SNCA Blog  

Please join us in welcoming Christina Zamon, the Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections, to ECU Libraries.  

Christina Zamon most recently served as the Head of Special Collections & Archives at Georgia State University for nearly ten years. Prior to that, she worked at Emerson College, the National Press Club, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Frick Art Reference Library. She is an SAA Fellow and has over 25 years of experience working in archives and special libraries. She is the author of The Lone Arranger: Succeeding in a Small Repository and Alone in the Stacks: Succeeding as a Solo Archivist. She received her MA in History and MLIS from the University of Maryland where she worked as a graduate assistant in the library’s Preservation Department.

Welcome to our newest crew member!

Ahoy, mateys! There’s a new crew member aboard the ship!

We are pleased to welcome Alex Gaines to ECU Libraries’ Special Collections as our new Digital Preservation Assistant in the Manuscripts & Digital Curation department!

In this role, Alex will support our growing digital preservation program and help ensure that born-digital archival materials remain accessible for future researchers. Her work will include assisting with the transfer, organization, access, and preservation of digital materials. As the amount of historically significant material created in digital formats continues to grow, Alex’s work will help us preserve these materials and provide long-term access to them.

Alex comes to ECU from Durham, North Carolina. She earned her undergraduate degree from NC State University and her Master of Science in Library Science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Before joining ECU, Alex worked at the Durham County Library, where she advanced from a library page to positions in circulation and adult services. While there, she also had the opportunity to work with the library’s North Carolina Collection, an experience that sparked her interest in archives and special collections.

We are thrilled to have Alex as part of the team, and look forward to seeing her build on the significant contributions she has already made in her short time in the role.

Welcome aboard, Alex!

Appointment: Digital Projects and Outreach Manager

Read online: https://library.unc.edu/news/appointment-digital-projects-and-outreach-manager/

The University Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Danielle Shirilla as digital projects and outreach manager at the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center (NCDHC), effective Oct. 5.

The NCDHC works with archives, museums and other cultural heritage institutions across North Carolina to digitize historic materials and make them freely accessible online. The Center is a partnership between the Library of North Carolina and UNC-Chapel Hill’s University Library.

In this role, Shirilla will serve as the main point of contact for partner organizations, organizing the loan and transfer of materials and coordinating the Center’s digitization work. She will also engage in outreach and education, develop new partnerships and consult on digital library best practices.

Shirilla previously worked as an archivist at the State Archives of North Carolina. She holds an M.S. in library science, a B.S. in information science and a B.A. in English literature from UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Jacob Thompson

Content and Internal Communications Lead

In May, East Carolina's University History and Records Department welcomed Jed Edwards into the role of Archives & Record Assistant. Jed will primarily assist with the prioritization and processing of the physical collections and exhibit curation. Prior to ECU, Jed worked at Duke's Rubenstein Library, Wake County Public Libraries, and the Guilford County public school system. He  enjoys collecting comics, paddleboarding and hiking, spinning vinyl records, experimenting with recipes, fostering local shelter pups, and exploring the local live music scene(s). Jed can be reached at edwardsjed26@ecu.edu or 252-328-0727.

We would like to take this time to thank our Provenance Level sponsor for the 2026 Annual Conference, TIND.

TIND is a modern and flexible platform to manage digital collections, scholarly material, and research data. Whether you're looking for a digital archive, institutional repository, research data management system, or all three on one platform, our products can be used individually or together. We've migrated customers from CONTENTdm, DSpace, Islandora, BePress/DigitalCommons, Fedora, and homegrown setups.

Carolina institutions using TIND include UNC Greensboro, which consolidated its Gateway Digital Collections and NC DOCKS institutional repository onto TIND in 2024. As David Gwynn, Digitization Coordinator noted: "We were seeking a sustainable long-term solution for our evolving IT environment, centered on an externally hosted platform, and TIND seemed far and away the best option for us." Elon University and UNC Charlotte have also implemented TIND solutions.

Andrew French, VP of Product, will be at SNCA/SCAA to discuss migrations from CONTENTdm, Quartex, Islandora, and other systems. Reach out at (978) 395-5317 or stop by the Halton Room during the Sponsor Meet and Greet at 4:25 pm on Thursday, May 28.

