College student Matt Geczy worked on a number of projects for the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives this summer and wrote this blog post to share his experience.
As a history major with a vested interest in pursuing a career in history, finding a job has always seemed like an insurmountable task. Beyond teaching, professorships, and authoring books the job pool for historians has always seemed rather shallow. My experience working in the archives as an intern has revealed a larger field of professions in the field of history. Working as a part of the city of Winchester and the Shenandoah Valley’s institutional memory has revealed the larger role historians can have in promoting the education of society and the preservation of the past for future study.
The archives are a multifaceted institution that performs many different functions for the area. Within its unassuming exterior it maintains a collection of all local school yearbooks, dozens of rare and highly informative texts, a hub of genealogical research, and a wealth of artifacts all made available for researchers. This allows anyone from the community or further afield to access the information and study almost anything of their interest. Whether they wish to fill in their family tree, delve into the rich history of the valley, or simply browse every issue of the Handlian, the archives can accommodate that desire.
The experience I have gained while working at the archives has been greatly enriching. Every project I have been tasked with has provided me with skills and the chance to expand my own knowledge on a variety of subjects. These have varied from the mundane practice of accessioning collections to the exciting experience of prying open a set of sealed crates to discover a set of printing plates over a century old. In each task I have learned valuable skills in organization, thoroughness, teamwork, and problem solving, all while educating myself on the history of the materials I handled.
It is hard to overstate the value of my internship at the archives. It has provided me with skills and experience I will use to progress further in a historical career. In doing this I have also provided a service to the community in helping researchers and making the information in the archives more accessible. Along the way the archives staff have been excellent teachers and coworkers, very eager to provide help and guidance as I learned the various intricacies of the institutions. Altogether I look forward to apply what I have learned as I go forward and encourage other students of history to similarly intern or volunteer at the archives.
Image shows Matt outside an exhibit he created for a new collection about the Gray Family of Berkeley County, West Virginia. Learn more about the exhibit by clicking here.