Oregon State Archives in the News

Enlarge image. International visitors gather with participating Archives staff for a group photo in the lobby of the Archives Building in Salem.

State Archives Hosts Visitors

The Oregon State Archives hosted a group of 23 library and information professionals from the around the world on July 8, 2010. The visitors were invited to the United States as part of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, which aims to increase mutual understanding through communication at the personal and professional levels. Their visit to Oregon was in conjunction with the World Affairs Council of Oregon. Three English Language Officers helped facilitate the visit.

Getting the tour
Secretary of State Kate Brown welcomed the visitors to the Oregon State Archives, which is a division of the Secretary of State's Office. During her remarks, she discussed the role of the secretary of state in Oregon government and outlined her efforts related to archives, elections, corporations, audits, and other duties. Brown praised the international visitor program and said she hoped that the participants would learn a great deal from their visit to Oregon.

State Archivist Mary Beth Herkert then gave an overview of the history and responsibilities of the Oregon State Archives before Archives Manager Layne Sawyer led a tour of the Archives Building. Part of the tour included showing the participants a copy of the original 1857 Oregon Constitution as well as the oldest record in the holdings, an agreement written in 1837. Records Manager Connor Edmonds described policies and initiatives in the field of information and records management while Publications Manager Julie Yamaka offered a look at the Oregon Administrative Rules program (state regulations) as well as the print and Web versions of the Oregon Blue Book, the official almanac and fact book for the state.

Enlarge image. Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown describes her role in state government.

The International Visitor Leadership Program
Each year, 4,200 foreign visitors identified by United States Embassies as the future leaders in their countries, participate in U.S. Department of State-sponsored study tours to the United States. The visitors, representing over 100 countries and a wide range of professional interests, meet Americans of different ages and backgrounds, and learn about the traditions and ideas which characterize the United States and make it unique.

Each visitor spends approximately 22 days in the country and visits 4-5 different states. Nearly five hundred visitors come to Oregon each year. The World Affairs Council of Oregon arranges personalized itineraries for each visitor including professional meetings, sightseeing tours and home hospitality. This person-to-person program builds international friendships and promotes international understanding.

About the visitors

Angola — Ms. Maria Jose Faria RAMOS: General Director of the National Library of Angola

Bangladesh — Ms. Razina AKHTER: Librarian and Head of Library, Bangladesh Shishu ( Children) Academy since March 1996.

Chile — Mr. Cristian MATURANA: Information Technology Resource Coordinator, Library of Santiago.

Enlarge image. Archives Manager Layne Sawyer leads a tour of the archives storage area, known as the stacks.

Cote d'Ivoire — Mr. Tiegbe Gaston KONE: Head of Information Resource Department, National School of Arts

Hungary — Mr. Balazs KISS: Library Director, Szabo Ervin Public Library

India — Ms. Swapna BANERJEE: Reader, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata

Israel — Mr. Sami M K BATRAWI: 1995-present: General Director of the Department of Libraries, Manuscripts, and Cultural Property, Palestinian Ministry of Culture, Ramallah

Jordan — Mr. Hatem Saleh HAMLAN: Director, Greater Amman Municipality Library, Amman, 2004- Persent

Korea (South) — Ms. Min Young HWANG: Coordinator, Daegu American Corner, Daegu Central Library

Korea (South) — Ms. Sunhye PARK: Coordinator, Busan American Corner, Busan Metropolitan Simin Library

Macedonia (FYROM) — Eljmedina ABDULAHI: Reference and catalogue librarian at "Max Vander Stoel library" SEEU, Tetovo

Mexico — Dr. Maria Rocio Elizabeth GOMEZ SUSTAITA: Director of the Library System at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara - 2006

Mexico — Mr. Carlos Javier OJEDA CASTRO: Head, Department of Libraries and Media Libraries for English Program in Public Elementary Schools, State of Tamaulipas, 2008-present

Montenegro — Ms. Biljana NIKOLIC: Coordinator, American Corner, Nis

Nigeria — Mrs. Sarah Dauda YANI: Librarian & Head of Internet/Databases Training, Kashim Ibrahim Library, A. B. U., Zaria

Oman — Mr. Hamed Mohamed AL AZRI: Assistant Librarian, Sultan Qaboos University Main Library, 1997-present

Peru — Ms. Aida Cristina VILLANUEVA: Librarian; Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (Catholic University)

Enlarge image. Publications Manager Julie Yamaka and Records Manager Connor Edmonds lead a projected Web site demonstration describing some of the State Archives products and services.

Philippines — Ms. Rina Hemedez DIARON: Director of Libraries, St. Louis University

Senegal — Dr. Adama Aly PAM: Library Manager, Central Bank of West African Economic Union States, since 2008

Singapore — Ms. Malar Villi NADESON: Library Director, LASALLE College of the Arts

Slovak Republic — Ms. Katarina KRISTOFOVA: Deputy Director General of the Slovak National Library for Structural Fonds and Director of the Slovak Digital Library Department of the Slovak National Library

Sri Lanka — Mr. Meera Muhaideen RIFAUDEEN: Acting Librarian at the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka since 12/01/1999 to date

United Arab Emirates — Ms. Naeema Rashed Saeed Khalfan AL HASSANI: Reference Librarian, UAE University Zayed Central Library

ENGLISH LANGUAGE OFFICERS/INTERPRETERS:

Mr. Norman Skougstad: English Language Officer

Mr. William Toney Seabolt Jr.: English Language Officer

Ms. Karen Shatin: English Language Officer

Secretary of State Kate Brown and the entire Oregon State Archives staff would like to thank the international program organizers and especially the visitors for sharing their experiences and insights.