The following candidates will be on SNCA members' ballots this spring for open Executive Board positions. Voting will take place during the Business Meeting at this year's Annual Meeting at UNC Charlotte. President candidate (1 year position): Alston Cobourn I first became involved with SNCA as an MLIS student in 2008. Since then, I've served as Vice President (2025-2026), Membership Committee chair (2009-2012), Nominating Committee member (2020, 2023-2025), Archives Month Committee member (2020-2021), and  Conference Programming Committee member (2024). SNCA has helped me forge valuable relationships with other archivists across the state and grow in my career. I believe my previous service work in SNCA and professional connections will be an asset in this role.  Vice President candidate (1 year position): Anna Peitzman Anna Peitzman is the Digital Access Branch Head at the State Archives of North Carolina. Her team is responsible for the archive's digital collections and web and social media presence. Anna has worked for digital accessibility in government and academic archives since 2017 and looks forward to contributing to the continued success of the archival profession in North Carolina. Conference Planning Chair (2 year position): Greta Browning, Appalachian State University I have been a SNCA member for over twenty years, and I have served on the Programming Committee (2025-2026), Member-at-Large (2007-2008), Local Arrangements Committee chair when SNCA was held at Appalachian State University (2008), an editor for J-SNCA (2007-2009), Nominating Committee (2000) and editor of The North Carolina Archivist newsletter (1999-2001). I attended my first SNCA meeting as a North Carolina State University Public History graduate student in 1999, and since then, I have considered SNCA my professional home. Notably, it has been the conferences which have regularly enriched my professional knowledge, allowed me to build friendships and exchange practices with colleagues, and refreshed my excitement for my work. I am delighted to be able to have the opportunity to serve in the new position of Conference Planning Chair, and I will endeavor to uphold SNCA’s tradition of stellar conferences to the best of my ability. Engagement Chair (2 year position): Jennifer Daugherty, East Carolina University My name is Jennifer Daugherty and I'm the Head of the North Carolina Collection at East Carolina University. I've been a SNCA member for 15 years and have served on various committees. I recently finished a vacant 1-year term for the newly created Engagement Chair and am happy to continue to serve in that role. I look forward to working with SNCA members and the board to communicate about the organization and to share announcements from our membership. Publications Chair (2 year position): Randall Bowman, Elon University For the last two years, I have served as Membership Chair; this office has enabled me to learn a lot about SNCA and the Executive Board, as well as to meet a lot of wonderful members of this great organization! Now I am ready to use the knowledge that I have gained to continue serving, this time as Publications Chair. From 2019-2022 I served on the Publications Committee, contributing to the publication of the Journal for the Society of North Carolina Archivists. I am looking forward to seeing this journal continue being published online, as well as keeping members up to date with SNCA activities and happenings through its social media platforms. Member-at-Large, Regional Archival Associations Consortium (RAAC) (2 year position): Angela Howell, Appalachian State University Angela Howell is the University Archivist and Director of Records Management at Appalachian State University. She earned her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology. She became a certified archivist through the Academy of Certified Archivists in 2024 and serves on the University Archivist Consultant Committee of the North Carolina Community College Archives Association (NCCCAA). Member-at-Large, Students and New Professionals (2 year position): Mollie Frazier, East Carolina University I currently serve as the Member at Large for New Professionals and Student Members for the Society of North Carolina Archivists and work in special collections and archives at East Carolina University. Through my work with SNCA, I have focused on supporting student and early career archivists through outreach, communication, and professional engagement opportunities. In the coming term, I would like to strengthen communication and outreach efforts with students and new professionals through increased promotion of SNCA opportunities, events, scholarships, and professional development resources across social media, LIS programs, and professional network as well as expanding early career-focused programming on topics such as networking, interviewing, career preparation, and entering the profession. I look forward to continuing my role this year.

Apply at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/315626

Application deadline: 4/17/26

The Conservation Technician works in the Preservation and Conservation Services department of the University Library and will report to the Senior Conservator.

Preservation and Conservation Services supports all University Library collections, including circulating and special collections. The Conservation Technician reports to the Senior Conservator, but works across circulating and special collections, sometimes working under the direction of the Supervisor of General Collections Conservation or the Assistant Conservator.

Duties include:

* Complete selected treatments on book and paper-based special collections, including paper flattening, mending, a wide range of repairs on bound volumes, and more

* Create written and photographic documentation for special collections conservation treatment

* Create custom enclosures for Library materials

* Coordinate commercial boxing workflows for circulating and special collections, including precisely measuring materials, liaising with vendors, and performing quality control

* Independently perform a range of conservation treatments on circulating library materials, from minimal stabilization like stapling pamphlets into binders, to complex treatments like rebinding books

* Assess circulating materials and creatively problem solve to find the best solution for housing or repairing items

* Contribute to lab workflows for tracking incoming and outgoing collections

* Contribute to the conservation lab’s role in exhibits preparation, including mounting flat and bound items for safe exhibition

* Contribute to special preservation and conservation projects, such as collections surveys and large-scale stabilization efforts

* Assist with lab maintenance and supply inventory

* Contribute to department meetings and serve on relevant Library committees

* Train and supervise undergraduate and graduate student workers as needed

* Assist in salvaging collections after leaks, floods, or other disasters affecting Library collections

* Answer questions and communicate with colleagues about departmental workflows

* Share preservation and conservation knowledge through participation in lab tours, class visits, and other outreach activities

Minimum education and experience requirements: High school diploma or equivalency and two years of experience in library services, office support, or related field; or equivalent combination of training and experience.

