Name:Dakota Pereira
Internship, Co-op or Research Site:National Gallery of Art
Position Title:Librarian Technician (Student Assistant)
Major(s)/Minor(s):Ancient Studies & History
Current Class Level:Sophomore
Work Term:Spring 2021
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
As a librarian technician intern at the National Gallery of Art's Vertical Files, I am tasked with working with the collection's ephemera–which are materials that were produced with the intent of being disposed of or only had short-term usefulness. These artist materials, such as exhibition notices, pamphlets, among other written works, are valuable to researchers, scholars and the curious public alike.
I largely do telework linking Library of Congress name headers to the artists in the Vertical Files, but I also do work for other departments of the library such as book items for the Circulation Dept. Recently, I had the chance to identify artists' digitized materials for a collection based on David Driskell's 1976 exhibition “Two Centuries of Black American Art”! The projects you're assigned always changes, but it is at a steady pace.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I heard of this position through an email I received from UMBC's History Humanities email listing, I believe during Fall 2020. I made use of a Resume Review to refine my resume before submission and an Interview Practice site recommended.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
This position has been very exciting because not only does it allow me to exercise my thinking during my work, it lets me see how closely tied museum and library settings are linked together.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe I've made impact through my work by making these difficult-to-view materials more accessible for researchers–be it new or experienced ones. Having this access allows for new insights from written culture that would otherwise be obscured. This would not only bring about new potential research and ideas for people to engage, but for everyone to take a close look to appreciate the attention given to these artists' work.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Be confident in what expertise you have, even if it was an unpaid opportunity. Having worked in a highschool library before, the experience I had with that position still exists even if it wasn't a paid position–don't be afraid of including valid experience that applies to an internship you're applying for. Adding references for such experiences helps verify that you do have such a background too!
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