There are several obvious candidates for "patron saint" of the Burke Library, and one of them would certainly be Leander van Ess (1772-1847). Van Ess, erstwhile Benedictine and translator of an immensely popular German New Testament, amassed what would become the Library's first, core collection. Edward T. Robinson, a member of Union Theological Seminary's founding […]
One Month In to my Burke Internship
I’m about a month into my internship at Burke, and have already learned so much, including how to navigate to Columbia from Brooklyn when the 1 train isn’t work and it’s once again snowing (answer: any way you can, and be ready to walk). I’ve also learned so much about archiving, preservation, collections, and Union […]
“The Communications of my wishes may stir up some other to do what I have only the strength to wish…” MRL6: D. W. C. Olyphant Papers
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My First Day at The Burke
This semester I will be an administrative intern. My supervisor, Dr. Beth Bidlack, was very nice and open with me on my first day at the Burke. I was very excited but somewhat nervous because I’m not sure how much I will be able to accomplish in the short time that I will be here. […]
2014 Library Research Awards
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services (CUL/IS) invites applications from scholars and researchers to its annual program designed to facilitate access to Columbia’s special and unique collections, the Library Research Awards. CUL/IS will award ten (10) grants of $2500 each on a competitive basis to researchers who can demonstrate a compelling need to consult CUL/IS holdings for […]
What I Look Forward To In My Burke Internship
When I told my friends and family I was getting my masters in library and information sciences, no one was surprised. It seemed like a natural fit for someone who was such an avid reader who loves to get others to read. Now, after my first semester at Pratt Institute, I have learned a lot, […]
Why coming to seminary was not the stupidest decision I’ve ever made after all
I didn’t come to seminary looking for a career. I spent most of my early twenties in a “career.” Starting out as a graphic designer, events planner, and marketing coordinator for a large southeastern material handling corporation, I went on to work for the third largest life insurance company in the U.S. followed by a […]
A Happy Ending: Last days at Burke
For the last couple of months at the end of every week, I greet the guard, shove my belongings in a locker and head to the archives. Although there are some days that I am exhausted, I enjoy coming to work at the Burke Archives. The fact that every day at the Burke is interesting […]
All Aboard: A Piece of Maritime History in the Archives
One of my favorite experiences while interning at Burke has been to inventory the MRL unprocessed records. I was working on records pertaining to China when I came across a very interesting letter, written by woman named Gertrude. Perhaps it was a result of daydreaming about the Titanic or that I had recently seen a […]
The Relevance of Reference: A Discovery
People always ask me why I want to become an archivist, and I always respond with some idealized blanket answer that references the preservation of history and provision of access to everyone. My answers are always filled with such good will that I feel as if some heroic composition should be playing as I recite […]