Meet Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ new director, Chicago native Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty: ‘ I don’t assume I’ll ever be bored working on the Smithsonian.’

Chicagoan Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty received’t let her 312 telephone quantity go. She’s had it since 2006.

“I’m not shedding my quantity,” mentioned the native West Sider. “I like my Chicago space code.”

Evangelestia-Dougherty hasn’t been again to Chicago since earlier than the pandemic. She’s been residing in Washington, D.C., given her new position because the inaugural director of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. She’s been within the place since Dec. 2021, chargeable for practically 3 million library volumes and greater than 44,000 cubic toes of archival supplies chronicling the historical past of the Smithsonian. She oversees 21 library branches and studying rooms in Washington, D.C., New York Metropolis, Maryland, Virginia and the Republic of Panama.

“This job is a dream come true for me,” she mentioned. With members of the family within the navy and within the federal make use of as postal staff, she sees her new job as a neat manner for her to lastly serve her nation. “I’m feeling type of patriotic there,” she mentioned. “The flexibility to work with fantastic individuals like Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Undersecretary for Science and Analysis Ellen Stofan, Melanie Adams, the director of the Anacostia Group Museum, Anthea Hartig, director of the Nationwide Museum of American Historical past and Ngaire Blakenberg, director on the Nationwide Museum of African Artwork is superb — a number of nice expertise, lots of people who wish to make historical past come alive, convey collectively artifacts to current them to the general public in a manner that’s moral. They usually accomplish that with a number of cultural intelligence … it’s such a privilege to be within the firm of all of those individuals, devoted to elevating the nationwide profile of historical past and tradition.”

We talked with Evangelestia-Dougherty, (a Von Steuben Excessive College alumna) and former govt director of College of Chicago’s Black Metropolis Analysis Consortium about her plans for her directorship, and the way they converse to the little lady she was in Chicago. The interview has been condensed and edited.

Q: What does your job entail? What’s essentially the most stunning factor about it?

A: I’m the chief administrator for Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. I’ve a library govt management workforce; my administration falls over the 21 branches of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, which I’m actually happy to say is the most important museum library system on the planet. I’ve one institutional archive. In case you take a look at the Smithsonian Archives Twitter, you’re gonna see superb tales about ladies and other people of coloration who triumphed within the Smithsonian system. There’s a number of nice tales in our institutional archives. Essentially the most stunning factor? All these narratives within the Smithsonian Archives.

Q: You’ve been strengthening collections/digital initiatives/archives associated to the Black diaspora throughout the nation, together with serving as director of collections and companies at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Middle for Analysis in Black Tradition. Share extra about that have.

A: I imagine that information when researched within the context of town that they have been created in, it makes all types of connections to different supplies held at different archives such because the Chicago Historical past Museum, Chicago Public Library. There have been a number of nice archival collections leaving Chicago in 2007 and we needed to deal with that. It’s concerning the legacy remaining within the communities wherein they have been created and the place that collective reminiscence can crystalize. When I’ve been in curatorial positions, on primarily based on moral rules of group outreach and advocacy within the archival occupation, I tended to not take collections from geographic areas that don’t converse to the historic reminiscence of the place they are going to be stewarded. However not each archivist or particular collections curator is that conscientious. There’s been a number of controversies within the final 20 years over some important Black historical past collections such the Martin Luther King or the Malcolm X papers. I might be offended if I noticed the Harold Washington papers ending up at UCLA or Atlanta, for instance.

I bear in mind after I realized of Washington’s passing. I went downtown to the Chicago Cultural Middle and sat of their large image window. You could possibly see individuals crying. There was a stark distinction between the individuals who have been crying and those that have been simply going about their day — enterprise as standard. African Individuals have been beside ourselves. Loads of the white individuals have been simply strolling as if it was an bizarre day. It appeared like one thing within the metropolis simply died for us, that hope ― the desires we had for what he may proceed to do for Black Chicagoans. Recollections like that, that’s inside my collective reminiscence of Chicago. How are we going to protect that for future generations, seize these emotions? It’s as much as us as reminiscence keepers to make these connections between these collections which will have been dislocated.

Q: We’ve spoken with Kevin Younger, and Carla Hayden — one other Chicagoan and the 14th librarian of Congress — what do you envision as you develop in your place?

