Teaching Archivist.
Doctoral Student.
Metadata Librarian.
People Organizer.
Cultural Arts Programmer.
Website:
http://www.itzacarbajal.com
Email:
itza[dot]carbajal[at]gmail[dot]com
ITZA A. CARBAJAL
pronouns: she/her
Itza A. Carbajal is a PhD candidate at the University of Washington Information School focusing her research on children and their records. Previously, she worked as the Latin American Metadata Librarian at LLILAS Benson after having received a Master of Science in Information Studies with a focus on archival management and digital records at the University of Texas at Austin School of Information. Before that, she obtained a dual-degree Bachelor of Arts in History and English with a concentration on creative writing and legal studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
RESEARCH STATEMENT
Current research analyzes how personal and archival records function as materialized childhood memories as well as how archival records may provide release, relief, recovery from traumatic memories especially those created during moments of crisis. By working with already vulnerable populations such as foster care youth within the context of disasters, my dissertation hopes to better understand how, if, and when records assist youth in crisis. Studies also focus on the intersection of youth archival education and environmental issues specifically through the use of memory and future making. Knowing firsthand the affective value of records, I am committed to pursuing doctoral research that will engender ways for people, and in particular children, to grapple with and learn from some of their most painful memories. My research seeks ways to use archives as a mechanism to confront these stories in order for children to recognize and utilize their memories for healing, personal development, and building community resilience.
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TEACHING STATEMENT
My philosophy as a teacher centers on facilitating self-determination through self-documentation and archival storytelling, the role of records in shaping collective memories, the tension of archives and metadata as centers of power, the development of memory preservation and retrieval skills, and the use of digital archives as a response to the historic erasure of marginalized and neglected populations.
Current Professional Positions
Phd Candidate
University of Washington Information School
Pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Washington Information School with a focus on children’s records, agency, trauma, and memory. Also pursuing an additional Feminist Studies certificate from the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies department at UW.
Digital Collections Archivist
Loyola University New Orleans
Responsible for developing and maintaining Loyola’s Special Collections and Archives digital collections as well as providing instruction using SCA collections and materials to university departments including Film, Art and Art History, and Design.
Research Assistant
University of Washington
Assists principal investigator, Marika Cifor with support for an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant titled “Valuing Library and Archives Labor: Assessing Internship and Fellowship Implications for the Library and Archives Community“. I support the PI in coordinating with project partners, conducting interviews, collecting data, and analyzing project datasets and information.
itzacarbajal.com 