UVA Library high school interns, Week 4, 2017

WEEK 4

UVA Library high school interns 2017

Posted July 13, 2017

What do you know about libraries that you did not know before?

I knew that libraries had many books and that you have to always be quiet to be mindful about others who might be studying, working or even reading.

I did not know that librarians weren’t portrayed as “scary old ladies” that said shhhhh everytime you’re too loud.

I knew that in academic libraries there would be lots of books and computers to help students find items and search for them and that they have to also be quiet and mindful of others.

I did not know that academic libraries does not use the Dewey Decimal System.

How has the internship influenced your ideas about your future?

The internship has influenced my idea about my future by giving a possible career choice because I never thought that you can work at an academic library in the different fields they offer.

Niedia


Over the course of this internship, I have learned that libraries, or academic libraries at least, house a lot more than books.  For example, on my first day, I got to see about three tech labs filled with a bunch of new technology, scrolls from Tibet, newspapers from Japan, some old statues, and two printing presses among other things.  My whole view of libraries has changed.  Sometimes, especially in Special Collections, the libraries feel more like a museum of old and rare artifacts than a library.  It’s not a bad thing, I actually find it rather cool.  I have always thought about going into Library Science when I grow up, but after this internship and seeing all of the different jobs one can have in the library system, I want to follow this dream more than ever.

Peyton


What do you know about libraries that you did not know before?

How has the internship influenced your ideas about your future?

That they hold old documents from the late 1770s and this will help me understand what i must do in the future.

Gabe


What do you know about libraries that you did not know before?

How has the internship influenced your ideas about your future?

This past Thursday, I visited the programmers behind Virgo, which was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Aside from the coding, the need for well-maintained infrastructure for Virgo to operate all hours of the day, and the amazing people I met who were keeping up with all this stuff, I learned about something I didn’t know existed before: Libra. It’s a collection of research open for anyone to use, which makes it unique among databases of research which require paid membership. I now know that academic libraries, being academic libraries, are highly connected to research and academia. For example, the library has collections of graduate students’ theses, some dating back to the 1800s. These priceless collections end up creating a sort of timeline that chronicles the work of University of Virginia students over the years.

I will soon be joining this long timeline of UVA students and adding my own story to UVA’s history this fall. This internship has inspired me to work at the UVA Library. I would love to work with the librarians I have met and the collections I have learned about over the past few weeks. I have met students working in the library over the summer, either at the Circulation Desk or in IT, and they have all had positive experiences to share about the library. Soon, I hope to be one of the smiling faces helping out patrons and sharing my own experiences about the library with them.

Emily


What do you know about libraries that you did not know before?

How has the internship influenced your ideas about your future?

Along with the objects I worked on, which were all exciting an educational, my time at the Aldermen Library was made so special by the people who worked there and the conversations I was able to have with them. It was through these conversations that I had the opportunity to gain a wider perspective with regards to the pathways and opportunities  in preservation and libraries, educating me in my future prospects and giving me chance to appreciate the broad range of backgrounds and personalities of the wonderful people who make preservation their career.

Soyata

 

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