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As our student workers depart in May to complete their exams and head off for summer, they often ask me what I’ll be doing in the summer. Advancing the work of the ZSR Special Collections & Archives, of course! The library’s faculty and staff are 12-month employees and use summer to launch new projects, tie up others, support the students, faculty, and staff present during the summer semesters, etc. – basically, business as usual. This summer, in addition to the usual suspects, Special Collections & Archives is welcoming two interns pursuing study in the fields of library science and archives.

Brittnee Worthy is a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College in western Massachusetts. As part of the coursework for Mt Holyoke’s Nexus program focused on Public History, Archives, and Museums, which combines theoretical education and practical experience, Brittnee must complete an internship. A military brat and globe-trotter, Brittnee started in early June and will stay through late August, getting the full effect of summer in the Mid-Atlantic along with insight into archives work. Across the summer, she will spend a few weeks in each area of our department: Rare Books, Public Services, Collections, and Preservation.

Megan Bennett comes to us from much closer – Winston-Salem. The daughter of University photographer Ken Bennett, she grew up here and has already impressed me with her knowledge of the area which is a useful skill in SCA work. Megan is also a globe-trotter, having recently returned to the area after a year with the Peace Corps in the Ukraine. She is currently working towards a Master’s in Library and Information Science at UNC at Greensboro, which requires an internship like Brittnee’s program. Megan will be working with several University records collections and spending time in Public Services as well.

Since Megan and Brittnee are students, our responsibility is to make the internships as fulfilling and educational as possible while also continuing our day-to-day work. Each Archives faculty or staff has suggested a few readings to introduce them to the array of archives tasks and has a couple of projects to provide experience alongside the literature. It is a pleasure to spend time with Megan and Brittnee as they explore their interests and employment in the field.