UVA Special Collections’ Krystal Appiah Joins RBS Board of Directors

Rare Book School (RBS) welcomes to its Board of Directors Krystal Appiah, who is Head of Collection Development at the University of Virginia’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, where she also serves as Curator for Virginia and African American collections. Appiah’s previous positions include Curator of African American History at The Library Company of Philadelphia and Research Archivist for the Maryland State Archives’ Legacy of Slavery in Maryland program. In 2019, she was co-investigator, with Brenda Gunn, of the Ithaka S+R study Supporting Teaching with Primary Sources, which examined how UVA faculty teach undergraduates with primary sources.

“We are delighted that Krystal Appiah has joined our board,” said RBS Executive Director Michael F. Suarez, S.J. “Throughout her impressive career, Krystal has ably demonstrated a commitment to scholarly excellence at such esteemed institutions as UVA’s Small Special Collections Library and at The Library Company of Philadelphia. By engaging with rare books and materials every day, Krystal exemplifies the importance of making our cultural heritage accessible to all, which aligns perfectly with RBS’s mission.”

Appiah holds an M.L.I.S., with a specialization in Archival Studies, from the University of California, Los Angeles and an A.M. in Public Humanities from Brown University, where she was the 2009–11 Fellow for the Study of the Public History of Slavery. Her intellectual interests include African American history, print culture, women’s studies, and the history of education. She is active in the Society of American Archivists and was elected to its Council in 2022.