IASA Executive Board 2020: election candidates

Tre Berney (candidate for President)

Greetings, IASA colleagues and friends. I am currently the Director of Digitization and Conservation Services at Cornell University Library (CUL) where I oversee staff, production schedules, collection priorities, and structural finances for the central preservation and access programs. More specifically, I direct collections funding for audiovisual collections support and digital preservation activities across our 18 unit and 2 virtual libraries. In this role, I also lead the renowned Digital Consulting and Production Services (DCAPS) unit at CUL, frequently consulting on digital production, asset and metadata management workflows, software assessment, and user experience goals for clients throughout the University and beyond. I serve as chair of the faculty advisory group for the Grants Program for Digital Collections in Arts and Sciences, in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell. I frequently work with Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, which houses the largest collection of naturally occurring sound in the world. I’ve led many different kinds of outreach and strategic alignment efforts for CUL, both at home and abroad, working with library partners, donors and cultural heritage and memory institutions to coordinate cross-functional policies, fundraising strategies and activities. In partnership with the Henry R. Luce Foundation, I served as liaison to Chinese universities to further develop existing relationships around sharing of resources and knowledge. I’ve been an active member of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) since 2013. I’m a past chair for the Audio and Moving Image Section of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and have served as liaison to the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA).

Prior to my career at Cornell, I was an independent filmmaker and worked in media production for clients such as Discovery Networks, A&E, The Learning Channel, History Network, Biography, and PBS. I have an extensive background audiovisual production, digitization, and mastering. As a filmmaker, I’ve written and directed several documentary films for public policy centers and media, working with archives at various institutions, including the Highlander Center. Early in my career, I assisted in digitizing part of David Lewiston’s archive, part of which is now housed at the Smithsonian Institution.

My vision for IASA includes:
· Engagement - One of the things I’ve always valued about IASA is its reach and impact. Our ability to transcend geographical boundaries is something special and powerful. Continued, essential collaboration with partners like UNESCO, CCAAA, FIAT/IFTA, and others is key.
· Open Access - Continuing to lead knowledge sharing in sound and audiovisual archives for institutions of all sizes, particularly for the advantage of small, underfunded archives and institutions around the world. The move to open journal publishing represents this commitment and there is more to do to support sustainable, open access.
· Inclusion and belonging - The considerable privilege of giving back to our community of practice requires a continued commitment to inclusivity. I believe inclusion helps our practice evolve through a diversity of perspectives and helps support all professionals, especially early career archivists and time-based media conservators.

Judith Opoku-Boateng (candidate for Vice-President)

Current Leadership at IASA
Judith is the current Chair of the Diversity Task Force. She also serves on the Programmes Committee; and is a member of the Research Archives Committee. In addition, she is IASA’s ambassador for Ghana and West Africa.

Contributions from Ghana, West Africa
As the Head Archivist of the J.H. Kwabena Nketia Archives at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Judith oversees an audiovisual heritage preservation programme which supports both academic research and creative engagement. Beyond the university, Judith has served as a resource person and consultant; she is an advocate for the sustainability of the profession; and she promotes the training of young professionals within the region.

Judith's Vision for Resilience And Growth
IASA has been fortunate to have developed a culture that champions diversity, equity and inclusion. We can build upon this foundation when carrying out future events and initiatives. Facilitated by digital tools, an orientation towards learning and openness, and by taking advantage of existing and future strategic partnerships, we can strengthen and grow the IASA community. Our mission will be achieved by maintaining our core values of community: Courage, equity, progress and results; as we activate our networks to expand membership.

Perla Olivia Rodríguez Reséndiz (candidate for Vice-President)

Investigadora de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Doctora en Documentación por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Fue distinguida como embajadora para América Latina en la Asociación Internacional de Archivos Sonoros y Audiovisuales (IASA).

Coordina la Red Iberoamericana de Preservación Digital de Archivos Sonoros y Audiovisuales (RIPDASA).

Fue Subdirectora de Producción en Radio Educación y coordinó el Laboratorio de Experimentación Artística Sonora (LEAS).

