Berlin Loa
- Associate Professor of Practice, School of Information
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- Richard P. Harvill Building, Rm. 409
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- berlin@arizona.edu
Biography
Berlin Loa, Associate Professor and Knowledge River Program Manager, teaches critical approaches in information science and cultural heritage preservation focusing on inclusive preservation practices in libraries, archives, and museums. Research areas include place-making, place-keeping, and memory-keeping practices; creative collaboration around communities of practice; and tradition and folklore in cultural heritage preservation.
Degrees
- M.A. Applied Anthropology
- Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, United States
- Counter archives: unfolding hidden stories
- M.A. Information Resources and Library Science
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Concentration in Archives, Knowledge River Scholar
- B.A. English Literature
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Thematic minor in Anthropology and Africana Studies
Work Experience
- College of Information Science (2024 - Ongoing)
- University of Arizona / School of Information (2019 - 2024)
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2016 - 2019)
Awards
- Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in Graduate Teaching
- College of Social and Behavioral Science, Spring 2024 (Award Nominee)
- Evidence Based Practice Award
- Hispanic Serving Institutes, Spring 2024
- Diversity Award
- Society of American Archivists, Fall 2023 (Award Nominee)
- Teaching Excellence Award
- College of Information Science, Spring 2023
- Graduate Programs Excelencia in Education
- Excelencia in Education, Fall 2022 (Award Finalist)
- Cultural Competence in Computing Fellow
- Duke University, Cultural Competence in Computing Fellow, Fall 2021
- Community Service Award
- Museum Association of Arizona, Spring 2015
Licensure & Certification
- Teaching in Higher Education, Humboldt State University (2021)
- Certified Archivist, Academy of Certified Archivists (2013)
Interests
Teaching
Information management in archives, libraries, and small museums.Information management of non-dominant perspectives.Small museums operations.Collections management in archives and small museums.Collaborative work in communities of practice.Collective memory.Cultural anthropology, collective memory, and placemaking/placekeeping.Interdisciplinary studies in expressive & material culture.
Research
Areas of research: Memory-keeping practices; ethnically diverse cultural heritage & knowledge practices; application of storytelling in cultural heritage preservation; taskscapes of cultural heritage preservation & public memory.
Courses
2024-25 Courses
-
Collection Management
LIS 560 (Spring 2025) -
Inf Env/Non-dominant Pers
LIS 550 (Spring 2025) -
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Fall 2024) -
Introduction To Archives
INFO 540 (Fall 2024) -
Introduction To Archives
LIS 540 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Summer I 2024) -
Independent Study
LIS 699 (Summer I 2024) -
Collection Management
LIS 560 (Spring 2024) -
Inf Env/Non-dominant Pers
LIS 550 (Spring 2024) -
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Fall 2023) -
Introduction To Archives
LIS 540 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Summer I 2023) -
Collection Management
LIS 560 (Spring 2023) -
Independent Study
LIS 699 (Spring 2023) -
Inf Env/Non-dominant Pers
LIS 550 (Spring 2023) -
Special Topics in Computer Sci
CSC 296 (Spring 2023) -
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Fall 2022) -
Introduction To Archives
LIS 540 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Summer I 2022) -
Collection Management
LIS 560 (Spring 2022) -
Independent Study
LIS 699 (Spring 2022) -
Inf Env/Non-dominant Pers
LIS 550 (Spring 2022) -
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Fall 2021) -
Introduction To Archives
LIS 540 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Summer I 2021) -
Collection Management
LIS 560 (Spring 2021) -
Documnt Divrs Cult+Comms
LIS 557 (Spring 2021) -
Independent Study
LIS 699 (Spring 2021) -
Info Intermediation
LIS 532 (Fall 2020) -
Introduction To Archives
LIS 540 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
Collection Management
LIS 560 (Spring 2020) -
Independent Study
LIS 699 (Spring 2020) -
Inf Env/Non-dominant Pers
LIS 550 (Spring 2020) -
Info Intermediation
LIS 532 (Fall 2019) -
Introduction To Archives
LIS 540 (Fall 2019)
Scholarly Contributions
Chapters
- Loa, B. (2012). Native Americans. In Magazines for Libraries. ProQuest, LLC.
- Loa, B. (2012). Photography. In Magazines for Libraries. ProQuest, LLC.
Journals/Publications
- Loa, B., & Kruger, P. N. (2021). Community of Practice at the California State University Special Collections and University Archives. Journal of Western Archives, 12(1), 18.More infoThe California State University Archives and Archivists’ Roundtable is a Community of Practice consisting of archivists that meet regularly online, and annually in person. Communities grow from shared interests, resources, concerns, or endeavors. Communities of practice can grow out of a need for connecting with other people who share the same issues, learning environment, or passions. In this article we describe how the CSUAAR group was founded, how it has evolved, and offers a potential model for other archivists to identify, create, and maintain a community of practice through common needs or interest.
