Ellen Brooks has joined UNLV Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives as director of the Oral History Research Center.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ellen to our Special Collections and Archives team,” said Maggie Farrell, dean of Libraries. “Her experience conducting oral history interviews and making them accessible will help continue the center’s valuable work documenting the people of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.”
Brooks brings more than 10 years of experience leading oral history programs and projects for academic, government and cultural heritage institutions. She has conducted more than 125 interviews and is a Certified Archivist.
“Ellen knows how to bring people and projects together,” said Sarah Quigley, director of Special Collections and Archives. “She will lead the center’s work alongside project manager Stefani Evans and coordinate with donors, faculty, and community partners to expand access to our collections and develop new projects.”
Established in 2003, the Oral History Research Center has collected more than 4,000 interviews documenting the experiences of people in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.
"I’m excited to join UNLV and to spend time getting to know the stories and communities that make up the center’s extensive and well-regarded collection,” Brooks said. “I look forward to working with colleagues and communities across Southern Nevada to collect new interviews, as well as developing ways to improve accessibility and encourage collaboration.”
Most recently, Brooks managed the WPA Oral History Transcription Project for the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. She coordinated vendor work and led the editing of transcripts for more than 200 archival interviews, preparing them for public access. She previously oversaw the oral history unit at the State Archives of North Carolina and managed a collection of more than 2,100 interviews at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
Brooks holds a master’s degree in oral history from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in history and communications from Fordham University. A member of the Oral History Association since 2014, she co-chaired the task force that developed its Archiving Oral History: Manual of Best Practices and chaired the planning committee for the association’s 2024 annual meeting.