A: There are such a lot of alternatives. I undoubtedly wish to make sturdy connections via training of Ok-12 and graduate college students. I’m considering of myself rising up as a younger Black baby in Chicago, locations just like the Area Museum, the Museum of Science and Trade. My mom had a standing ritual the place she took me to a type of museums each weekend as a result of she needed me to see that there was one thing past my atmosphere on the West Facet. Between that and our sturdy connection to libraries, that’s how I ended up because the product I’m at this time. I at all times questioned as a baby, what was on the Smithsonian? I might hear this title. And I didn’t go to the Smithsonian for the primary time till I used to be effectively into my 30s. I simply thought, I’m certain there are different youngsters on the market who could also be experiencing the identical factor. So how can I convey our collections into that dwelling of the kid who’s residing in Hyde Park, residing in St. Louis or Los Angeles? That’s one thing I wish to concentrate on via our digital collections and developing with curriculum fashions with our govt management workforce at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.

We should educate our youth about what main assets are. After I did analysis papers as a highschool pupil, the Chicago Historical past Truthful was the primary introduction I needed to utilizing main sources in my writing. You’re usually simply educated to make use of secondary sources, however they taught us tips on how to interpret from diaries and private papers, tips on how to analyze narratives from oral histories and it’s that type of essential considering that our younger individuals want.

I simply hold occupied with the little lady I used to be in Chicago. Folks need to be vested in a baby’s success and a part of that funding is bringing them to libraries and exhibiting them that this can be a literal kingdom of information for them, and simply allow them to wander and discover what pursuits them. It provides them the important thing to inquiry, about historical past, about society, politics and that’s what my mother did with me. She didn’t have a highschool (diploma). However what she couldn’t give me when it comes to materials, safety, she at the very least gave me the power to imagine desires may occur.

Q: What’s left in your profession to-do checklist?

A: I’m on cloud 9 a lot with this place. And there’s a lot on the Smithsonian to do. It’s a corporation that retains evolving and I can see this being my work resting dwelling. We now have two new museums opening and a type of museums is devoted to the historical past of ladies in America. The opposite is the Nationwide Museum of the American Latino (NMAL). Every of these museums could have a library analysis heart. It is going to be alternative for Smithsonian libraries and archives to work with these new administrators resembling Jorge Zamanillo, founding director of NMAL , or Lisa Sasaki, interim director of the Smithsonian American Girls’s Historical past Museum, in carving out simply what the accumulating agenda and analysis narrative might be for these libraries and the communities we serve. That’s an incredible alternative proper there in itself.

One other nice treasure is the Smithsonian’s Nationwide Postal Museum (NPM). Lots of people after they consider the Postal Museum, they assume solely of stamps. However there are a number of paperwork within the Postal Museum which can be about battle and racial inequality. I need an ideal collaboration with Postal Museum Director Elliot Gruber and head Postal Museum librarian Baasil Wilder. Loads of African Individuals have served as mail carriers and work within the publish workplace, together with many in my household. Just like the Pullman Porter Museum a number of Black labor historical past and struggles for work equality are documented in these archives. I don’t assume I’ll ever be bored working on the Smithsonian. If I’m bored at this job, one thing is flawed with me.

Q: You’ve labored at many nice establishments, what are you most pleased with?

A: I’m actually pleased with individuals in a occupation who’re thriving now who I’ve mentored and taught. For nearly seven years I taught archives, historical past and collective reminiscence programs at Dominican College in River Forest and I additionally educate at California Uncommon Guide College at UCLA. I’m actually pleased with that. As a result of there are lots of people that, even when they’ve a university diploma, they nonetheless query: What can I do? I’ve by no means been unemployed on this occupation. It additionally has lots of people who’re prepared to provide to see us convey good individuals into the occupation. So, I’m pleased with that. By way of should you’re all of the locations the place I’ve labored and the work I’ve executed, in all probability the Black Metropolis Analysis Consortium on the College of Chicago as a result of I believe that’s near my coronary heart being a local Chicagoan. I nonetheless don’t really feel that nationally or globally individuals absolutely respect or perceive the depth and scope of the Nice Migration and Black Arts Motion in Chicago and the civil rights battle. Now, Chicago has sadly been overtaken by media perceptions of narratives of Black-on-Black violence and drive-by shootings which fail to holistically edify narratives of Black triumph and pleasure amongst Chicago’s Black individuals. I get defensive about that as a local since you and I each know that there are a number of success tales in Chicago and particularly Black success tales, tales of Black Chicago excellence. Historian Timuel Black who lived to be 102. Harold Washington, Anthony Overton who created a Black cosmetics firm, Carl Cotton black taxidermist on the Area Museum, artist Eldzier Cortor In fact, we are able to’t overlook there may be a number of legacy with the DuSable Museum and Margaret Taylor-Burroughs. It looks like you don’t hear these Chicago narratives of Black triumph sufficient.

drockett@chicagotribune.com