Intern Spotlight

Name: Katharine Klein

Hometown: Burr Ridge, IL

Internship Period: Summer 2012

What am I doing here at the Russell Library? I have been working closely with the amazing duo Jan Levinson and Jill Severn in developing the newest rotation for the six small cases in the History Lives Showcase Gallery. These cases touch upon the six key collecting areas of Russell Library (politics, social relations, public good, environment, economy, and peace and war) and feature key documents and artifacts from the collections. When I am not working on the exhibitions, I am transcribing the Reflections on Georgia Politics interviews. Although this work can be tedious and it takes great concentration, the stories shared in these interviews give wonderful glimpses on history that cannot be learned from a textbook and I’m happy to be doing my part in bringing them to light. Plus, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for interviewer Bob Short’s voice and infectious laugh.

Education: I have a B.A. in History and in Greek & Roman Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University and recently obtained a M.A. in Public History with a museum concentration from the University of South Carolina.

I knew I was sucker for history when… I learned princes and princesses still existed. Once I knew this little fact, I was hooked. Of course, I was only just about to enter the first grade so I had to wait a bit to explore history on my own but this was a good thing because I also thought at the time this meant Sleeping Beauty was real. So really, my love for history stemmed from my attempts to prove that Prince Phillip really fought an evil queen/dragon and awakened the sleeping princess with a kiss. From following the lives of kings and queens, I also discovered my other favorite subject, Greek and Roman mythology.

The best part of my internship so far… Reading WWII love letters, deciphering the personal entries of an ambassador surviving a crisis, listening to someone’s account of the Freedom Riders arriving in Montgomery, etc., etc. Picking one thing as the best part would be like picking my favorite among M&Ms, Twix, or Snickers. It’s all good!

If I wasn’t spending time in the archives, my alter ego would be pursuing a career in…
Advertising. I’d love the chance to create a memorable slogan like “A diamond is forever” or “Think Small.” I’ve studied Bill Bernbach and researched in the N.W. Ayer’s collection before and I simply love the idea that a combination of two or three words can represent so much more.  

On days off, I’ll be…exploring. Nothing beats a good walk or drive to nowhere and you never know what you may find.

In five years I see myself…creating culturally significant exhibitions that will generate some meaningful conversations. My goal in life is to make some lasting impact on the world that will make some other historian study me. If I get this done in 5 years, I think I see myself also retired because I must have spent the previous four working like crazy.

Intern Spotlight

Name: Ella Douglas

Hometown: Bishop, GA

Internship Period: Summer 2012

What am I doing here at the Russell Library?
I love museums and everything associated with them, making an internship in archives interesting and relevant to my career goals. This internship taught me about the different spheres of museums and archives, so now I must decide which aspect appeals to me most. During this internship, I took the Stovall and McKay Family Papers through the stages to make it available to the public. I went through the boxes, organized the contents into files, labeled everything, and wrote a finding aid, now available online.

Education: Pending a B.A. from Wake Forest University in Anthropology with a double minor in Linguistics and Classical Studies. I am now beginning the daunting task of thinking about graduate school.

I knew I was sucker for history when…
I learned about the Tudors in elementary school. I was particularly interested in the character of “Bloody Mary”. College steered me towards anthropology as I am fascinated by people and everything that comes along with the study of man. Reading the correspondence in the collection allowed me to learn about history, but not on the grand scale of events that comes from history classes, but the struggles and occurrences of daily life.

The best part of my internship so far…Has been meeting everyone who works here. They have been very welcoming and have tried to recruit me to each of their graduate alma maters! Besides that, I have enjoyed each stage of the internship. I appeased the neat-freak in me by organizing the correspondence. Writing the finding aid challenged me to succinctly summarize the collection. Also, I can now go online and see tangible evidence through the finding aid of what I accomplished this summer.

If I wasn’t spending time in the archives, my alter ego would be pursuing a career in…
Traveling for National Geographic. I want to travel wherever and whenever I want; my main goal is to visit all seven continents, four down and three to go!

On days off, I’ll be…Hanging out with my high school friends. Glimpsing at the world of employment with internships, we only have the weekends to spend together.

