WEEK 2
UVA Library high school interns 2017
Posted June 23, 2017
What was the most exciting thing you did or learned about this week and why?
I shadowed a few students working in IT today, and I found it to be an interesting department that is often busy with different projects and problems to solve. There is always variety in the work. Sometimes the staff and students are busy updating computers, and sometimes they are managing surplus or fixing different technologies. As I had never worked in IT before, the entirety of my shadowing was a new experience for me.
Beyond the technical lingo and skills that are often associated with the stereotypical image of IT work, I found that much of what IT does requires soft skills. A remarkable ability to be compassionate and helpful, which is characteristic of customer service, can be found in everyone working in IT. After some thought, this fact seems obvious – the work at IT performs, such as updating computers, requires ample communication with people and thus good listening and speaking skills. As a result of this requirement, the people in IT are incredibly friendly.
I had a wonderful experience today learning about what IT does and I can’t wait to find out more in the next few weeks.
Emily
What was the most exciting thing you did or learned about this week and why?
This week, I took a tour of the special collections building and many of the exhibits on display there. I was taken on a more in depth tour of the Faulkner exhibit which I found very interesting. I was astonished by the fact that Faulkner’s hand writing was different based on the type of writing he was doing. Yes, everyone tries to make their hand look neater if they are writing something more formal than say a grocery list, but this slightly neater handwriting looks rather similar to the one used on a daily basis. However, the different handwritings of Faulkner show next to no similarities. This may seem like a rather mundane fact with little importance in the grand scheme of this internship, but I found it very exciting none the less.
Peyton
What was the most exciting thing you did or learned about this week and why?
About me copying old checks and other old papers and putting them on the computer, because it’s very easy to do.
Gabe
What was the most exciting thing you did or learned about this week and why?
The most exciting thing I learned this week was what I would be doing today. I had fun scanning and meeting other people who are in the field I wanted to do. I liked scanning because I got to get the hang of it and I didn’t want it to end. I loved meeting new people because I don’t really like getting out of my comfort zone and so when I met the new people, I had fun learning about their jobs and how they got there.
Niedia
What was the most exciting thing you did or learned about this week and why?
From glossing over hundreds of websites build for programs in University of Virginia to measuring covers to assemble protective covers for ruined books. Six hours flew by ” ooh” and “aha,” I instinctively began to work with patience, deligience, and precision throughout the process involved in the two completely different preservation departments. However the two opposite sites both complemented in preserving information that were once lost.
Soyata