{"id":206017,"date":"2026-04-22T14:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/206017\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T14:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:08:09","slug":"mamdani-appoints-black-lesbian-librarian-as-the-chief-keeper-of-nycs-records-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/206017\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani appoints Black lesbian librarian as the chief keeper of NYC\u2019s records (exclusive)"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York City<\/a> Mayor Zohran Mamdani is appointing a Black lesbian<\/a> archivist and librarian on Wednesday to lead one of the city\u2019s most consequential but often overlooked agencies, elevating a longtime advocate for information access at a moment when battles over public records, history, and identity are intensifying nationwide.<\/p>\n

Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, who has spent nearly two decades working across academic<\/a>, public, and community-based archives, will serve as commissioner of the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, or DORIS, The Advocate has exclusively learned. The agency oversees the municipal archives, library, and records administration, making it central to how the city preserves its history<\/a> and responds to public requests for government information.<\/p>\n

Related: Mayor Mamdani appoints trans woman to run first-ever NYC Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs <\/a><\/p>\n

Smith-Cruz, a Brooklyn native, said she identifies as both queer and lesbian, describing those identities as intertwined. Her appointment places an out LGBTQ+ Black woman in charge of safeguarding the official record of the nation\u2019s largest city.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Trump administration faced backlash after federal materials tied to the Stonewall uprising were revised to remove or downplay references to transgender<\/a> people, prompting accusations of historical erasure. Earlier this year, the administration again drew criticism after the Pride<\/a> flag was removed from the federally managed Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan. LGBTQ+ groups sued, and in early April, the federal government agreed to a court settlement requiring the flag to be restored and allowed to remain, reversing the earlier decision.<\/p>\n

For Smith-Cruz, those battles underscore the stakes of her role. \u201cWe have such a rich New York City history when it comes to Stonewall in particular,\u201d she told The Advocate in an interview, adding that preserving it means ensuring that not only well-known groups but also \u201cother groups and other people whose voices and names were not documented or heard\u201d are included.<\/p>\n

Her selection also reinforces how Mamdani is staffing his administration with leaders drawn from community-based work and advocacy networks. Smith-Cruz said she sees that approach as intentional.<\/p>\n

Related: Zohran Mamdani swears in Lillian Bonsignore as first out lesbian FDNY commissioner<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really a Mamdani experience that I\u2019m interested in being a part of,\u201d she said, pointing to a broader cohort of appointees with roots in grassroots organizing and public service.<\/p>\n

The appointment also fits into a broader pattern in Mamdani\u2019s early administration, which has elevated LGBTQ+ leadership across the city government. In March, Mamdani created New York City\u2019s first-ever Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs and appointed civil rights attorney Taylor Brown<\/a> as its inaugural director, making her the first out transgender person to lead a city office or agency. He has also appointed Lillian Bonsignore as the Fire Department\u2019s first out gay commissioner.<\/p>\n

In her new role, Smith-Cruz will oversee not only the preservation of historical materials but also the city\u2019s response to public records requests. She described that work as both technical and urgent, particularly in an era defined by the rapid expansion of digital information and rising concerns about access.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really responding to FOIA requests or people who are thinking about open access to government data, government records, government information,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is something that is a right for all people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her r\u00e9sum\u00e9 reflects a career built at the intersection of archives, equity, and public access. Smith-Cruz most recently served as dean of the Barnard College Library, where she oversaw collections, digital infrastructure, and research services at one of the country\u2019s leading liberal arts institutions.<\/p>\n

She has also held senior roles at New York University, the CUNY Graduate Center, and the Brooklyn Public Library.<\/p>\n

Related: Here’s what Zohran Mamdani has promised to do for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers as mayor<\/a><\/p>\n

Her work has consistently focused on expanding access to information for marginalized communities, including projects that support incarcerated people and curate exhibitions on LGBTQ+ history, such as the Salsa Soul Sisters, New York City\u2019s first lesbian-of-color organization.<\/p>\n

Smith-Cruz\u2019s leadership extends beyond institutions. As a teenager, she co-founded the nonprofit Sister Outsider, which provides paid peer education programs for young women in Brooklyn, rooted in harm reduction and economic empowerment.<\/p>\n

She holds a master\u2019s degree in library science with a concentration in archives, a master of fine arts in fiction, and a bachelor\u2019s degree through the CUNY Baccalaureate Program.<\/p>\n

Her appointment comes as debates over historical preservation and public data have taken on new political weight. Across the country, advocates have raised alarms about efforts by the Trump administration and Republicans to restrict or reshape how government institutions document LGBTQ+ lives, racial history, and other marginalized stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are national endeavors\u2026scraping U.S.-based government data sites so that we can retain what\u2019s still there before they get shut down,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cProviding access to government records, documents, and data is our municipal responsibility,\u201d Smith-Cruz said in a statement announcing her appointment, adding that the agency must ensure the city\u2019s historical record reflects \u201cour many communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Advocate: Mamdani appoints Black lesbian librarian as the chief keeper of NYC\u2019s records (exclusive)<\/a><\/p>\n

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