State of Montana Newsroom
Montana Archivist selected to 2025 Archives Leadership Institute
Helena, MT—Anneliese Jakle, Archivist/Oral Historian at the Montana Historical Society (MTHS), has been selected for the 2025 Archives Leadership Institute (ALI) at the University of Virginia, a competitive program designed to strengthen leadership among archives and memory professionals.
Jakle has served as the Archivist/Oral Historian at the MTHS Library & Archives since 2014 and leads public presentations and workshops, guiding individuals and groups in developing oral history projects. Since 2022, she has also served as the de facto Lead Archivist, offering strategic guidance to the Archives staff to ensure smooth operations and collaboration. Her leadership skills, engagement with professional organizations, and success managing grant-funded projects contributed to her selection for ALI.
"I am beyond honored to be selected for the 2025 Archives Leadership Institute,” said Jakle. “Although my project is still in its early stages, I’m excited to work with Montana’s tribes over the next year and beyond to build a working relationship that ensures both tribal records and documents created by tribal members are handled properly."
Jakle will use her time at ALI to develop a project focused on fostering strong partnerships with Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO) and Tribal Colleges across Montana. Her primary goal is to ensure that any records created by tribes are returned to them. Additionally, she seeks to establish a process where materials created by members of Montana tribes and donated to the Montana Historical Society are properly communicated and reviewed for cultural sensitivity before being included in collections.
ALI is a grant program funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration, and is being hosted at the University of Virginia for the years 2024-2026. The Archives Leadership Institute at the University of Virginia (ALI@Virginia) will provide advanced training for 25 archivists and memory workers, giving them the knowledge and tools to transform the archival profession in practice, theory, stewardship, and care. In support of the project, the University of Virginia Library was awarded $300,000 by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the granting agency of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Participants were selected for the 2025 ALI@Virginia program based on their exceptional leadership skills and potential, the ability to influence change within the archival field, a strong commitment to the archival profession, demonstrated professional organizational involvement and service, a collaborative and innovative spirit, and representation and/or support of diversity within the profession.
The leadership institute is a weeklong immersion program that embraces a distraction-free, focused opportunity for archival leaders to develop necessary theories, skills and knowledge. Participants will engage in classroom and experiential learning, focusing on individual growth and building capacity as a leader; organizational leadership; and responsible stewardship and partnerships.
To learn more about ALI@Virginia see www.archivesleadershipinstitute.org or contact director@archivesleadershipinstitute.org. To learn more about the Montana Historical Society, visit mths.mt.gov or contact mths@mt.gov.