This is the eighth in a series of guest posts by Abigail Van Gelder, who with her husband, Josh, is journeying across the country on the Library’s “Gateway to Knowledge” traveling exhibition:
Now that we have gushed about hitting fall foliage for the past few weeks, I should mention something else also comes with fall, high school homecoming. Our event location for Troy, OH was at Hobart Arena, right next to the high school’s football field. It was hard not to get caught up in all the excitement surrounding the Homecoming game.
With guests sporting face paint and sharing hugs, I was chanting “Go Trojans” by the end of the night. This visit was also the first time an area high school teacher had made us into extra credit for students. The high school’s government classes stopped in to look around and pick out their favorite display. I was surprised by the number that passed up Spider-Man and went for Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence. This is Josh’s and my favorite display, as well; what a great peek into history and the science of preservation and research at the Library.
It’s not every day that we need to get up bright and early to take part in a live broadcast from the truck, but it sure is exciting. Fox 45 out of Dayton stopped by on the Friday of our event to chat with us on the Morning News. This is just one of the unpredictable elements of our job, one of the things that make it great.
I can honestly say that there is not typical day in the field. We both feel very fortunate to have found our career and that the Library of Congress trusts us with their endeavor. While traveling with the Gateway to Knowledge exhibit, we are firsthand in seeing the impact the available resources have on inspiring learning and exploration.
Comments (4)
Do you have the actual Declaration of Independence?
No, the actual Declaration is under lock and key, under careful preservation, at the National Archives.
So your apart of the library of congress, then you must know maybe one or two congressmen. Could you help Crown Point High School in Indiana with funding? We are one of the top schools in the news weekly but yet we are funded poorly. The government or the congress needs to help our school!
What a glorious career you have indeed! I can imagine how fulfilling it must be to like you say, ‘see firsthand’, the impact that this traveling exhibit has on the students who see it. I imagine the students’ faces are the perfect mirror for getting feedback on what they really think of each display. Good luck to you both, and I wish you the best as you travel our beautiful land.