About this Event
On Wednesday, October 21st, the NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) presents Reflecting on NYC History: A Community Forum, a full day of programming at the historic Hall of Records.
At 7:00 PM, the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS)’ commissioner, Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, will join Emmy Award winner Randy Cohen for a live recording of Person Place Thing.
Person Place Thing is an interview show based on the idea that people are especially engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but about something they care about. Guests share a person, place, and thing they find meaningful. The result: surprising stories from great talkers.
Join us either virtually (via Zoom) or in person (limited seats available).
Music will be provided by:
Liz Hanley
Note: If you are interested in attending this event in person, please select the “In-Person Attendance” ticket option when RSVPing for this event.
If you require an auxiliary aid or service to attend a DORIS event, please contact our Disability Service Facilitator.
For more information about the rest of our October 21st programming, click here.
About the Speakers:
Randy Cohen is a writer, radio host, and humorist known for his work as the author of The Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine. He also authors humor pieces, essays, and stories for publications and newspapers worldwide, such as The New Yorker, Harper's, The Atlantic, and Young Love Comics.
Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz is the commissioner of the NYC Department of Records & Information Services. Appointed in April 2026, Shawn comes to DORIS with nearly twenty years of experience as a librarian and archivist.
Shawn sits on the board of the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), which works to create a sustainable culture of creativity, collaboration, and open exchange for libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions in the Metropolitan New York region and around the world. She has co-steered national conversations on critical librarianship, n critical race theory in libraries, GenAI, and the roles of libraries and community-based narratives.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Queer Women's Studies from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program. Her Master's in Library Science with a concentration in Archives and Master's in Fine Arts with a focus on Fiction are each from Queens College, CUNY.
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• Zoom access information will be shared a few days before the event
Event venue & nearby stays
NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), 31 Chambers Street, New York City, United States
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