Sofía Becerra-Licha (MSLS ’12), alumna of the UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS), has been appointed lead archivist at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The Kennedy Center created the position to help organize and preserve its historical holdings in preparation for its 50^th anniversary season in 2021-22. The disarray of its materials, as well as that of the National Theatre, are highlighted in a recent story by The Washington Post. The article quotes Becerra-Licha reviewing some of the decisions that must be made so she and her soon-to-be-hired assistants can bring order to the chaos. Click here to read the full story.

Prior to joining the Kennedy Center in April, Becerra-Licha had been Associate Director of Archives at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Though she’ll be facing a scenario that The Washington Post reporter compares to the final shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Becerra-Licha said she is looking forward to the new challenge.

“I think what excites me most about this opportunity is the chance to once again build an archives and records management program from scratch at such a significant performing arts organization – drawing on what I learned from my experience at Berklee as well as the variety of jobs I held as a SILS student,” she said. “I love building things. I love a good challenge, and given my music background, I’m thrilled to be able to bring all those elements together in support of an organizational mission that’s near and dear to my heart.”

---