WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — The Library of Congress announced the appointment of Rachael Stoeltje as the new chief of the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center.
In her new role, Stoeltje will oversee the Library of Congress’s state-of-the-art facility, which preserves and provides access to the world’s largest collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings, including the Library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia.
Before joining the Library of Congress, Stoeltje was the director of the Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive, a role she has held since 2010. During her tenure with the archive Stoeltje oversaw the oversaw the university’s film Mass Digitization and Preservation Initiative, among other projects.
In addition, she serves as president of the Association of Moving Image Archivists where she oversees events such as the organization’s global symposia, annual conference, and other image preservation initiatives.
Stoeltje is a graduate of Indiana University, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree. She also trained at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film.
“Over the course of her career, Rachael Stoeltje has been a visionary – grounded, yet laser-focused on the future and leading by example,” said Hannah Sommers, associate librarian for Researcher and Collections Services at the Library of Congress. “She has raised awareness of collections, enhanced preservation efforts, and fostered collaborations with organizations devoted to film and media across the world.”
“I look forward to working with the amazing, talented and skilled staff at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, as well as with those across the Library of Congress, the National Preservation Boards and especially under the leadership of Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress,” Stoeltje said. “I am especially looking forward to addressing some of the many challenges facing our archives today with the fragility and lack of standardization of current born-digital media, AI technologies’ impact on authenticity and history in archival media, and more and more disasters facing our global archives. The big issues on the horizon are an important part of our future work, along with preserving and making accessible our nation’s moving image and sound recording cultural heritage.”
