The Library welcomed 40 undergraduates, graduates and recent graduates to its Junior Fellows program on Monday, May 20. Twenty interns in the 2024 class will work on-site, while the other 20 will connect to the Library remotely.
They all came together for the first time during an upbeat and informative orientation session, during which on-site interns gathered in the West Dining Room to meet their remote counterparts over Zoom. Over the next 10 weeks, the group will complete 31 projects across the Library to enhance access to and engagement with the Library’s collections and services.
“The Junior Fellows program is more than just a job experience,” Kimberly Powell, chief of talent recruitment and outreach at the Library, said. “The projects they work on are important to the Library and will benefit patrons for years to come.”
As the fellows immerse themselves in their projects, expert staff mentors from across the Library will guide them.
“Dedicated and talented project mentors and colleagues aim to ensure that, by the end of the program, fellows will have a keen understanding of what it means to work at the Library and that they will go on to become ambassadors for all that we do here,” Powell said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Junior Fellows program was conducted entirely online. Once on-site activities resumed, the paid internship program began to operate on a dual track, as it will this summer.
Project leaders determined remote or on-site locations based on the scope and nature of projects. To allow all fellows to participate equally, all group sessions will occur on Zoom.
As is typical of the program, this year’s projects vary widely in scope and content. One, for example, involves developing strategies to expand access to arts-related digital collections; another seeks to document collections by American composers from underrepresented communities; another will highlight collections relevant to Black entrepreneurship; and yet another will focus on digital accessibility, enhancing the experience of users of Library collections who have disabilities.
In addition to their research, fellows will participate in professional development opportunities beyond their assigned projects. A series of sessions on Zoom will enable them to interact with staff members, peers and Library leaders to increase their engagement with Library collections and accelerate their career paths. In addition, on-site fellows will get a chance to take part in tours of the Library in person.
“During their time at the Library, the fellows become part of our team,” Powell said.
The fellows will showcase their findings and accomplishments during an on-site display day on July 17. The program concludes on July 26.
The 2024 fellows (with hometown, school and assignment) are:
- Onur Ayaz; Brooklyn, New York; City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center; African American Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (Manuscript Division)
- Rose Bautista; Honolulu, Hawai’i; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Digitization of Copyright Licensing Records (Copyright Office)
- Chloe Brettmann; Aspen, Colorado; University of Chicago; Inventory of the Lakech Aklilu Jezequel Collection (African and Middle Eastern Division)
- Georgina Broyles; Chesterfield Township, Michigan; University of Michigan; Teen Internship Program Assistant and Content Developer (Informal Learning Office)
- Ilayda Dogan; Rockville, Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park; Scripts, Interfaces, and Notebooks, Oh My: Exploring Library Data in Public (Digital Innovation Division)
- Alaina Economus; Columbus, Ohio; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Revising Classification and Subject Access for Slavic Materials (Cooperative Training and Policy Section)
- Heather Fabritze; Alburtis, Pennsylvania; Washington College; General and International Collections Outreach and Communications (General and International Collections Directorate)
- Ava Ferrante; Pasadena, California; University of Michigan; Retrospective Cataloging of World Digital Library’s Chinese Language Holdings (China Section)
- Lauryn Gilliam; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Commonwealth University; Mapping the Stories: The Legacy of Daniel A.P. Murray (Office of Communications)
- Akhila Gunturu; Coppell, Texas; University of Texas at Austin; Inventory of South Asian Language Microfiche Collection (Asian Division)
- Jason Guthartz; Chicago, Illinois; San Jose State University iSchool; Copyright Card Catalog Metadata Capture Project (Copyright Office)
- Lauren Harris; Indianapolis, Indiana; Indiana University Purdue University- Indianapolis; Copyright Card Catalog Metadata Capture Project (Copyright Office)
