When I first decided to apply for the position with Ted in Gumberg Library, I was hoping to gain knowledge and experience pertaining to research guides, formulating them, and understanding how to display information to my fellow peers. I can confidently say that those areas of study have been developed substantially since I first started my internship. Surprisingly, I have been able to better my own research skills as well which will help me both in the classroom and in my future academic and professional endeavors. While beginning the process of creating a Fulbright scholarship application has been stressful and at times complicated, I’ve used the skills Ted has taught me, like utilizing Library of Congress search terms, understanding publication dates, publishers, and relevances to my topics, and many more, to make the research aspect of the application much easier than it would’ve been without them. I find myself thinking about classwork in a different way as well. Take for example last week when I began to research a certain subject pertaining to one of my history courses. I quickly turned to Gumberg’s website to see if there had been any research guides created about my specific topic, which was something I had never done before in my time as an undergrad. Being as I wish to work in museums or archives in the future, I feel as though what I’ve learned at Gumberg as an intern will better cultivate my abilities in the professional realm. I hope the remaining weeks of Duquesne’s Spring 2022 semester will provide me more opportunities and guidance like the first half has!
A blog dedicated to current, past, and future students of Duquesne University's Department of English and Theater Arts
Building Bridges 