Contribuyó en la organización de la Conferencia Anual de IASA realizada en México en 2006.

Coordinó el Seminario Internacional de Archivos Sonoros y Audiovisuales de 2001 a 2013 y, a partir de 2015, el Congreso Internacional de Archivos Digitales organizado en la UNAM.

Contribuyó en la fundación de la Fonoteca Nacional de México y en esta institución fue directora de Promoción y Difusión del Sonido de 2008 a 2013.

Cuál es tu perspectiva de la asociación y dónde ves a IASA en 10 años?
Tras 50 años de trabajo continuo IASA es una de las organizaciones de mayor prestigio internacional por las acciones en favor de la preservación del patrimonio sonoro. He participado en IASA desde 2001 y, desde entonces percibo que los valores que sostienen a esta organización son la multiculturalidad, solidaridad y generosidad para compartir saberes y experiencias. A través del trabajo de los comités, la Conferencia Anual y las publicaciones se diseminan y discuten temas de vanguardia y alternativas de preservación de la herencia sonora.

Los miembros de IASA están comprometidos en la protección del patrimonio sonoro. Protegen y salvaguardan importantes colecciones, algunas de las cuales están en riesgo de desaparecer. En particular, me gustaría subrayar que la presencia de IASA en América Latina ha sido relevante para la protección de este patrimonio.

Considero que en la próxima década los desafíos de IASA serán:
· Colaborar en reducir la brecha que divide a los archivos que han logrado digitalizar sus colecciones y han emprendido sofisticados sistemas de preservación digital y los que han perdido y seguirán perdiendo valiosas grabaciones porque aún no han iniciado su digitalización.
· Contribuir en la creación y mantenimiento de archivos digitales como herramientas de preservación digital sustentable de contenidos sonoros.
· Fortalecer la presencia de la asociación en todo el mundo a través de la difusión de sus publicaciones, cursos y talleres, conferencias, seminario y foros en diversos idiomas. Uno de los ámbitos que puede tener mayor impacto es la formación on line en diferentes idiomas.
· Erigirse como la organización de referencia y punto de encuentro entre instituciones de la memoria, universidades y centros de investigación e instituciones públicas de todos los países.

She is a researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. PhD in Documentation Sciences from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

She is Ambassador of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) for Latin America and coordinates the Iberoamerican Network for Digital Preservation of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (RIPDASA).

At Radio Educación she was a Deputy Director of Production, and coordinator of the Laboratory of Artistic Sound Experimentation (LEAS).

She was part of the coordination of the IASA Conference in 2006 in México, coordinated the International Sound and Audiovisual Seminar from 2001 to 2011 and reach the International Congress in Digital Archives in 2015.

She participated in the foundation of the Fonoteca Nacional de México. In that institution was director of Promotion and Sound Diffusion from 2008 to 2013.

What is your vision for the association, and where do you see IASA in 10 years?
After 50 years of continuous work, IASA is one of the most prestigious international organizations for the preservation of sound heritage. From my experience in IASA since 2001, I believe that the values that support this organization are multiculturalism, solidarity and generosity to share knowledge and experiences. Through the work of the committees, the Annual Conference and the publications are discussing leading-edge themes and are spreader the alternatives for the preservation of the sound heritage are spread.

IASA members are committed to protecting the sound heritage. They protect and safeguard important collections, some of which are at risk of disappearing. In particular, I would like to emphasize that IASA's presence in Latin America has been relevant to the protection of this heritage.

I believe that in the next decade the challenges for IASA will be:
· To work together to reduce the gap between those archives that have been successful in digitizing their collections and have developed sophisticated digital preservation systems and those that have lost and will continue to lose valuable recordings because they have not yet begun digitizing.
· Contribute to the creation and maintenance of digital archives as sustainable digital preservation tools for audio content.
· To strengthen the association's presence around the world through the dissemination of its publications, courses and workshops, conferences, seminars and forums in various languages. One of the areas that can have the greatest impact is online training in different languages.
· To become the organization of reference and meeting point between memory institutions, universities and research centers and public institutions in all countries.

