2022 Dodds Prize Winner

I am pleased to announce that Mya Ballin has been awarded the Dodds Prize for 2022 for her article “’I'd rather have something than nothing': Presence and Absence in the Records of Transracial, Transnational Adoptees.” Mya Ballin is a recent graduate of the University of British Columbia, and her article was submitted by Professor Jennifer Douglas.

Instituted in 2011, the Dodds Prize recognizes superior research and writing on an archival topic by a student enrolled in a Master's level archival studies program at a Canadian university. The award honours Gordon Dodds (1941–2010), first President of the ACA, and Archivaria's longest-serving general editor. Submissions received for the 2022–22 academic year were reviewed by an adjudication committee comprising Greg Bak, Jeremy Heil and François Dansereau. I thank the committee for their service. Mya Ballin's article will be published in the Spring 2023 issue of Archivaria and the award will be formally presented at the 2022 ACA Award Ceremony. The citation reads:

“Using a clear methodology and grounded in a strong ethic of care, Mya Ballin’s paper presents primary research of a community of people who were adopted internationally as children. This paper brilliantly explores why this community is in need of archival and personal support, illuminating the inadequate and painful bureaucratic documentation of their personal histories. Using oral histories, along with a deep examination of relevant secondary literature, Ballin’s article contributes directly to archival research and thinking by putting forward the complex relationships that connect records, administrative contexts, individuals’ expectations and identity. In addition to the detailed examination of the issue, the article offers insight and a clear framework for archival practitioners on how to address concerns raised in the study.”

Congratulations, Mya, on your excellent work.

Shyla Seller
Managing Editor, Archivaria