Diana Lachatanere facts for kids

Diana Lachatanere is an American archivist. Think of an archivist as a super-organizer who takes care of important historical documents, photos, and records so people can learn from them later. She worked for many years at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. This center is a special library and museum dedicated to African American history and culture. Diana retired in 2013 after helping manage the center's amazing collections and programs for almost 20 years.

Her Journey to Becoming an Archivist

Diana Lachatanere studied at the City College of New York, graduating in 1969. Later, she earned her master's degree in library science from the University of California, Berkeley. This degree taught her how to organize and preserve information, which is exactly what archivists do!

Working with History and Culture

Diana began her career in 1976 at the California Historical Society in San Francisco. She started by helping to organize documents and quickly moved up to become an Assistant Manuscripts Librarian.

At the Schomburg Center

In 1980, Diana joined the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. She started as an Assistant Archivist. By 1988, she became the Curator of the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division. This meant she was in charge of many of the center's most valuable historical items.

Diana held several important roles at the Schomburg Center. She was an assistant director for Collections and Services. She also managed a program for scholars who came to study at the center. She helped plan exhibitions and worked on projects that received funding to process important collections.

She also shared her knowledge by advising other archival programs. These included the Center for Black Music Research and the Cuban Archives Project.

Helping Archivists of Color

Diana Lachatanere played a big part in making the archival field more welcoming for everyone. Her first meeting with the Society of American Archivists (SAA) was in 1978. At this meeting, a librarian named Ann Allen Shockley invited many young archivists of color to dinner. She noted it was the first time so many Black people were at the conference.

In 1981, Diana was part of a discussion about minorities in the profession. After this, a group of archivists decided to take action. They worked to create a special group within the SAA for archivists from diverse backgrounds.

Creating a Welcoming Space

This effort led to the creation of the Task Force on Minorities. Diana was invited to represent the SAA on a committee focused on recruiting minorities. She believed that a strong membership committee could help reach out to and support Black archivists.

In 1987, the task force recommended forming a special group. This led to the creation of the Archivists and Archives of Color Roundtable. Diana Lachatanere was one of its first leaders. She helped create the group's first newsletters and set its goals. This roundtable still exists today, providing a community for archivists of color.

Diana's Leadership Roles

Diana served in many roles within the Society of American Archivists (SAA), including:

• Representative for minorities in museums, archives, and historical agencies (1982)
• Member of the Task Force on Minorities (1982-1984)
• On the Nominating Committee (1984)
• On the Program Committees (1986, 1991)
• Vice-chair and Chair of the Manuscripts Repositories Section Steering Committee (1986-1988)
• Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee (1989)
• Chair of the Minorities Roundtable (1986-1987)
• On the SAA Membership Committee (1987-1989)

She also held various positions within the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC):

• On the Program Committee (1986)
• At-Large Representative (1987–89)
• On the MARAC Membership Committee (1987–88)
• On the Nominations and Elections Committee (1989)
• On the Arlene Custer Awards Committee (1991–93)

Other Important Work

Diana Lachatanere was involved with many other groups and projects. She advised committees for Afro-Latino archives and the African American Heritage Initiative. She also served on advisory boards for the Caribbean Collection Project and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Her work helped ensure that diverse histories and cultures are preserved and shared.