Rosie Rowe (candidate for Vice-President)

Rosie Rowe is the Audiovisual Preservation Specialist at Iowa State University, designing and implementing AV preservation infrastructure, workflows and developing grantable projects for the University Library Preservation Department. Previously, Rosie was the AV Preservation Senior Advisor for the New Zealand National Archives, where they advised on the procurement of Peter Jackson’s film lab for a massive film-to-film preservation project. Rosie’s main professional focus is designing realistic AV preservation infrastructure and workflows, which are friendly to smaller institutions that may have fewer resources and narrower available skill sets. She is also focused on inclusion and actively recruits students of color and LGBTQ students into the AV lab at ISU.

My vision for the future of IASA:

We know that identity shapes our perceptions and experiences and in our field this can translate into the way we shape, and care for our archival collections. At the Iowa State University (ISU) Library AV Preservation Lab, we prioritize cultural competency as a core value in order to broaden, and care for our archival collections. I understand this to be as important as the technical competencies we expect of our team members. I believe that this core value creates not only a more dynamic collection, but also a more welcoming, and inclusive environment for all.

I will bring this philosophy as an executive board member in order to help shape IASA’s future. It is critical to support professionals who can seek out, and care for collections that might be under-the-radar, or simply neglected. In doing so, we can continue to build collections, skillsets, and professionals that have been historically left out. For that reason, it is all the more imperative that we support the people who bring the lens, background, and lived experience within IASA to properly advocate for these collections so critical to our global social memory.

Yuri Shimoda (candidate for Vice-President)

The strength of IASA lies in the diversity of its members. My vision for the association is that it grows its membership to include more community-based sound and audiovisual archives. I am committed to forming relationships with community-based archives staff and volunteers in order to build a strong international network of collaboration and ensuring that these organizations are aware of all of the resources that IASA provides. It is through all types of archives sharing their knowledge, experiences, and innovations with one another that members can continue to effectively address the issues facing those who care for sound and moving image collections. In 10 years, IASA will remain a leading voice in the preservation of sound and audiovisual materials through its publications, conference workshops and presentations, and task force reports.

While completing my master’s in Library and Information Science in UCLA’s media archival studies program, I worked for the UCLA Music Library, UCLA Library Special Collections, and as a UCLA Community Archives Lab/Andrew W. Mellon Foundation intern at Visual Communications, the nation’s premier media arts center for Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers. I spent the summer of 2018 as a Library of Congress Junior Fellow, working with thousands of studio masters on lacquer disc in the Recorded Sound Section of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. This experience inspired the topic for my master’s portfolio research project on optical methods for rescuing recordings from broken/damaged lacquer discs. I am currently preparing an expanded version of the paper for journal publication and conference presentation.

After returning to Los Angeles, I began working on a project funded by a Council on Library and Information Resources Recordings at Risk grant at the Autry Museum of the American West. The project involves the digitization of hundreds of audiovisual recordings of Native American songs, oral histories, lectures, and plays. I presented a paper on the future plans for the project, which include collaborating with affiliated tribes to enrich metadata and determine access restrictions for the digitized materials at IASA’s 50th Anniversary Conference, the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture’s Open Archive Initiative Convening, the international conference of the Association of Tribal Archives Libraries, and the 2020 ARSC Virtual Conference.

I am currently an archivist in the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. I have also worked for Los Angeles Public Library and the Walt Disney Imagineering archives. In addition to founding the first student chapter of ARSC, I serve on the ARSC Education & Training; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Membership committees and am co-chair of the Conference Mentoring Program. I was Membership Officer for the Music Library Students and Emerging Professionals group, an American Library Association Spectrum Scholar, and am co-founder of Basement Tapes Day, an annual event that provides the public with access to their home audio recordings.

