In an ongoing series during CAA Steering Committee election time, we hear from Steering Committee member Rob DeLand, current Treasurer.

I joined CAA in 2007 while I was an LIS student, and received much-needed help from Janet Olson and other CAA members during that critical period.  The contacts I made thanks to these people helped me get the internship I wanted, and ultimately led me to my full-time position as a librarian & archivist.  I served on the CAA Steering Committee from 2011 to 2017 because I wanted to give back to the organization that made this possible for me.  I enjoyed working with experienced colleagues when I started, and have enjoyed getting to know newer Steering Committee members in a way that would not have been possible without volunteering.

The Chicago area has many great people and interesting archival collections, and for me CAA has been essential for the ongoing pleasure of meeting fellow archivists and becoming familiar with their holdings, challenges, skills, and camaraderie.  I also like the intimacy of working in a smaller organization like CAA, as opposed to something at the national level; but the experiences gained in CAA can also help you be a more valuable contributor for future roles in other archival organizations if that’s what interests you.

Please consider volunteering for a term serving on the CAA Steering Committee.  We tend to meet every month or two in a downtown Chicago location, usually with one or more members calling in for the meeting – so you don’t have to trek into the city if that’s a problem for you (the name Chicago AREA Archivists was intentional!).