Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
A UCL Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism event
Speakers:
Dr. Colleen J. Shogan (11th Archivist of the United States)
Richard Ovenden (Bodley's Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries, University of Oxford)
Moderator:
Prof Erin Delaney (Director of GCDC, UCL Laws)
About the event
This State of the United States event convenes two of the world’s most influential stewards of cultural memory to examine how archives, libraries, and museums underpin a functioning democracy. Together they will explore how the decisions societies make about what to document, preserve, or overlook shape the civic imagination and influence national identity, especially in a period when history itself has become a fiercely contested terrain. At a moment defined by disinformation and distrust, their conversation will consider how non-partisan knowledge institutions act as stabilising forces, safeguarding trusted information, modelling transparency, and helping citizens of every background develop the skills to discern high-quality evidence. They will also reflect on how such institutions can defend themselves from political interference, how the US and UK might learn from each other’s successes and vulnerabilities, and why investing in resilient, apolitical repositories of public knowledge is essential to protecting constitutional democracy in an increasingly volatile era.
About the Speakers
Dr. Colleen J. Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States, the first woman in American history appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). A noted author and political scientist, Colleen is deeply committed to civics education and prioritized sharing the records of the National Archives to a wider audience. Under her leadership, NARA launched numerous strategic initiatives to enhance services and make its holdings more accessible, both in-person and online, with the goal of cultivating public participation and strengthening our nation's democracy.
Prior to becoming Archivist, Colleen served in several cultural heritage leadership roles. She was Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association, worked in the United States Senate, and served as a senior executive at the Library of Congress and its Congressional Research Service. She was the Vice Chair of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors at the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation.
A native of the Pittsburgh area, she holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a Ph.D. in American Politics from Yale University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. Colleen is the 2024 recipient of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert Humphrey Award for outstanding public service.
In addition to her role at More Perfect, she is also a Senior Fellow in Civics Education at Stand Together and an Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown University.
Richard Ovenden is Bodley’s Librarian & the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries (the senior executive officer of the Bodleian Libraries), and is responsible for their strategic oversight. He holds this post together with being Head of Gardens, Libraries & Museums (GLAM).
Richard has held positions at Durham University Library, the House of Lords Library, the National Library of Scotland, and the University of Edinburgh. He moved to the Bodleian in 2003 as Keeper of Special Collections, becoming Deputy Librarian in 2011. He was educated at the University of Durham and University College London, and holds a Professorial Fellowship at Balliol College, Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Member of both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The Queen’s Birthday Honours 2019. In 2025 Richard became an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy. He was also awarded the Benson Medal and Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Society of Literature.
Richard serves as President of the Digital Preservation Coalition, and as a member of the Advisory Council of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, based in Berlin.
He has written extensively on the history of the book, on the history of photography, and on current concerns in the library, archive and information worlds. Richard also writes regularly for the Financial Times and the Observer.
A UCL Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism event
Speakers:
Dr. Colleen J. Shogan (11th Archivist of the United States)
Richard Ovenden (Bodley's Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries, University of Oxford)
Moderator:
Prof Erin Delaney (Director of GCDC, UCL Laws)
About the event
This State of the United States event convenes two of the world’s most influential stewards of cultural memory to examine how archives, libraries, and museums underpin a functioning democracy. Together they will explore how the decisions societies make about what to document, preserve, or overlook shape the civic imagination and influence national identity, especially in a period when history itself has become a fiercely contested terrain. At a moment defined by disinformation and distrust, their conversation will consider how non-partisan knowledge institutions act as stabilising forces, safeguarding trusted information, modelling transparency, and helping citizens of every background develop the skills to discern high-quality evidence. They will also reflect on how such institutions can defend themselves from political interference, how the US and UK might learn from each other’s successes and vulnerabilities, and why investing in resilient, apolitical repositories of public knowledge is essential to protecting constitutional democracy in an increasingly volatile era.
About the Speakers
Dr. Colleen J. Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States, the first woman in American history appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). A noted author and political scientist, Colleen is deeply committed to civics education and prioritized sharing the records of the National Archives to a wider audience. Under her leadership, NARA launched numerous strategic initiatives to enhance services and make its holdings more accessible, both in-person and online, with the goal of cultivating public participation and strengthening our nation's democracy.
Prior to becoming Archivist, Colleen served in several cultural heritage leadership roles. She was Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association, worked in the United States Senate, and served as a senior executive at the Library of Congress and its Congressional Research Service. She was the Vice Chair of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors at the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation.
A native of the Pittsburgh area, she holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a Ph.D. in American Politics from Yale University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. Colleen is the 2024 recipient of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert Humphrey Award for outstanding public service.
In addition to her role at More Perfect, she is also a Senior Fellow in Civics Education at Stand Together and an Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown University.
Richard Ovenden is Bodley’s Librarian & the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries (the senior executive officer of the Bodleian Libraries), and is responsible for their strategic oversight. He holds this post together with being Head of Gardens, Libraries & Museums (GLAM).
Richard has held positions at Durham University Library, the House of Lords Library, the National Library of Scotland, and the University of Edinburgh. He moved to the Bodleian in 2003 as Keeper of Special Collections, becoming Deputy Librarian in 2011. He was educated at the University of Durham and University College London, and holds a Professorial Fellowship at Balliol College, Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Member of both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The Queen’s Birthday Honours 2019. In 2025 Richard became an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy. He was also awarded the Benson Medal and Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Society of Literature.
Richard serves as President of the Digital Preservation Coalition, and as a member of the Advisory Council of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, based in Berlin.
He has written extensively on the history of the book, on the history of photography, and on current concerns in the library, archive and information worlds. Richard also writes regularly for the Financial Times and the Observer.