Margarida Ullate i Estanyol (candidate for Vice-President)

Margarida Ullate i Estanyol is Director of the Sound and AV Unit of the Library of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. She has a degree in Library Science and Documentation from the University of Barcelona and has worked in the field of sound and audiovisual archives since 1996. Her professional interests focus on all processes of sound and audiovisual heritage in general, but particularly on discography. She is a member of the Spanish branch of IAML, having served as treasurer on its Board for three years. Within IASA, she was part of the organizing committee of the 2005 Conference (Barcelona), and served as secretary of its National Archives Section from 2006 to 2011.

As a IASA member since 1996, I have been able to see the usefulness of being part of one of the main international organizations that brings together professionals in sound and audiovisual heritage (a documentary subgroup that has entered the world of libraries, where I come from, not long ago). Most of the professionals who work with this heritage have come to practice without the necessary specific training. Thanks to IASA, we have a double forum for debating our activity. On the one hand, through the General Assembly, which allows us to meet physically, share experiences and debate the problems of our work within the different committees and sections of which it is composed. On the other hand, thanks to having different communication bodies (the IASA Journal, the website) and having access to a series of publications and standards created by highly qualified members of this community. The recognition of IASA as an advisory body to higher bodies, such as Unesco or the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations, gives its members the security and protection of being part of it. The dependence on a technological environment forces us as professionals to interact with the industry in this sector. IASA provides its members with the knowledge bases to help in the decision making process that requires the participation of this sector, something that is essential to project itself into the future.

Ten years from now, IASA can continue to grow as a community. Although a European-based organization, its objectives are universal and should reach any community managing sound and audiovisual archives in the world. The challenges of preservation in the face of the obsolescence of audio and video formats are being overcome, but much remains to be done to move forward together and not let the digital and technological divide split the community. The last third of the 20th century and the first of the 21st will have been key to the development of knowledge in our field of work, despite the potholes that have resulted from the economic crises, the last of which (the COVID-19 pandemic) will have been mitigated in many homes by the consumption of digital culture thanks to the sound and audiovisual archives of radio, television and cultural institutions. IASA should help to indefinitely enhance the use of this universal heritage.

Margarida Ullate i Estanyol es Directora de la Unidad de Sonoros y AV de la Biblioteca de Cataluña en Barcelona, España. Es titulada en Biblioteconomía y Documentación por la Universidad de Barcelona y ha trabajado en el campo del sonido y el audiovisual desde 1996. Sus intereses profesionales abarcan todos los procesos del patrimonio sonoro y audiovisual en general, pero particularmente en la discografía. Es miembro de la rama española de IAML, y sirvió de tesorera en su Junta durante tres años. Dentro de IASA, ha formado parte del comité organizador de la Conferencia del 2005 (Barcelona), y ha sido secretaria de su Sección de Archivos Nacionales de 2006 a 2011.

Como miembro de IASA desde 1996, he podido constatar la utilidad de formar parte de una de las principales organizaciones internacionales que agrupa profesionales del patrimonio sonoro y audiovisual (un subgrupo documental que ha entrado en el mundo de las bibliotecas, de donde procedo, no hace mucho). La mayoría de profesionales que trabajamos con este patrimonio hemos llegado a ejercer sin la formación específica necesaria. Gracias a IASA, disponemos de doble foro de debate de nuestra actividad. Por un lado, a través de la Asamblea General, que nos permite reunirnos físicamente, compartir experiencias y debatir la problemática de nuestro trabajo dentro de los distintos comités y secciones de la que está formada. Por otro lado, gracias a contar con distintos órganos de comunicación (el IASA Journal, el sitio web) y tener acceso a una serie de publicaciones y normativa creada por miembros de esta comunidad altamente cualificados. El reconocimiento de IASA como entidad asesora de organismos superiores, como la Unesco o el Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations, brinda a sus miembros la seguridad y la protección de formar parte ella. La dependencia de un entorno tecnológico nos obliga como profesionales a interaccionar con la industria de este sector. IASA proporciona a sus miembros las bases del conocimiento para ayudar a la toma de decisiones que requieren la participación de este sector, algo imprescindible para proyectarse en el futuro.

