UW-Madison student receives national award for archival studies

Most people think of archivists sitting in basements or backrooms, poring over dusty old documents.

But while the job of an archivist is like a cross between museum curator and librarian, it can also take on a more modern, current feel, says Nathan Sowry, a University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate student in the School of Library & Information Studies who has been named the recipient of a scholarship from the Society of American Archivists.

The field is becoming increasingly digitized, and in some parts of the world, archivists are creating a real-time record of politics and governments, Sowry says.

Sowry says his dream job after finishing his degree would be to do work similar to that of a United Nations archivist based in Darfur, Sudan, who for years has been keeping records on the military dictatorships and government operating there.

“He is working to maintain and preserve, so people can study it or have an accurate record of what’s going on,” Sowry says. “My ideal would be something like that with the UN or a humanitarian aid group that uses my love of history and documents and has a bigger impact on human justice and human rights.”

The society’s $7,500 Gerald F. Ham Scholarship will support Sowry in his second year of studies. In giving him the award, the society cited Sowry’s “solid and extensive” archival experience, strong academics and the high quality of an essay he submitted.

“Nathan has already begun to build the future of scholarship in the field — an endeavor he will continue to pursue in the coming years,” says Michelle Caswell, a UW–Madison instructor who has worked with Sowry. “He displays a great deal of independence, motivation, and intelligence…I have no doubt that he will become a leader in the field.”

Sowry already has extensive archival experience. Before coming to UW–Madison for his graduate work in archival studies, he completed a master’s degree in history at the Washington State University and worked at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.; before that, he served in the Peace Corps in west Africa.

In his archival work, he has built on his historical studies. The paper he submitted for the scholarship explored the archives of the British East India Company and how they reflect the power structure of the former colonial power there, not the native people who resisted the colonists.

“It’s about finding the voice of the people who have been left out or subjugated in the historical record,” Sowry says. “We need to work cooperatively with other archival institutions, museums and libraries to see what records we can share to have a better record of humankind, make it accessible and put it online.”

Sowry says the financial award will be a “tremendous help” in defraying the costs of his education, but “I believe that the larger award is the recognition and approbation I have received from current leaders in the archival field.”

The award will be presented during the society’s annual meeting, where Sowry will also present a paper. Sowry is co-recipient of the award with Jarrett M. Drake, a graduate student from the University of Michigan School of Information.