Through a seven-week internship at Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg, Virginia, I was

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1 1 Mary Zell Galen Internship Experience Paper August 8, 2016 Through a seven-week internship at Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg, Virginia, I was introduced to archival work and historical research. By processing collections, designing exhibitions, researching artifacts, and completing library administrative tasks, I studied archival standards, learned exhibition development techniques, and refined my future career interests. An unconventional library, Thomas Balch Library provides patrons exclusively with historical and genealogical resources. Though the library was founded in 1907 as a subscription library, it transitioned to a public history library in The library s collections primarily focus on Loudoun County, regional history, and the American Civil War. Beyond traditional books, the library s collection includes business and government records, manuscripts, deeds, wills, maps, newspapers, and audio-visual material. By completing an internship at Thomas Balch Library, I was exposed to a unique combination of library and archival work. Making Thomas Balch Library more atypical, the library is managed by the Town of Leesburg. All other libraries in the Northern Virginia area are operated at the county or city level. With a small staff, the library is heavily reliant on volunteers. However, working at a smaller site allowed me to explore all aspects of the library and complete a wider array of work. Before beginning my internship, I read assigned articles and books to provide me with background for archival work. Books including Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts by Fredric Miller and Understanding Archives and Manuscripts by James M. O Toole provided me with contextual information to understand archival processes. As I would be designing exhibits with sensitive material, I also read elements of A Modern Archives Reader: Basic Readings on Archival Theory and Practice edited by Maygene F. Daniels and Timothy

2 2 Walch and The Special Collections Handbook by Alison Cullingford. These readings introduced me to various archival topics ranging from the glove versus no glove debate to the correct conditions in which artifacts should be displayed. With the assistance of my background reading, I understood the more complex facets of exhibition design necessary for my future responsibilities at the library. As an intern, my primary responsibility was assisting with the development of the Charles A. Johnston Collection exhibition. As Thomas Balch Library s most extensive collection, the Charles A. Johnston Collection is comprised of family papers and artifacts belonging to three generations of the Johnston family. The collection provides an intensely personal perspective on daily life from the late eighteenth to the mid twentieth century in Leesburg, Virginia. Items in the collection are approximately sorted by their association with each of the three Johnston patriarchs: Charles A. Johnston ( ), S.J. Johnston ( ), and John Allen Johnston ( ). Artifacts range from children s crafts to local business ledgers. As more elements of the large collection are still being donated to the library, the collection is not yet processed nor available to the public. However, after processing is finished, the entire collection will be available for public access. This upcoming October, highlights of the collection will be displayed in Thomas Balch Library s two display cases. As part of my internship, I assisted in all elements of the exhibition creation process. First, I wrote an exhibition brief outlining a general summary of the collection, environmental constraints, the exhibit concept, and themes and artifacts to be used in the exhibit. After meetings with the library director, staff, and the collection s donor, I divided the display into two sections: A Tour of Leesburg, focusing on Leesburg s historic businesses appearing in the collection and Johnston at Home: A Myriad of Items, displaying artifacts from the three

3 3 generations of the Johnston family featured in the collection. Before beginning to create the exhibit, I took daily measurements of the cases light, humidity, and temperature levels to eliminate any artifacts from the display that may risk damage from sunlight and warmer temperatures. After measuring the display cases abnormally high levels, I refined the library s exhibition contract to caution groups creating displays about the environmental damage risks. This study culminated with a report on environmental risks for Thomas Balch Library to use when requesting increased funding for its exhibitions environmental protection. I proceeded to assist in creating replicas of more valuable and fragile artifacts by scanning many paper materials. Finally, I developed charts specifying each artifact s exact location in the display cases. The final exhibition layout allowed for more items to achieve optimal visibility by using platforms in the cases. To accompany the historic business artifacts on exhibition, I developed a walking tour of downtown Leesburg. The tour allows visitors to see the sites of businesses emphasized in the collection. When creating the tour, I first based tour stopping points on the artifacts displayed in the exhibition. As the businesses featured in the tour no longer exist, I completed extensive research using the archives and historic maps, as well as interviewing older community members to pinpoint each location. Beyond eight businesses, visitors will stop by the three houses of the Johnston patriarchs. With all locations determined, I calculated the most efficient tour route using online mapping tools and walked the route to check for safety concerns. Finally, I wrote copy for a self-guided tour booklet, featuring words of text on the history of each site. For the formal walking tour, I helped develop talking points for the tour guide to reference. In addition to the tours, Thomas Balch Library will host a lecture about the contents of the Charles A. Johnston Collection in March 2017.

4 4 Additionally, I wrote and contributed to two collection guides, World War II Ration Books: and Hillsboro Circuit Methodist Episcopal Church: Valuable tools for researchers, collection guides are accessible both online and at the library to quickly locate and learn about documents and artifacts. Each collection guide features a historical or biographical sketch, providing a well-sourced background on the collection s topic. A section about the scope and content of the collection comprehensively assesses the condition of the collection s items. The collection guide also clearly outlined the specific box and folder of the items in the archives. By writing the collection guides, I was exposed to local history research and learned in-depth information about the American rationing system during World War II and the formation and evolution of the Methodist Episcopal Church. While not focusing on specific collections, I completed many archival administrative tasks. I further developed my research and writing skills by creating Facebook post on the American Revolution in Loudoun County. As Thomas Balch Library opened an audio-visual viewing kiosk during my internship, I drafted a press release announcing the new resource. I cataloged the visual material from the Hamilton Ruritan Collection, learning how photographic collections are preserved. When the Thomas Balch Library received potential donations, I participated in the process of deciding whether or not to acquire the artifacts. In terms of daily library management tasks, I occasionally shelved books and bound books in the library binding. The internship confirmed my preference in project-based work, as I enjoyed the nature of work at Thomas Balch Library. Project-based work is becoming increasingly more common in the workplace and is something I plan to seek out in future jobs. I particularly liked the creative elements of the exhibition design process. I am now more drawn to museum work over other careers in the public history discipline. Before my internship, I had limited experience with

5 5 historical research. I greatly enjoyed the detective work of determining historical facts. Though I am not yet certain what specific type of work I plan to pursue in the future, my internship gave me the confidence to explore archival work in the future. A major challenge of my internship was task management, as I found working in an open-plan office environment difficult. In a place with limitless distractions, I periodically struggled to complete my work. To increase my productivity, I discovered wearing headphones while working limited noisy interruptions. I also discovered the challenge of interacting with the public in libraries, as I lack patience. As a future employer, I determined private archives would be a better fit for me than public libraries. A common problem in history fields, I also struggled with deciphering nineteenth century handwriting. However, no simple solution beyond patience made reading any easier. History and genealogical libraries remain a rare wealth of historical material. In a world where information is either digitized or forgotten, the archives and records at Thomas Balch Library are increasingly valuable. Without the library, the historical background on local businesses, houses, and individuals would be inaccessible. By contributing to Thomas Balch Library s preservation and display of the Charles A. Johnston Collection, I helped provide posterity with in depth information about late eighteenth to mid-twentieth century business and family life. In addition, I was able to develop professional skills to further define my future career trajectory. Time spent at Thomas Balch Library benefited both myself and the community, allowing me to assist in achieving the library s mission to collect materials and educate the public.