Library of Congress/HBCU Library Alliance Summer 2023 Intern Program

The Library of Congress has contracted with the HBCU Library Alliance to coordinate two fully-funded six-week 2023 summer internships in library conservation and preservation. This is the sixth summer contract with the Library of Congress where interns gain exposure at the largest library in the world. Site supervisors and mentors are Amelia Parks, Preservation Education Specialist for the Preservation Directorate and Ken Grant, Head of Collections Conservation Section, Conservation Division.

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, films and video, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. The Library preserves and provides access to a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to inform, inspire and engage intellectual and creative endeavors.

Mikayla Mathis, Savannah State University (GA) and Alexandria Williams, Grambling State University (LA) have accepted these placements. Congrats to Mikayla and Alexandria!

 
Mikayla Mathis, Savannah State University (GA)
Library of Congress (DC)

Mikayla is a freshman Biology major. She has been a student assistant in the Asa H. Gordon Library since Fall 2022 working in the Circulation, Reference, InterLibrary Loan and Outreach departments. Mikayla is looking forward to receiving hands-on training in preservation and conservation during her internship with the Library of Congress.

 
Alexandria Williams, Grambling State University (LA)
Library of Congress (DC)

Alexandria is a senior History major with a minor in Africana studies. Her curiosity about conservation and preservation was piqued during an eight-week Pipeline to PhD program at UCLA studying Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs. During that internship, Alexandria was introduced to preservation services and activities for medieval Ethiopian bibles, satchels and scrolls. She will use this internship opportunity to learn how to preserve artifacts, and more importantly, the history and the legacies behind them.