As the Winter semester draws to a close, I have been reflecting on my time as a Rackham Graduate Intern with the U-M Library’s Digital Scholarship Team. Working with Anne Cong-Huyen, Caitlin Pollock, and Matt Carruthers has been a true honor as they offered generous mentorship and support during my time on the team. I have also had the privilege to learn from and work alongside fellow Graduate Intern Marisol Fila. Throughout the duration of my role, I have been struck by what a generative space the Digital Scholarship Librarians have created and just how many ways they are involved in supporting digital research through partnerships with academics, librarians, and other staff at the University of Michigan. As someone whose research has been improved by Digital Scholarship’s anti-racist programming, I was excited to be a part of facilitating similar experiences for others.
I came into the internship with little idea of what to expect and some anxiety about whether I would be up to the task. I knew that the role was specifically geared towards public engagement, which I had some experience with, however, I was unsure of what skills would be useful for the role. From the beginning, I was supported by the resources of the Rackham Doctoral Internship Fellowship program which included regular meetings and internship scaffolding such as the Rackham Internship Plan. Filling out this plan with Anne during our first meeting was a helpful exercise that helped us determine the scope of my work, concrete action items that I would complete, and a communication plan that included weekly team meetings and intern check-in meetings. Hammering out this communication plan really made me feel that I was going to be supported and work as part of a team rather than being left to my own devices. This was especially important for me as I was going to be working remotely.
As a dissertating graduate student, I was excited to work as part of a team after working on my own on my research. And not only was the structure great for my work with the library, it also helped me set up a productive routine for my own dissertation work. Although I worked remotely, everyone made me feel part of the community immediately which eased my transition into the role. Additionally, I was able to draw on Marisol’s extensive experience and knowledge from her year-long work with the Digital Scholarship team. Our team meetings were a wonderful mixture of serious work and light-hearted pop culture discussions from which I garnered great recommendations for podcasts, books, and tv shows.
As part of the internship, I helped with programming, marketing, and organizing events such as Douglass Day, the Anti-Racist Digital Initiative Symposium, the “Alt-Ac” for Humanities PhDs panel, and Ann Arbor Art + Feminism. I saw first-hand the tireless work that went into creating these successful programs. Throughout my experience, I was given the opportunity to try new things. Although I had some trepidation, I was given lots of guidance, provided relevant examples, and specific feedback that helped me accomplish each task. I developed relevant skills including writing promotional copy, organizing event logistics, moderating Zoom events, and designing content for social media. I was able to see the fruits of my and my team’s labor in-person when I attended Douglass Day, which was expertly organized by Caitlin. As part of the arts and crafts team, I had the joy of working with attendees on art projects inspired by Black women activists. Red-velvet cupcakes from Black-owned Detroit bakery Good Cakes and Bakes provided a delicious end to a great event.
As part of the planning teams for the Anti-Racist Digital Initiative (ARDRI) Symposium and “Alt-Ac” Careers for Humanities PhDs, I was surprised by just how much coordination virtual events require. The Digital Scholarship team co-produced the ARDRI Symposium with our partners in UM-National Center for Institutional Diversity. The success of the event was in no small part due to the co-operative organizational work that everyone contributed. In my role, I was able to help curate a “run of show”, organized tech rehearsals, and took on a producer role during the Zoom. Prior to my internship, I had no idea what a “run of show” was, now I know that it is the essential backbone to any event.
I had the particular pleasure of watching and contributing to the growth of Ann Arbor Art+Feminism 2023 from scratch, shepherded by Anne and Jennifer Junkermeier-Khan (Outreach and Public Engagement Coordinator, Stamps Gallery) and with the teamwork of Marisol and Tal Ness (Social Sciences Resident Librarian). The event, which was focused on highlighting the work of women and non-binary gamers, game designers, and game scholars featured a panel of scholars and artists working on innovative games and a Wikipedia edit-a-thon complete with DJ and snacks! As a swag-enthusiast, I was especially pumped to help coordinate ordering swag bearing the fantastic custom designs created by talented artist and graduate student Allana Tran. With all the work that they put into making it a successful event, I was touched and inspired by Anne and Jennifer’s postponement of Ann Arbor Art+Feminism in solidarity with the GEO strike. Their commitment to moving forward with integrity displayed to me what community-focused leadership looks like.
It feels bittersweet to be moving on from this experience. My time with the Digital Scholarship team, though brief, was fulfilling, informative, and fun! I have learned so much about the valuable work that the library does for the university, although I have barely scratched the surface. I leave with so many skills and a better understanding of what my academic experience can offer an organization. And I look forward to Ann Arbor Art+Feminism v.2 coming soon to an Ann Arbor District Library near you in Summer 2023!