Please enjoy an end-of-year “What Are You working On?” blog post written by Senior (and ZSR Student Employee of the Year!) Meg Campbell.

Hi! My name is Meg Campbell and I am a graduating senior from Asheville, NC, majoring in English and minoring in Spanish, Chemistry, and Dance! I’ve been working in Special Collections for 8 semesters now, and working here has definitely been one of the most fulfilling parts of my college experience! This past semester I even had the opportunity to curate a pop up exhibit featuring African American cookbooks from our collections!

Besides helping at the reference desk, I’ve been able to process many different collections! I remember one of the first things I worked on Freshman year was an old journal from a literary society from the 1890s, and it was one of my first experiences working with something so old and delicate, but it certainly wasn’t my last!

I’ve been able to look so deeply into Wake Forest history, seeing past clubs, classes, and even old department meetings come to life! One of the most random collections I’ve worked with was a collection of Commemorative Baptist Church plates (which is exactly what it sounds like). I didn’t even realize that something like this could even be part of an archive, but it was so interesting to work with a completely new medium of celebrating and recording memory.

I think my other highlight was going through the Ed Wilson Artifact Collection. It was such a random collection of non-paper materials, everything from old football buttons to basketball clocks! I also got to look at all the old ACC and NCAA championship rings that he had (so many diamonds!) It definitely gave me some perspective on how we can learn about a person and their past, it’s not all in the paper!

The last and probably most appreciated part of my job is making buttons! I have probably put together over 5,000 for various events, seasons, and exhibits! It’s been so rewarding to make a custom souvenir for all our visitors to take home, it’s almost like they’re taking a part of the archive with them (my fridge is covered in them for sure). My work in Special Collections and Archives at ZSR helped me develop a passion for archival work, so much so that after graduation I intend to pursue my Masters in Archival Management! I have received acceptances from 5 universities and have decided to attend University College London! I’m going to miss spending so much of my week in the reading room, but I know my time and experience in Special Collections will serve me well in the future, and I can’t wait to come back and visit!