- Shauna-Kay Harrison; Ann Arbor, Michigan; University of Michigan School of Information; Scripts, Interfaces, and Notebooks, Oh My: Exploring Library Data in Public (Digital Innovation Division)
- Zoe Harrison; Tucson, Arizona; University of Arizona; Researching the Black Press in Chronicling America (Serial and Government Publications Division)
- Emma Hassel; Toledo, Ohio; Georgetown University; Elizabeth Brown Pryor Internship, Manuscript Reading Room (Manuscript Division)
- Micherlange Hemsley; Ontario, California; University of Michigan; Identifying At-Risk Underrepresented Community Collections Learning from Our Collection: Assessing and Preserving At-Risk Materials (Preservation Research and Testing Division)
- Mila Hill; Hartford, Connecticut; Howard University; Mapping the Stories: The Legacy of Daniel A.P. Murray (Office of Communications)
- Miller Jaquet; San Jose, California; University of California, Berkeley; Title Collection Maps Project (Geography and Map Division)
- Christa Kileff; St. Louis, Missouri; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Copyright Card Catalog Metadata Capture Project (Copyright Office)
- Jacob LaBarge; Hyattsville, Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park; Mind the Gap: Taking Stock of Contemporary Composer Voices (Music Division)
- Pa Lor; Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Michigan; User Experience Research to Support the Library’s Digital Tools (User Experience Design Section)
- Justice Menzel; Virginia Beach, Virginia, Old Dominion University; Mary Wolfskill Internship, Manuscript Reading Room (Manuscript Division)
- Avianna Miller; Cedar Knolls, New Jersey; Drew University; Year of Digital Accessibility (Office of the Chief Information Officer)
- Kelsey Moore; Marshfield, Wisconsin; University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Banking History Uncovered: Crafting a Guide for the American Bankers Association Papers (Science, Technology and Business Division)
- Camila Orr; Great Falls, Virginia; Cornell University; National Book Festival: Coordination and Outreach (Signature Programs Office)
- Kumari Pacheco, Hyattsville, Maryland; California College of the Arts; National Book Festival: Literary Programming (Literary Initiatives Office)
- Emily Paterson; Warren, Michigan; Michigan State University; Year of Digital Accessibility (Office of the Chief Information Officer)
- Aisaiah Pellecer; Chicago, Illinois; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Scripts, Interfaces, and Notebooks, Oh My: Exploring Library Data in Public (Digital Innovation Division)
- Janiya Peters; New Jersey; University of California, Berkeley; Amplifying Artistic Projects That Use the Library’s Digital Collections (Digital Strategy Directorate)
- Courtney Richmond; Canton, Georgia; University of Wisconsin, Madison; Copyright Card Catalog Metadata Capture Project (Copyright Office)
- Jordan Ross; Odenton, Maryland; University of Pennsylvania; Mapping the Stories: The Legacy of Daniel A.P. Murray (Office of Communications)
- Kathleen Rowley; Santa Clarita, California; University of the Cumberlands; Supporting Culturally Relevant Pedagogy with Library of Congress Digital Collections (Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office)
- Nora Smolonsky; Takoma Park, Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park; National Book Festival: Literary Programming (Literary Initiatives Office)
- Sarah Spain; Chevy Chase, Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park; Economic Research on Resale Rights & Copyright (Copyright Office)
- Brenna Steinke; Eugene, Oregon; San Jose State University; Supreme Court Records and Briefs Metadata Enhancement Project (Law Library)
- Courtney Thomas; Dallas, Texas; University of North Carolina; Martha Graham Legacy Project (Music Division)
- Jonathan Walton; Decatur, Georgia; New York University; Amplifying Artistic Projects That Use the Library’s Digital Collections (Digital Strategy Directorate)
- Lillian Williams; Wichita, Kansas; University of Missouri; Unfurling LOC’s Reel Deal: A Journey through Microfilm History (Preservation Services Division)
- Molly Williams; Silver Spring, Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park; Christopher Columbus Papers Project (Manuscript Division)
- Miguel Torres Yunda; Bogota, Colombia; University of Florida; Digitization of Copyright Licensing Records (Copyright Office)
The Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program is made possible by a gift from the late James Madison Council member Nancy Glanville Jewell through the Glanville Family Foundation and the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund. The program is also supported by an investment from the Mellon Foundation through the Library’s Of the People: Widening the Path initiative.