Kaitlynn Gilmore ('26), a History of Art major, was an intern at the University Archives and Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts. Participation in this internship was through the Summer Humanities Internship Program.
My SHIP program was a joint internship between the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts and the University Archives. As an Art History major, I’ve always loved doing research, and since I’m working on my honors thesis this upcoming year, I thought it would be really helpful to intern in a place where I could build skills relevant to that project (and any other work I’m interested in).
Though I had a general idea, I wasn’t really sure of exactly what tasks I would be faced with during the duration of the internship. I hoped that this internship would give me some widely applicable skills, like research and primary source document exposure, and it did. A significant portion of the job—often half the day or more—was dedicated to public service and working at the reception or reading room desks. Other than that, I had standard library duties such as paging, re-shelving after people were finished, and
scanning. We also were assigned personal projects to keep things interesting and help researchers and archivists. I spent about 3 weeks at the University Archives, where I catalogued all of the student publications from Penn (of which there are nearly 150 going as far back as the 19th century) and made a guide to them.
My direct supervisors at were some of the most supportive people I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with at Penn. Their positive and considerate mindset allowed me to use the internship as a space for growth without overwhelming anxiety or pressure. They still encouraged me to build various skills and would consider my career/educational interests when assigning me projects. I also became good friends with my peer interns over the summer since we had time to chat and supported one another when we were confused. Working in the library also meant meeting all kinds of patrons and visitors, some who we got to know really well. In any case, I learned a lot about what kind of research is occurring on campus or drawing visiting scholars.
The internship definitely lived up to my expectations and was an amazing experience, inspiring me to continue working in the same position at the Kislak Center during the school year. I realized that I like working in a library and the various tasks that come with it immensely! For instance, there’s something very satisfying about seeing a string of numbers and letters on a book spine and knowing which floor, corner, shelf, and position the book is in. Most importantly, finished all my tasks with a genuine sense that I was helping someone—be that a researcher or library staff, which was extremely fulfilling and enjoyable.
Interested in reading more first-hand accounts about undergraduate research? Check out the other experiences featured on our Student News Page and Social Media(link is external)!
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