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An Interview with Amanda Quinn, Collection Services Intern

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Today’s interview is with Amanda Quinn, a summer intern in the Collection Service Division of the Law Library of Congress.  Amanda is working on our gazette database and we couldn’t be happier with the progress she is making!

Amanda Quinn standing in front of a large globe.
Photo by Betty Lupinacci

Describe your background.

I was born and raised in Columbia, Maryland, and recently graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. During college, I served as a captain of UMBC’s crew team and was a member of the mock trial team. I enjoy reading, running, watching baseball, hiking, and generally any outdoor activity.

What is your academic/professional history?

At UMBC, I studied political science, English literature and global studies, while focusing on Russia and the Eurasia region. I spent a full academic year in Russia during my junior year at UMBC. In the fall semester I studied at St. Petersburg State University, where I took intensive Russian language and culture classes. I returned in the spring semester for a State Department internship at the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg. I’ve also held a variety of other positions throughout college. These include several administrative positions, an internship in a much smaller law library, and an internship conducting research on terrorist activity around the world.

How would you describe your job to other people?

I am working in the Collection Services Division inventorying and researching the Law Library’s collection of foreign legal gazettes. The goal of this project is the eventual creation of a comprehensive database of the Library’s collection of gazettes. I am putting my Russian language skills to use by working on the gazettes of Russia and former Soviet-bloc countries.

Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?

I have always been fascinated with the Library of Congress and its history and many functions. I think the work being done here is extremely important and I am glad to play a small role in that. Through my position in the Law Library, I have been able to bring together a variety of my interests.

What is the most interesting fact you’ve learned about the Law Library?

I was truly surprised by the size of the Law Library’s collection and the variety of content within the collection. It has been extremely interesting to work with such a variety of content from so many different countries.

What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?

I am an avid skier and I was on the ski team at Wisp in Western Maryland for five years. I was also an instructor for two years. I used to occasionally race competitively, but I mostly just enjoy skiing for fun.

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