Featuring Laura Yturbe Mori, current Early Career Professional and ICA New Professionals Programme (NPP) cohort of 2021/2022, in an interview by Arvid de Raaij and Yasmin T. Ismail, active New Professionals (NPs)
Arvid de Raaij and Yasmin T. Ismail, NPP cohort of 2025/2026, conducted an interview with Laura Yturbe Mori, NPP cohort of 2021/2022. Laura shared extensively with us about her career trajectory, personal experience with the ICA NPP, and what she has been working on as part of the Early Career Professionals Section (ECaPS).
ECaPS’ objective is to grow its student and new professional membership by further developing the community of early career archivists and records managers within the ICA, via the creation of a provisional section, specifically for them. The ICA sections provide networking, professional development, and leadership opportunities. A section for early career professionals aims to harness the energy and enthusiasm of people who are new to the archives and records management field so they can help develop the next set of ICA leaders. ECaPS is primarily aimed at students and individuals within the first ten years of their professional careers in archives or records management. ECaPS’ future activities and initiatives include the launch of the Outreach Pilot Project, the creation of resources and toolkits, and the organisation of workshops, webinars and events for early career professionals.
ECaPS aims to:
- Advocate for the needs and representation of early career professionals within ICA and the wider archival community.
- Facilitate access to training, resources, and professional development opportunities.
- Create opportunities and collaboration through digital platforms, events, and forums.
- Engage early career professionals in leadership roles and the Section’s activities.
- Promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in the archival field.
- Foster international exchange and collaboration across regions.
EcaPS will have a dedicated section in future numbers of the NP Newsletter. Read on for Arvid and Yasmin’s interview with Laura.*
*This interview feature is not a transcript and has been edited for clarity and length.
How did you start working in the archival field? Can you tell us more about your current role and institution?
I originally wanted to be a teacher, but I realised it was not my thing after the first semester. I found that there was a viable career option in archives and records management, and I liked it because it involved many things including history and technology. In 2015, I started studying in the only university in Peru that offers the relevant course. I got my first job in the archival field in 2018 after I applied for a job posting that I found on my university’s job portal. The Contraloría General de la República del Perú was looking for an archival practitioner at that time. It turned out well and I was initially hired by the institution for three months. I worked there for about five years and during my time there, I gained practical experience and people skills. I know that not everyone’s first job out of school is such smooth sailing, but I got lucky. In my case, I have met very nice people, and the working environment was one of the best that I could have wished for. It felt like home to me. I currently work at the Archivo General de la Nación del Perú, mainly doing research on archival and records management laws and policies.
On the future of archiving, how do you think the archivist’s role is changing and what types of skills matter most today?
In the time that I have been working in the field, it seems that the functions of archival institutions are changing and the boundaries between distinct disciplines are blurring. In some institutions, archives and records management are done by different people, but in my institution it all comes together under the same domain. Because of this, we need to rethink the way that we see the profession. We need to learn from other disciplines and take an interdisciplinary approach. To adapt, I have started a six-month weekend course in engineering.
I find that we definitely need more skills. There may be a level of reluctance and inertia to upskill and reskill for some, but we cannot be stagnant. We need to try to learn more, otherwise we are going to miss opportunities. We need to apply to seminars and be part of the global and regional conversations. Before I was part of the ICA, I had a more tunnelled view because I thought there was not much going on out there. After being part of the ICA, I was more attuned to the happenings and latest developments of other countries. I now find myself thinking, “Oh, that country is developing more, that country is doing something different, etc.” You definitely need to be part of the network to learn.
What was your experience with the ICA NPP and what did it mean to you personally and professionally?
I first learned about the ICA NPP in 2020. Once I was selected to be part of the programme, my cohort (2021/2022) got together early in the year to start working on our shared project. We also started managing the social media accounts and writing the New Professionals newsletter. Soon after, I also was introduced to my mentor who was from Brazil. My mentor was a great source of support and also helped me in finding resources for my Bachelor’s research.
My cohort presented our project at the ICA Conference in Rome in 2022, where we also met the NPP cohort of 2020. They had not been able to attend the previous Congress in person due to the Covid-19 Pandemic so that was a wonderful experience. It was also the first time that I had presented in a conference, much less in a language that is not my native tongue. We were all assigned a conference buddy, and it turned out that my conference buddy was the author of some of my favourite works. He gave me an autographed book and that is now one of my treasures.
How did the ICA NPP influence the creation, structure and vision of ECaPS?
The idea for ECaPS started when we were still active NPs, mainly due to Nicola Laurent’s suggestion. Apart from our main NPP project, we also started working on a set of Terms of Reference for a provisional section of the ICA that would include all emerging professionals who are looking for a support network. We hope to have a platform to support professionals who are trying to find their way into the ICA or trying to join a professional network.
What is ECaPS doing at the moment and how can people contribute to, or, become involved in ECaPS?
ECaPS is currently following the same path as other ICA sections. We are outlining the Terms of Reference, thinking about potential projects and we are planning to apply for financial help. We are also active in doing outreach and we are presenting a poster at the ICA Barcelona Congress in October 2025. Our goal is to promote the new provisional section as much as possible, which we are doing so progressively. We are also looking for new professionals in the field and in other fields, people from different countries, backgrounds and institutions so that we can collaborate on future projects together. Stay tuned for more on ECaPS in future issues of the NP Newsletter!
Laura Yturbe Mori holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Archival Science and Records Management from the Universidad Católica Sedes Sapientiae in Peru. She has over five years of experience in the administration of public archives and currently serves as a records management specialist at the General National Archives of Peru. She is an alumna of the International Council on Archives (ICA) New Professionals Programme cohort of 2021/2022.