A diez años vista, IASA puede seguir creciendo como comunidad. Aunque de base europea, sus objetivos son universales y deberían llegar a cualquier comunidad que gestione archivos sonoros y audiovisuales en el mundo. Los retos de la preservación ante la obsolescencia de los formatos de audio y de vídeo se están superando, pero todavía queda mucho por hacer para avanzar juntos y no dejar que la brecha digital y tecnológica divida a la comunidad. El último tercio del S. XX y el primero del S. XXI habrán sido claves para el desarrollo del conocimiento en nuestro campo de trabajo, muy a pesar de los baches que han supuesto sendas crisis económicas, la última de las cuales (la pandemia del COVID-19) se habrá mitigado en muchos hogares con el consumo de cultura digital gracias a los archivos sonoros y audiovisuales de radios, televisiones e instituciones culturales. IASA deberá contribuir a potenciar el uso de ese patrimonio universal indefinidamente.

Irfan Zuberi (candidate for Vice-President)

My foray into the domain of audiovisual archiving goes back to 2001 when I was pursuing a Masters Degree in Sociology of Music at Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, India. At the time, as a volunteer of Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth, I got the chance to do an intermittent internship at Archives & Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, American Institute of Indian Studies. The result was my first job as Archivist at Ravishankar Institute for Music & Performing Arts during 2002-2006 setting up the India-wing of the audiovisual archives of acclaimed Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. During 2009-2013, I worked at Aga Khan Trust for Culture as Cultural Consultant documenting the contribution of 13th century Sufi & poet Amir Khusrau in the fields of music & poetry for which I set up an archive consisting of the output of extensive fieldwork, studio recordings of classical & folk performers, and the proceedings of international festivals. In 2009, I co-founded NaadSaagar Archives & Documentation Society for South Asian Music, an audiovisual archive of South Asian musical traditions, sourcing & digitizing collections of artists & connoisseurs, documenting repertoires & life history narratives of musicians, and conducting research & outreach activities. Since 2014, I am the Project Manager, National Cultural Audiovisual Archives, a Government of India initiative instituted with the objective of setting up a virtual network of audiovisual archives across India through digitization, systematic metadata creation & interoperable platform creation that has led to approximately 30,000 hours of audiovisual content from 30 repositories being made available online in the public domain.

During the fifty years of its existence, IASA has had a significant global impact especially in terms of widespread adoption of technical standards that it has recommended over the years. In my understanding, this kind of contribution has been made possible under the aegis of IASA because it has enabled a seamless & fluid participation of experts. Similarly, the recent move of making the IASA journal Open Access will certainly have far-reaching consequences in terms of enhancing its readability & citation. However, as with anything, there is scope for improvement, especially given the constantly evolving global scenario. I believe that more could be done through IASA in terms of bridging the gap between archives in different parts of the world, with an advocacy-oriented view towards Asia & Africa. In addition, as in the past, proactive collaboration across sections & committees of IASA may need to be reinvigorated for successful implementation of important initiatives such as legal deposit, bibliography of discographies, magnetic tape alert project etc. It might also be worth considering for the incoming IASA Executive Board what other kinds of tangible & intangible benefits may be extended to non-member institutions in order to encourage membership, the rates of which might need to be staggered and rationalised further. If I am given an opportunity to serve on the IASA Executive Board, I would endeavour to make a contribution on these and other fronts, keeping in mind the needs of the association and its members.

Bright Joshua (candidate for Secretary General)

Bright Joshua has been active in archives management and preservation since he joined the Archives of Malawi in 2008 where he currently is working as Regional Archivist. He holds a BSc in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing MSc in Informatics. He holds professional certificates from ICCROM sound and moving image, FIAF film summer school, and SEAPAVAA Safeguarding Sound and Image Collections. He has worked at the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv in Hoppergarten, Germany. Mr. Joshua has also served for 1 year as secretary for the Malawi Association for audiovisual managers association where he was in charge of organizing meetings for the association and liaising with Malawi national commission for UNESCO for funding. Mr Joshua has played leading roles in many projects as National Coordinator for Digitization of strategic Government records, and development of digital archives for selected private and public institutions.

