劳伦·格雷, MHS参考馆员, 艾琳·奥灵, 2022-2023 MHS Undergraduate Library Resident
In September 2022 the MHS launched an undergraduate library residency program, aimed to introduce students who might not otherwise consider professional paths in public history or library science to the work of those fields. 艾琳·奥尔丁, then a student at Cape Cod Community College, 是就职住院医生之一吗, working at the MHS from September 2022 through May 2023. At the end of her tenure, Erin drafted this blog post to help spread the word about the program. Knowing that we would be taking a year to evaluate and adjust the program, we held onto Erin’s draft. 既然 呼叫已经结束 for our next pair of library residents, we share Erin’s words with you. If you know anyone that could benefit from participating in this program, please share the link (ezbau.volamdolong.com/admin/uploads/MHS_Undergrad_Residency_Call_for_Applicants_6e7484cbd7.pdf).
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一个学期, I volunteered at the little archive housed in the library of the small community college I attended. Through this slow-going but very insightful work, I gained firsthand experience processing and creating a finding aid for a collection. 当我在那里工作的时候, the archivist saw a posting for a pilot undergraduate library residency program at the 马萨诸塞州历史学会 and forwarded it my way. The prospect of working at such a storied archive and library—not to mention having a paid 实习生ship – enticed me to apply.
After making a successful application, I prepared for the interview. I scoured the Society’s website, finding as many articles, videos, and other resources as possible. Discovering more about the historically rich og体育官网 housed in the MHS was like finding diamonds in a goldmine. I most enjoyed stumbling upon a beautifully painted WWI propaganda poster featuring Joan of Arc, encouraging patriotic women to buy war bonds.
Receiving news that I landed the job made me ecstatic. I found the prospect of working in a professional environment after my previous employments in retail and fast food very exciting. But admittedly, that meant I also felt out of my element. 从我第一次轮班的第一秒开始, 我所有的同事, 包括图书馆的同事CJ, 行为慷慨大方. They understood that working just a few shifts a week meant that I wouldn’t get the hang of things as quickly as the other staff and offered much support.
Retrieving items from the stacks felt familiar. I had stocked new merchandise and pulled old merchandise when working retail. 运动功能是一样的. 在书架上工作, slowly committing call numbers and locations to memory, and the sense of accomplishment that came with recalling both left a deep impression on me in my first handful of shifts. Sitting behind the circulation desk, however, felt like an alternate reality. 我是图书馆的终身爱好者, I had spent so much time on the patron side of the circulation desk; now I sat on the other side of the desk.
Readings and field trips supervised by Senior Reference Librarian Anna Clutterbuck-Cook differentiated the residency from a part-time staff position. During the first semester of the residency, Anna brought CJ and I to various archival and historical institutions in the Boston area. 游览不同的地方, 认识不同的人, 学习不同的实践, and listening to different stories— Boston is chock full of stories—provided deep insight into the library and information science (LIS) field. CJ and I also completed assigned readings, excerpts from books pertaining to the LIS field with topics from the MHS itself to the institutional biases within established LIS systems.
In the second semester, CJ and I began work on special projects. For these projects we each partnered with a non-library department at the MHS. I worked with Cassandra Cloutier and Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai on the MHS’s podcast, 历史的对象、生产 an episode about medieval books in the Society’s og体育官网. 我检查了阅览室里的书, 起草面试问题, 与专家进行访谈, 剪掉原始的采访音频. Being able to speak to three knowledgeable individuals (Curator of Art & 文物安妮·本特利，斯蒂芬·T. 莱利图书馆管理员彼得·德拉米, and medievalist Agnieszka Rec) about medieval books and book collecting provided much insight. What a pleasure to learn history on the job!
Completing the yearlong library residency at the 马萨诸塞州历史学会, working in both the Library and Research departments, 是一次美妙的经历. 通过这次实习, I’ve had the opportunity to constantly—and sometimes unexpectedly—learn about historical Boston, 美国, 甚至中世纪的生活. I look forward to applying these learned lessons to my future.
og体育平台安娜·克拉特巴克-库克的笔记
The undergraduate residency program would not have been possible without the work and passion of Anna Clutterbuck-Cook. A few weeks after the first semester ended, Anna passed away after a long battle with cancer. 我觉得安娜鼓舞人心. She taught me so much in a very short time. Her intelligence and activism bled into her work. I can only aspire to have a tenth of her spirit. With the anti-trans legislation passing in the United States, I hope to become an archivist for LGBTQ+ history, especially the history being made right now.