Society of American Archivists to honor Helen Wong Smith

Helen Wong Smith, executive director of the Kauai Historical Society in Lihue, will be inducted as a fellow of the Society of American Archivists during a ceremony at the joint annual meeting of SAA and the Council of State Archivists July 31 through Aug. 6 in Atlanta.

The distinction of fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.

Since earning her bachelor’s in Hawaiian studies and a master’s in library and information studies from University of Hawaii at Manoa, Wong Smith has held numerous positions throughout Hawaii including librarian of the Hawaiian Collection at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, lead archivist for the Pacific Island Network of the National Park Service and archivist at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

She has served as an ambassador of Hawaiian and Pacific archives, bringing little-known collections to the forefront through her research and presentations. She has written extensively on Hawaiian cultural resources and is a strong advocate for cultural competencies in the archival profession.

For more information about the Society of American Archivists, visit www.archivists.org.