Due to a large amount of in-person attendees who have already registered and physical space limitations at the conference venue, we need to close in-person registration for the upcoming SNCA/SCAA conference at 5pm on Friday, April 10th. Virtual registration will remain open. Thank you for your understanding.

Posting on behalf of Andrea A. Breazeale, MBA, MSHR, SPHR, Director of People and Engagement, NC Rural Center

Step into a role where history, purpose, and impact intersect. The Archivist will play a pivotal role in preserving and shaping the legacy of the NC Rural Center by organizing, processing, and bringing to life four decades of work supporting rural communities across North Carolina. From carefully arranging archival materials to digitizing critical records, this position blends hands-on detail work with a broader narrative mission. Working in close partnership with the Communications team, the Archivist will serve as the steward and storyteller of the organization’s 40-year journey—ensuring its history is not only preserved but meaningfully shared for years to come.

In this CONTRACT position, the Archivist will direct the review, organizing and presentation of the archival material covering the 40-year history of the NC Rural Development Center. This archival processing work may involve sorting papers, photographs, or other archival materials into chronological and/or topical order, labeling folders, or digitizing documents. This position will work closely with the Communications team, President/CEO and an Advisory Committee in the effort to tell the story of the 40-year history of the NC Rural Center.

**THIS IS A SHORT-TERM CONTRACT POSITION.  EXPECTED DURATION OF 9 TO 15 MONTHS**

Essential Functions:

• Responsible for establishing a centralized repository for paper, photographed, born-digital and digitized historical items.
• Develop policies and workflows that ensure long-term preservation, discoverability, and access to the NC Rural Center’s historical records.
• Responsible for compiling the most important and relevant artifacts of the NC Rural Center history.
• Inspect documents and consult with program area leaders on their record keeping practices.
• Arrange, catalogue, exhibit, and maintain collections and records of valuable material for the Center and expand their physical and digital access.
• Respond to research requests, partner on collaborative projects with other program teams.
• Focus on day-to-day project management and assist the overall project by supporting the archives process and workflow among program teams.
• Appraise records in all formats created by Rural Center program teams, to identify those having historical value.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Minimum of two years experience in archiving, records management or historical document preservation.
• Expertise in image, audio, video, and text formats and their preservation requirements.
• Experience with relational collections management systems and digital storage best practices.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively across departments.

Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in records management, library and information science, digital archiving, or a related field.

Salary and Benefits
$65,000 - $75,000, based on background and experience
This is a contract position and not eligible for benefits.

To apply:
Visit the Careers page on the NC Rural Center website: https://www.ncruralcenter.org/careers/

The Education and Development Committees are excited to announce that the SNCA award applications for 2026 are officially open! Each year we offer four awards that recognize the work of both archival professionals and students. Additionally, they provide support for professional development opportunities, including the SNCA Annual Meeting. 

Please see below for additional information on each award. If you have any questions, please reach out to Amy Archambault, SNCA Development Chair (aarchamb@gmail.com), or Kristen Daniel, SNCA Education Chair (danielk23@ecu.edu). 

SNCA Development Committee Awards

Michelle Francis Endowment Fund: The purpose of the Michelle Francis Scholarship is to provide SNCA members access to professional development opportunities by attending the annual SNCA conference. This award is intended to provide assistance with travel and conference fees and to defer costs associated with attending the conference. It also allows an archivist who normally might not attend an opportunity to increase their knowledge by attending this important function.

• Scholarship: $250

• Application Deadline: Friday, March 6th, 2026

• Link to Application: https://www.ncarchivists.org/francis 

Thornton W. Mitchell Service Award: The Thornton W. Mitchell Service Award seeks to recognize an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service to the archival profession in the state of North Carolina. SNCA members are encouraged to nominate their colleagues to highlight and celebrate their exceptional work.

• Nomination Deadline: Thursday, March 26th, 2026

• Link to Nomination Form: https://www.ncarchivists.org/mitchell 

SNCA Education Committee Awards

 C. David Jackson Memorial Scholarship: This student scholarship is intended to promote continuing archival education and professional alliances among archivists in North Carolina. In addition to using the scholarship funds to support attendance at the annual meeting, recipients are encouraged to use scholarship funds to register for workshops and other professional development opportunities that would provide supplemental education to existing coursework and work experiences.

• Scholarship: $500

• Application Deadline: Friday, March 6th, 2026

• Link to Application: https://www.ncarchivists.org/jackson  

Gene J. Williams Award: SNCA annually recognizes a project on an archives-centric topic completed for a graduate-level course, thesis, practicum, or similar by a student residing in or attending a North Carolina school.The award recipient is selected in the Spring and their project is published in SNCA's peer-reviewed Journal of the Society of North Carolina Archivists.

• Scholarship: $250, free attendance to the next annual conference (2027), and a one-year SNCA membership

• Application Deadline: Friday, March 6th, 2026

• Link to Application: https://www.ncarchivists.org/williams