Week 3: Nothing like a Network

 Since graduating from the University of Arizona with my masters in library science, in 2010, I have learned that having a degree, while nice, is not the most important thing that a job applicant can have. In the words of the over used cliché, it is not what you know, it is who you know. If “knowing” people are the objective, how can one go about “knowing” people in sincere and meaningful ways in these times of limited resources and ever increasing demand? I’m on Facebook and Linked-in but I can attest these digital connections are not substitutes for the benefits of taking the time to really become acquainted with someone in person.

This year long fellowship is giving us an amazing opportunity to showcase our professional interest in archives, our personalities and our abilities with some amazing individuals in the industry. I have a natural inclination to keep my mouth closed, but when I think about all of the missed opportunities to show the world how awesome I am, I get over my shyness and join the conversation. It usually works out for the best. Sometimes I think about Alex, Amanda, Ardra, Cynthia and Skyla what they will accomplish in their careers, I am so grateful to have a chance to be in the trenches with them now. We are laughing, working, learning and growing together in this fellowship and it will be a pleasure to reflect on these experiences when we collaborate in the future. 

British Studies students at Kings Cross Station

The same is true for other individuals that I have met on my journey in archives. During my last year in graduate school, I travelled to London, England for four weeks to participate in British Studies Program through The University of Southern Mississippi. I received 6 graduate credits for Dr. Teresa Welsh’s course on British Libraries and Information Centers. Dr. Welsh wrote one of my recommendation letters for my application to The HistoryMakers and I am sharing my experience here to help her to write a grant for a similar program at The University of Southern Mississippi. The first night in London, after we had settled in, a few of my classmates and I took Dr. Welsh up on her offer to show us around the city, mainly how to use the Tube and where to get tickets to the theatre, and it set a very positive tone for the entire trip. She also bought me dessert in Edinburgh, when she found out that it was my birthday. Getting to know her in these organic and low stakes scenarios has given me a sincere level of comfort with her, and has made it easier to ask her for assistance today.

Dr. Welsh giving a presentation

This week at the HistoryMakers, I went to town on my finding aids. Up until now, I thought I was doing something, when I finished the evaluation form, but now I know that is hardly the end of the process. I made corrections to the evaluation forms based on Julieanna’s feedback, worked with Dan on my subject headings, updated Filemaker Pro, edited the EAC-CPF and EAD in Oxygen and cranked out four complete finding aids by Wednesday. I also finished Sheila Grimes, the veterinary pathologist and started watching the playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks. I went through a box of the Diahann Carroll special collections documents and worked on my Mayme Clayton presentation. Dr. Salvatore talked with us about arrangement and description, as well as “more product, less process”. Dr. Reed led an interesting discussion on the attitudes of the northerners and the southerners when it came to slavery and the humanity of blacks in the 1800s, before the Civil War.