Because our division covers the humanities and social sciences I would definitely get questions relating to religion, but I might be at the desk when someone was researching the history of catsup, ideas about beauty in the 1860s or wanting a list of consulting firms who helped incumbents win senate races , 1980-2012 (real questions!). I love the variety of both questions and researchers. And researchers in the Main Reading Room need only be 16 or older (and curious) in order to use our collections, which makes for a wide world of topics and interests.
As this team's Education Specialist, my role is to develop, coordinate and facilitate exhibition-related activities, including tours and public programs, for visitors ranging from K-12 students and teachers to families, lifelong learners, and even Members of Congress.
For me, one of the greatest joys of working at the Library is that I continually have the opportunity to choose a new favorite item, and I'll never need to pick the same one twice, thanks to the vastness of the collections. Every day, I see an image I've never seen before or view a photo with new eyes because of a researcher's enthusiasm for their research topic. Even with all the tools at my disposal to locate specific items, my day is still full of serendipity and discovery - and brand new favorites!
My all-time favorite teacher was Mrs. Campbell in sixth grade. One of her activities was to have us memorize and recite poetry a couple of times a year. While I was painfully shy back then, I thought the activity was terrific (once my turn was finished)! In our online collections, I really love the copy of Walt Whitman's poem "Oh Captain, My Captain." It's a printed copy but it includes corrections in Whitman's handwriting with a note to the publisher about "bad perversions."