My first professional library job was as an assistant librarian at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, now the Science History Institute, 在费城, PA. My understanding of the Foundation’s mission, as demonstrated through my history major, was one of the reasons I was hired. This position built up my library skills and positioned me for my next steps in librarianship.
Though I am currently working with scientific disciplines rather than directly with history, I do feel that my history major has contributed to my professional life in libraries. 最重要的是, my history studies have equipped me with a value and sense of stewardship for a body of knowledge, a sense of participating in passing down a legacy of what has been and can be known. This is in addition to all of the skills in critical thinking, 写作, and research that I gained in the program, along with basic knowledge of the history of science I gained at SPU.
I am so glad to see the emphasis on archives and museum studies that now exists in the SPU history program. If these career paths had been highlighted while I was a history undergrad, there is a fair chance it would have influenced the direction of my graduate studies. 原来是这样, I was 3/4 of the way through my library degree when I realized that archives would have been a natural fit for my history background — and by that time, 图书馆之船已经启航. I have no regrets on where I’ve ended up, but I am thrilled that current SPU history students will have an early awareness of these exciting career possibilities.
I am currently the Associate Librarian at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, MD. 与NASA签订合同, STScI is responsible for the science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope. The Institute will also perform both mission and science operations for the James Webb Space Telescope when it launches in the next few years. The STScI 图书馆 supports the Institute’s staff and collects in the areas of astronomy, 物理, 计算机科学, 工程, 空间科学. I am responsible for cataloging, collection development (selecting materials for purchase and identifying items for withdrawal), electronic resources management, 市场营销, and contributing to reference and reporting. I’ve been employed at STScI since June 2017.
I have been married since 2006, and my husband and I have two sons. I am active with my family at our local church, and in my spare time I dabble in art, 小提琴, 还有创意写作.
I see my years at SPU as formative and foundational, 一段时间，我的信仰增长, lifelong relationships were formed, and interests were forged (or jettisoned, as in the case of some of the more adventurous electives I took and subsequently realized were not for me — also a valuable learning experience …). The amazing dedication of the SPU faculty had a direct impact on my intellectual growth, but also on my sense of value for my own thoughts and abilities. 我在想怎么 教授. 达雷尔•艾伦 suggested that he and I do an independent study on Western history — a very challenging study involving the sacrifice of much of 教授. Allen’s own time; of Dr. 迈克尔·汉密尔顿’s patient and inspirational mentorship for my honors project; of how Dr. 比尔。伍德沃德 and his wife fed me at their dining room table and listened to me once a week, 每个星期, 四年来. As I was a very serious student, I was more likely to be 写作 a paper on any given weekend than participating in SPU’s many social activities, but I soaked up the culture of Falcon Man, 的Orangemen, 疯狂室友, and engaging the culture and changing the world.