In 2017, Malawi hosted the ESARBICA conference where Mr Joshua was given the task of leading the local organizing team. Under this task, his duties were to arrange meetings, serve as a point of contact for the task force members, stakeholders and ESARBICA board.

My passion for wanting to be part of the IASA board stems from the fact that the association is an all inclusive establishment that connects people from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds, professions and unites them towards one goal of preserving audio visual heritage. IASA provides a golden platform for networking, discussions on new technology and innovations vital for everyday management of audiovisual heritage.

Secretaries are very important for every establishment as they keep their colleagues informed about important things, take care of the schedule and represent a first line of contact for an establishment and the outside world. I feel I can do a good job if appointed as Secretary General of IASA. I believe I can bring some value to the association as I have good communication skills, respect for other peoples’ opinions and have experience in working in multi-cultural environment.

My vision for IASA is to play a role in making the association a global professional body that spearheads the management of audio-visual heritage for posterity.

I believe this vision will be achieved through the following
· Building professional partnership with other professional audio-visual communities
· Conducting tailor made training and expertise with respect to regions where AV archives are located
· Develop strategies of promoting active and dedicated membership from all corners of the earth
· Support film culture by promoting historical research initiatives, publish the findings and disseminate for reference
· Create regional branches to build on networking and communication between IASA members and other associations.

In the next 10 years, I see IASA being an association with the biggest membership of professionals brought together by one vision and culture of conserving, preserving and providing access to audio visual heritage regardless of carrier and formats. I see IASA becoming the world hub of training, provision of support and consultation, enabling environment for development of tools and standards for audio visual heritage management.

Elisabeth Steinhäuser (candidate for Secretary General)

I am Elisabeth Steinhäuser from the audio archive of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF in Vienna.

If somebody told me in my teens I’d become an archivist and stay in the same job – and loving it – for more than 30 years, I wouldn’t have believed it. I was going for an academic degree in translation and was keen to work in journalism. So when I had the chance to get an internship at the radio archives (with no apparent qualification) in 1989, I was delighted mainly because I a) loved music and b) had the plan in the back of my mind to meet other journalists who could help me with my goals. And sure enough, when some guys from the ORF English radio station “Blue Danube Radio” left to form their own news agency they asked me to join. But I soon had to realize that my heart wasn’t in it and I knew by then that I had already been infected with the “archive bug”.

My primary effort has been the design and constant evolution of metadata guidelines for our database, the selection of new items to be included, and, since 2011, the initiation of various subprojects within the ORF’s ongoing digitization efforts.

My first contact with IASA was at the 1999 conference in Vienna, where I led a group of delegates through our archives as part of a professional visit – including the legendary Dietrich Schüller! It had the privilege to attend one session and was very impressed by what I heard and saw, hoping I could be part of this community one day. But it took another 14 years until my first conference. In 2013, the ORF was looking for a new IASA representative and when I was asked I gladly accepted. So here I was in Vilnius, quite shy and insecure, but full of thankfulness to finally be able to meet colleagues from all over the world and develop friendships.

IASA has enabled me to get a broader perspective on my work, learn from other archivists and contribute my own experiences.

When I hosted the BAS session last year at the conference in Hilversum I asked the delegates what they think will be the biggest challenges for their archives. Answers were in many ways similar: more work load vs. stagnating staff numbers, fear of diminishing metadata quality as amounts of data grow unproportionally, storage problems with ever increasing file sizes, copyright issues vs. need to provide access etc. The list is endless. IASA as an association must strive to not leave the archives alone with their problems, acting as a mediator to bring archivists together. The conferences are only one factor in this although not everyone will always be able to attend. I can envision that 10 years from now it will be normal to hold part of the conferences as online events which will give more archive professionals and also private enthusiasts the chance to benefit. Online discussions moderated by a IASA expert covering specific topics are another possible scenario. The IASA listserv mailing list has increased activity recently which is also a good thing, but there needs to be more interaction on the social media front to reach more people. I believe that cooperation and mutual support is the key to making archives fit for the difficult tasks in store for them and IASA can play an important role in this.

