Meet Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ New Director, Chicago Native Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty: ‘I Don’t Think I Will Ever Be Bored Working at the Smithsonian.’

From the Chicago Tribune:

Chicagoan Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty won’t let her 312 phone number go. She’s had it since 2006.

“I’m not losing my number,” said the native West Sider. “I love my Chicago area code.”

Evangelestia-Dougherty hasn’t been back to Chicago since before the pandemic. She’s been living in Washington, D.C., given her new role as the inaugural director of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. She’s been in the position since Dec. 2021, responsible for nearly 3 million library volumes and more than 44,000 cubic feet of archival materials chronicling the history of the Smithsonian. She oversees 21 library branches and reading rooms in Washington, D.C., New York City, Maryland, Virginia and the Republic of Panama.

[Clip]

Q: What does your job entail? What’s the most surprising thing about it?

A: I’m the chief administrator for Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. I have a library executive leadership team; my administration falls over the 21 branches of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, which I’m really pleased to say is the largest museum library system in the world. I have one institutional archive. If you look at the Smithsonian Archives Twitter, you’re gonna see amazing stories about women and people of color who triumphed in the Smithsonian system. There’s a lot of great stories in our institutional archives. The most surprising thing? All those narratives in the Smithsonian Archives.

Learn More, Read the Complete Interview (About 1800 words)

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