It Matters Who Does This Work

An Interview with Tonia Sutherland

Abstract

Tonia Sutherland (she/her) is assistant professor in the Library and Information Science Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She serves on the SAA Council, and is author of the forthcoming book Digital Remains: Race and the Digital Afterlife. Dr. Sutherland holds a Ph.D. and an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information, as well as a BA in history, performance studies, and cultural studies from Hampshire College. Her work focuses on the interactions of technology and culture, and emphasizes critical work within the fields of archival studies, digital studies, and science and technology studies.

In this interview, recorded September 14, 2021, Sophia Ziegler talks to Tonia Sutherland about her work in critical digital librarianship, focusing specifically on her presentation during the LDL as Data Speaker Series in late 2019, as well as the new project, “Premised on Care: Redescription as Restorative Justice in American Archives.” Ziegler and Sutherland also discuss the role of LIS education in creating a profession that is more prepared for the to describe content in a way that honors everyone’s heritage.