Olaf Kosinsky (candidate for Treasurer)

I am a trained banker. After my training and several years of work as a commercial employee in a bank, I started my own business. First I worked as an IT trainer. Since a further education I work in the areas of communication and quality management. I now advise companies and associations on their digital communication and the implementation of quality management systems. For years I have been writing articles for Wikipedia on a voluntary basis and answering questions in the support team. Furthermore, I am very interested in working with metadata. I am fascinated by the possibility to connect content via metadata. Metadata can be used to structure and present data in a better way so that internal and external users can understand it more easily. Through this occupation I also got to know the IASA. I consider the work of the IASA to be very important in saving the world's audio and audiovisual heritage for the future. Since 2016, I have been the treasurer of the German IASA country group and am pleased to support the work of the IASA. As treasurer I will try to organize the handling of income and expenses as easy as possible, so that the board has an overview of the IASA's assets at any time. This also includes the organisation of the register of members and the support of other board members in their various tasks.

Ich bin gelernter Bankkaufmann. Nach meiner Ausbildung und einer mehrjähriger Arbeit als kaufmänischer Angestellter in einer Bank habe ich mich selbstständig gemacht. Zunächst habe ich als IT Trainer gearbeitet. Seit einer Weiterbildung arbeite ich in den Bereichen Kommunikation und Qualitätsmanagement. Ich berate jetzt Unternehmen und Verbände bei deren digitalen Kommunikation und bei der Implementierung von Qualitätsmanagementsystemen. Seit Jahren schreibe ich ehrenamtlich Artikel für Wikipedia und beantworte Anfragen im Support-Team. Darüber hinaus gilt mein großes Interesse der Arbeit mit Metadaten. Mich fasziniert die Möglichkeit, über Metadaten Inhalte zu verbinden. Mit Metadaten können Daten besser strukturiert und präsentiert werden, sodass interne und externe Nutzer sie einfacher verstehen können. Über diese Beschäftigung habe ich auch die IASA kennengelernt. Ich halte die Arbeit der IASA für sehr wichtig, um das audio- und audiovisuelle Erbe der Welt für die Zukunft zu retten. Seit 2016 engiere ich mich als Schatzmeister der deutschen IASA Ländergruppe und freue mich, damit die Arbeit der IASA zu unterstützen.

Jennifer Vaughn (candidate for Editor)

I have been an IASA member in good standing for five years, but was first introduced to IASA in 2012 as a graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Information. The seminal publications Ethical Principles for Sound and Audiovisual Archives, TC-03, and TC-04 shaped my understanding of the philosophies of audiovisual archiving; and my coursework in audio preservation inspired me to focus professionally on audiovisual archival materials. My earlier career as a cellist also led to my interest in historic sound recordings.

After internships and student employment at UM’s Music and Graduate Libraries, the Smithsonian Folkways Archive, the NYPL Division of Music, and The MediaPreserve; I worked for four years as Catalog Librarian for Music Materials at Syracuse University, home of the Belfer Audio Archive. I introduced innovative ways to provide access to sound recordings, and advocated for the use of sound recordings in research and education. Currently I am working to establish infrastructure and standardized workflows for a video archive at Radio Free Europe in Prague, Czech Republic.

Active involvement in professional organizations has been an integral part of my career. I have presented at three IASA conferences (Paris, D.C., and Berlin), and currently serve as chair of the BAS. I produced the Music OCLC User Group triannual newsletter while serving on their executive board from 2016-2018. From 2016, I’ve been the indexer for IAML’s Fontes Artis Musicae, and from 2017, I have served as Social Media Editor for ARSC. My experience, and my temperament as a critically-minded and detail-oriented cataloger have prepared me for further editorial work.

