Meet Dawn Sueoka!

March 15, 2015

We would like to welcome our newest member, Dawn Sueoka! She is very excited to be a part of ARMA and the Hawaii Chapter. She is new to records management, but has a library and information science background. Here is a little about her:

1. Tell us about your company/organization and what role you serve.
   I am the Archivist at Shangri La, the former home of philanthropist and art collector Doris Duke, located in Black Point on O‘ahu. Shangri La is managed by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, and is open to the public as a museum of Islamic art and a center for Islamic arts and cultures. I collect, preserve, and provide access to materials that document the house and the art collection, as well as materials that document the activities of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.


2. What are your current job responsibilities as they relate to records and information management (RIM)?
   I’m currently working on creating a records management manual and records retention schedules to help us manage our active records and identify which types of records merit long-term preservation.


3. Can you share any specific challenges that you have experienced as they relate to RIM?
   Sure. Museums have very particular and in some ways unusual records management needs. Documentation about the acquisition and conservation of the art collection, for example, has permanent archival value. At the same time, these records are continuously accessed and added to, and are typically maintained in their respective offices of origin. I’ve been speaking with other museum archivists and looking at other museum-specific retention schedules to get a better idea of how we might implement records management in a way that is compatible with our specific needs and operations.


4. Are there any particular topics that you hope to hear or learn about from ARMA that may help you in your current job?
   I’m just starting out with records management, so I’m looking forward to learning from chapter events and members! I’ve been learning about long-term preservation of born-digital files from a library and archives perspective, but I’m interested in hearing other perspectives as well. I’m also interested in learning more about cloud storage and about legal and other regulatory requirements that apply to records management.


5. Other than work, tell us about yourself (Family/ Hobbies/ Where you plan on taking your next vacation).
   I grew up on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. Lately, I’ve been really into bicycle commuting, and feel very lucky to be able to ride past the Ala Wai (which is actually quite pretty on most days) and Diamond Head every morning and afternoon.