New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has appointed Black lesbian librarian and archivist Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz as commissioner of the city’s Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS).
Advocate describes DORIS, which oversees municipal archives, records administration, and the library, and as “one of the city’s most consequential but often overlooked agencies” that is “central to how the city preserves its history and responds to public requests for government information.”
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“We have such a rich New York City history when it comes to Stonewall in particular,” she told The Advocate, referencing the Trump administration’s attempt to erase transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument last year.
She also said she is excited about the role because she’s looking for “a Mamdani experience,” which will be filled with appointees with backgrounds in public service and grassroots organizing.
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On her personal website, Smith-Cruz emphasizes her queerness, writing that it “permeates.”
“When is the work not queer?” she asks.
In a statement following her appointment, Smith-Cruz called it “an absolute honor” to take on a role in the Mamdani administration, “which feels to be a moment in NYC political history of great importance and collective endeavor.”
“Providing access to government records, documents and data is our municipal responsibility,” she continued. “Embracing and preserving a comprehensive imprint of NYC histories, as representative of our many communities, is the mission of DORIS that I aim to uphold.”
“After 20 years working across academic libraries, public libraries, library schools and with institutional and community-based chives, as Commissioner I intend to ensure an informed citizenry… together, we can continue to work toward robust and complete information dissemination, while also honoring the multiple histories of all New Yorkers.”
Among many other experiences, Smith-Cruz spent almost 20 years as coordinator for the Lesbian Herstory Archives and also served as the Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning, and Engagement at NYU Division of Libraries. She was most recently dean of the Barnard College Library.
“During her time at Barnard, Shawn Smith-Cruz helped advance transparent, equitable access to information,” said Laura Ann Rosenbury, President of Barnard College, in a statement, “and we are excited to see her continue this important work on behalf of New York City.”
Mamdani has made LGBTQ+ representation a priority in his administration. In March, he unveiled a new Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, headed by Taylor Brown, the first openly transgender person to lead a city agency.
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