My overall vision for the organization is to maintain the present course charted by IASA’s past and present leadership, while actively and collaboratively preparing for the future. I hope that IASA continues to consciously progress towards fostering a truly international membership, encouraging participation from members in South America, Africa, and other under-represented geographical areas. I believe the organization should utilize distributed and online platforms to further engage members, as we face the uncertainty of the post-Coronavirus future. We want to be more connected, while facing new realities where an in-person physical event might be less possible for an increasing number of people. IASA’s bylaw “to advocate in support of the world’s sound and audiovisual heritage and to promote its use and raise awareness of its value” rings particularly true in our current era of misinformation, economic uncertainty, and political turmoil. Increasing access to and reuse of our audiovisual collections can speak truth to power, and bring powerful insights to our present-day discourses.

I wish to acknowledge the excellent work of previous Editors, and my desire is to continue on a course of continuous improvement for the IASA Journal. The move to peer review, and the transition of the publication to open access have positioned the publication to further enhance its profile as “the collected research and applied work of the global audiovisual archives community.” I would be honored to work with the Editorial Board in future endeavours.”

Ross Garrett (candidate for Web Manager)

I’m Ross Garrett, current publicity member of the IASA board, pervious secretary of the Technical committee and active member of IASA and the TC. I have contributed to TC-06 and continue to work on digital preservation within IASA and elsewhere.

I am a project manager in ICT at the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia, but my background is in sound as an archivist, preservation specialist, engineer and manager. I have my own private mastering studio where I work for clients locally and around the world, I have a passion for restoration and innovation in digital technology.

My path into ICT has been interesting where I have been able to utilise my broad skillset in management and client relationships to enabled me to build some interesting projects around preservation, sharing, metadata and development. These skills of part technical part communications/management is what I hope to bring to the IASA Executive Board. I have worked with Google creative labs, AWS, developers, studio engineers, labels, marketing and have a creative approach to new outcomes, I thrive in creative problem-solving situations.

I have a certificate in training and assessment, a diploma of technical contemporary music, certifications in project management, business writing and am currently studying business analytics. I hope to bring these skills and take IASA into the future to make it a forward thinking, progressive association.

As IASA has passed its 50th milestone, now is a great time to reflect on the achievements over the years but also to look into the future, what do we want from the association? where do we want it to go? I believe we are well placed to pivot and evaluate the look, feel and function of IASA, the board and its committees and sections.

I also support, promote and advocate for equal opportunities for members, regardless of geographic location, language or otherwise.

I would like to provide the support for IASA to strive in the future and build on a legacy of trailblazing ideas, it’s a time for change and a time for renewed perspective.

Richard Ranft (candidate for Web Manager)

I recently retired as Head of Sound & Vision at the British Library, where I had responsibility for 7 million sound recordings, 0.25m moving image items and 750m newspaper pages. Directing one of the world’s largest sound collections, I oversaw the Library’s 2015-23 Save Our Sounds programme that is preserving the Library’s audio collections and ensuring that future productions from the UK radio and record industries are safeguarded for the future. The programme includes the pioneering 2017-22 Unlocking our Sound Heritage project, which is transforming the UK’s capacity for preserving and making accessible its rarest and most at-risk audio collections. I have been an active member of IASA’s Executive Board since 2011, and have played a major role in co-organising several IASA annual conferences. I also chaired IASA’s National Archive Section from 2012-2019, was IASA’s representative on the European Foundation Board for several years, and I initiated and led the 2014-17 Europeana Sounds project. Throughout, my main contribution to IASA, besides regular Board activities, has been to re-build and maintain its websites, since 2009. I regard IASA’s websites as a key focus and place of engagement for its global membership and an essential authority for all, ensuring IASA has a pivotal and expanding role in the professional AV community.

I forsee IASA developing its profile internationally, in cooperation with other organisations that are CCAAA members, through IASA’s publications (its journal, its technical publications and its website), through its annual conferences and through its training programmes. These outputs ensure that IASA continues to act as an international forum for the sharing of AV archiving expertise. IASA is highly respected among peer associations and can build on that reputation to reach and support AV archivists globally. At the same time, the Corvid-19 pandemic, coupled with ever-growing concerns on the impact of international travel on climate, will change the way IASA operates. In 10 years’ time, IASA will be focussing more than ever on online publicity and dissemination, including online conferencing and training webinars, so this is a field where we need to improve capability.