Jennifer WileyCAS Cultural Heritage PreservationReflection Paper

From the time I was in the eighth grade I planned on going into architectural

preservation. I entered the University of Virginia in the fall of 2005 having already declared my

major as architectural history. Everything was right on track until I hit the biggest roadblock of

my life in the fall semester of my second year: design studio. A requirement for my planned

degree, I quickly discovered that I just didn’t have the skin for such a field. However, I had

never even considered a different path and struggled through the spring semester that year to find

an alternative route. Over the course of my third year I decided on Classics with a focus in

Latin, having taken it from seventh grade through twelfth. Though not as interested in the actual

language, I had always been fascinated by the history of Ancient Rome. But again I was facing a

roadblock. What on earth was I going to do with a BA in Latin? I certainly had no interest in

teaching or in pursuing a PhD for it. Somehow the answer fell into my lap.

In a search for a job over the summer between my third and fourth years at UVA, I

applied for a job as a student digitization assistant in the Small Special Collections Library on

campus. Although I had no previous experience in any sort of library position, I quickly fell in

love with working with the range of rare materials, especially the manuscript collections. When

I graduated in 2009, I was no longer eligible to work in the library, but my supervisor

recommended me for a summer internship at a nearby historical society building a database for

and properly storing their museum collection. By the end of that summer, I was sure I had

finally found the right field for me.

Although my various paths seem at first to be drastically different, at the core they are all

centered on a passion not just for history, but for preserving it and making it accessible to a wide

audience. When I began hearing back from schools for pursuing my graduate degree in library

science, Syracuse made the decision for me. Dr. Lavender contacted me after having looked

over my application to inform me of a program he thought would be of interest to me based on

my past experiences. The moment I began to read the description of the certificate of advanced

study in cultural heritage preservation, I knew I would be going to Syracuse. I really liked the

way it combined library science, museums, and anthropology and the way it avoided

pigeonholing candidates by leaving the title applicable to any version of the field. With the

CAS, I would be eligible for work in archives, museums, special collections libraries, and any

number of nontraditional institutions.

I have found all of the classes I have taken with Dr. Lavender to be extremely valuable.

My favorite was IST 628 Organization and Management of Archives Collections, a course Dr.

Lavender strongly recommended I take. Not only did I find the content extremely interesting,

but the final project of building an archival collection and preparing the documentation for it was

arguably the most valuable project I completed over the course of my entire graduate degree. I

feel that learning how to properly process the collection, describe the collection, develop forms

for the collection, and finally write an EAD finding aid for the collection will all be of

tremendous value to me in my future career.

Outside of the library science department, I found MUS 500 Museums and Contemporary

Practice to be eye opening. Over the course of the class, I saw first hand how individuals with a

background in library and information science could find various ways to develop a career in a

museum environment. By looking at a large range of institutions, I became aware of many

alternative routes I could look into following to find the best option for my own career. While

Dr. Lavender’s courses gave me valuable hands-on experience, this course offered me a valuable

take on just how far outside of the norm my career could take me.

I’ve also gained equally valuable experience outside the classroom through the required

internship hours for the CAS as well as through volunteering for institutions that I learned of

through my courses. Due to the size of the collection I was tasked with processing for my

internship for IST 971 at the Special Collections Research Center on campus, I chose to stay

with the same position for the full 300 credit hours required. Using the classroom knowledge I

gained from IST 628, I surveyed, processed, documented, and boxed the bulk of the “Ben

Shaktman Papers” collection over the summer and fall semesters of 2011. While there I got

great exposure to what kind of successes arise and the kind of problems that must be faced while

processing a collection in the real world. The biggest struggle we had was time. While I was

hoping to be able to finish the entire collection and create the EAD finding aid, I eventually had

to face the reality that it was just not feasible in the time I was allotted. Because of this, I had to

prioritize parts of the collection above others and readjust the amount of time dedicated to each

part. I was still, however, able to process a large portion of the collection to either the box or

folder level (depending on the series) and helped make some important decisions on what would

be kept or returned to the donor. In the end, my experiences at SCRC ended up being a factor in

my getting a position as an archivist intern for a senator in Washington, DC starting a few days

after graduation. There I will be helping to process 25 years worth of documentation in

preparation for being sent to an offsite repository.

Within the various courses taken toward the CAS, I also was exposed to many different

institutions in and around Syracuse. Not only did this offer me example after example of the

different kinds of cultural heritage institutions that could eventually be a career choice for me,

but it also lead to two very valuable volunteering positions. Between February and May of 2011,

I volunteered for the Onondaga Historical Association doing research for their revitalized “Heart

of New York” exhibit. Combining outside research with onsite research using the museum’s

collections, I gathered information on the various ethnic enclaves around the city of Syracuse,

the many annual festivals celebrating the ethnic histories of the people of Syracuse, the histories

of several ethnic churches, and information about the LGBT community in Syracuse. I then

wrote text to be used for the exhibits and handouts, gathered items from the museum’s collection

to be used in the exhibit, and even traveled around the city taking pictures of relevant subjects for

the exhibit. This experience in the work that goes into creating and installing an exhibit will be

of great value to me should I end up working in a museum or museum library, but also for the

exhibits done in special collections libraries and archives.

I am also currently volunteering at the Erie Canal Museum, creating and updating catalog

records for items in their manuscript collection. Additionally, I am providing condition

statements and re-housing items in need as I go. This has again offered me exposure to yet

another aspect to the field that I have had limited real life experience with before that will

undoubtedly be necessary for my career down the line. Finally, I need to add that the networking

opportunities provided through my internship and volunteer work have been invaluable to me,

having used many of those I’ve worked with as references in my job hunt.

The CAS in Cultural Heritage Preservation sealed the deal for my coming to Syracuse

University for my MLIS and it has not let me down. I have no doubt that the knowledge I have

gained both in my coursework and out of the classroom experiences will not only be beneficial to

my future career, but necessary. I feel that this experience has complimented not only my MLIS,

but my undergraduate studies and personal interests and helped me hone in on a career that will

not only open multiple doors for me, but will give me a sense of accomplishment working in a

field I truly enjoy.