Job summary
Brenda is director of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library and of the Harrison Institute for American History, Literature, and Culture. She leads a team who engages users in reference and public service, educates using primary sources for instruction, elevates discovery of our collections, and excites visitors with our rotating exhibitions.
Professional profile
Brenda Gunn is a certified archivist and a Distinguished Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). Brenda has held leadership positions in archival organizations at the state, regional, and national level, including a term as President of the Academy of Certified Archivists, and a three-year term on SAA’s Council.
Brenda teaches a course on Archives and Society at the University of Mary Washington (in Fredericksburg, Virginia). She is currently co-writing a monograph on archival revolutions since 1980, under contract with the Council of Library and Information Resources. She also is a co-project lead on the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded project, On These Grounds, which is developing a standard vocabulary for describing events in the lives of enslaved and free individuals who labored at institutions of higher education in the United States. In addition to directing the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA, Brenda is the director of the Archives Leadership Institute for 2024-2027. The Institute is a grant program of the National Archives and Records Administration.