justice actions in archival information organizations, focusing on enhancing diversity, inclusivity, and equity for women. The work continues the exploration started at the Hauser RAND Corporation Archives and extends into wider applications for social justice. My SJ-eP builds upon the CIS 650 D&I-eP by proposing a plan to equalize women’s representation in the Archives, identifying areas for growth, and outlining specific social justice actions such as expanding the company’s archival collections related to its women leaders.

SUMMER 2023

LS 555: Introduction to Archival Studies. This course offers an introduction to archival theory and practice, emphasizing the nature and character of archival forms, the role of the archivist in society, the ethics of archival practice, and the social function of records and archives.
Assignments:

• Archival Values and Ethics Statement: I crafted a statement highlighting principles such as equitable access, social responsibility, transparency, diversity, continuous learning, and innovation. These values now underpin my professional approach, pushing me towards modernizing methods, improving digital accessibility, and enhancing community engagement. For example, I proposed specific methods to increase digital accessibility, such as implementing adaptive technologies and offering multilingual resources.
• Annotated Bibliographic Essay: My essay examined women’s history in Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), exploring the challenges and importance of documenting women’s contributions. This research involved analyzing various sources to understand the underrepresentation of women in archival records and proposing methods to address these gaps, such as targeted outreach and collaboration with women’s organizations.

CIS 650: Diversity & Inclusion ePortfolio (D&I-eP)
A Study & Response to Women’s Representation Utilization & Access in the Hauser RAND Corporation Archives (Summer 2023)

• In this ePortfolio, I study the current strategies regarding diversity and inclusion for women at the Hauser RAND Archives in Santa Monica, California, where I have been an archives specialist since 2019. My work seeks to understand the current state of affairs for women in archives and suggests strategies to enhance cultural competence and support effective leadership in our diverse workforce environment. The ePortfolio includes a strategic diversity action plan outlining pathways for progressive growth and fostering an inclusive future for women.

SPRING 2023
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LS 501: Information in Communities. This required course introduces students to values, ethics, and power structures that impact information services to diverse communities. It serves as a foundation for thinking broadly about information communities, power, and the social responsibility of Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals.
Assignments:

• Hot Topic Mini Paper: I explored critical data literacy, focusing on initiatives like the American Library Association (ALA) and Census Data Literacy Project that empower library staff to provide inclusive training using census data. My paper highlighted how data storytelling and understanding local demographics can improve library services and support diverse community needs.
• Reading Response: I reflected on the power structures shaping the creation and access to scholarly information, discussing how the academic publishing oligopoly and Western-centric science create barriers to equitable knowledge dissemination and proposing solutions for LIS professionals to confront these issues.

LS 513: Professional Paths. This course introduces students to the multidisciplinary nature of LIS and the career paths available through the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. It helps students make informed decisions about their educational and professional goals.
Assignments:

• I analyzed job advertisements to understand the skills and qualifications required for various LIS roles, identifying key competencies needed for my career path. For instance, the Instruction Archivist role at Emory University involves managing special collections, developing and training staff, and promoting Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA). This position requires an MLIS or similar degree, three years of relevant experience, and proficiency in IT applications. Another example is the Instructional Design Librarian at UC Riverside, which focuses on expanding library instruction through digital and analog materials and programmatic information literacy instruction services, applying best practices in pedagogy and online teaching. Additionally, I created a resume and cover letter tailored to a specific LIS job. My cover letter for the Los Angeles Air Force Base emphasized my seventeen years of experience at RAND Corporation and my MLIS studies, highlighting my qualifications in archival research, reference services, and adherence to National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) standards. Lastly, I reflected on my professional goals and the steps needed to achieve them, exploring the intersections of archives and social justice and planning for further education and professional development.