In five years I see myself…Hopefully with a Master’s degree and employed. Every day presents a different goal -- wavering between collections management, curator, and of course archives. I definitely like more urban settings, so I’ll probably settle in a city like Washington D.C., it has enough job options if nothing else!

Intern Spotlight

Introducing our newest intern...

Name:
Heather Highfield

Hometown:
Hicksville, New York

Internship Period:
Summer 2010

What am I doing here at the Russell Library?
I wanted some hands-on experience in archives, and I have librarian relatives here in Athens who connected me to the folks at Russell. So far, I’ve been writing finding aids for some of the smaller collections, rehousing original Baldy cartoons, and other interesting and challenging odds and ends.

Education: B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, with a major in English and minor in Japanese. MSLIS expected in 2011 from Syracuse University.

I knew I was a sucker for history when...
I started taking classes like Old English Literature and History of Language in college. I loved learning about the evolution of language and writing. My professor always brought in fascinating old documents like pictures of illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages. Later, in library school, we got to see real cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls when we learned about the history of information. I was never a history major, but the historical elements of my major were always my favorite parts.

The best part of my internship so far…
I’ve gotten to work with some really great original artwork and photography, which is always a treat for me. The best part so far, though, has been researching all the subjects of my collections to write biographical and historical notes. At the end of a day, not only do I have something real to show for my work, but I’ve learned a handful of things I didn’t know about before.

If I wasn’t spending time in the archives, my alter ego would be pursuing a career in… Illustration. Hopefully when I get out of grad school I’ll be able to blow the dust off all my art supplies and get back into drawing!

On days off, I’ll be… Learning woodcarving in my dad’s workshop, covered in sawdust, or trying to figure out knitting. In any case, you’ll find me indoors – I’m no match for these Georgia summers!

In five years I see myself… Managing the local history department in a public library, ideally. I like the smaller scale of special collections, but at the same time I like being able to talk to lots of people in a day. There’s no telling where I’ll settle, though – I move around a lot!

*Special Note: Heather's cool yet casual pose in the photo above was aided by a cigar from the Herman Talmadge Collection and the gentle prodding of members of the Russell Staff.*

New Staff Bio!

Name: Christian Lopez

Title: Oral History Coordinator

Joined Russell Staff: July 2009

What I do at the Russell Library: I coordinate the production of new oral histories and the migration of older oral histories to digital media formats.

Previous work experience: Library Associate - Access Services, UGA Science Library

Education:
M.L.I.S. University of South Carolina 2008
B.A. English, University of Nevada, Reno 1991

Professional Memberships/Affiliations:
Association of Recorded Sound Collections
Georgia Library Association

Best part of the job: That’s tough, because I enjoy everything about my job. I really like the people I get to work with and their stories. The Russell staff, people I meet through Reflections on Georgia Politics interviews, and those I’m introduced to through our other media and oral histories all have great stories to share.

Alternate Career Path: Struggling folk musician

Favorite Pastimes: Hanging with the family, playing music, learning and researching old tunes and songs

What surprises me most about this job: Trouble-shooting technologies and creative problem-solving (figuring how best to get from point A to B efficiently) - are big parts of our work. It’s a great learning environment to be in and really rewarding to work through challenges and see a big project come to fruition.

New Russellite Joins Crew

The Richard B. Russell Library Media and Oral History Unit welcomes the addition of Christian Lopez to our ranks. Chris assumes the duties of Oral History Coordinator, with two major areas of responsibility: (1) managing the production of new oral histories, and (2) migrating older oral histories from "legacy" media (such as audiocassettes and reel-to-reel tape) to digital media formats.

While he's new to the Russell, Chris is a UGA Libraries veteran, and earned his M.L.S. from the University of South Carolina in 2008. His interests in recorded sound and history extend to other parts of his life: Chris is active in the Athens traditional music scene, singing and playing mandolin and guitar with the group Curley Maple. They rock. He is married to Anne Burnett, the Foreign and International Law Librarian at the University of Georgia School of Law, and they have a son, Jesse. Anne and Jesse rock too.

Welcome to the Russell, Chris - we're very glad you're here!

Post by Craig Breaden, Head of Media and Oral History, Russell Library