Final Thoughts about the internship

I am looking forward to the end of this internship. I have worked harder than on any other class so far. But I am taking with me more than I can even begin to identify. The Long Branch PL Local History Room is a work in process but it has the strong foundations already in place. This means that I had the amazing opportunity to explore solutions within an defined structure which provided grounding but allowed me to push the boundaries because there was not yet a rigid standardization of process. There is a very complete list of policies and procedures for using the room - but an evolving set of standards for processing the collections. I feel that I was part of the development of the standards by virtue of being one of the first people to document a collection and create a Finding Aid.

I will be creating a pathfinder to the collection files on the computer so they can be accessed and updated after I am gone. The Elsalyn Palmisano Collection is an active collection and will be continually changing. The files will need to be updated periodically to reflect this.

We are also going to combine all the files that make up the Elsalyn Palmisano collection and create one file for Tonya Badillo who will create a .pdf file. This file will then be linked to the web page so that the finding aids will be available online.

Future volunteers will need a copy of the pathfinder and the steps to follow to update existing files or to process a new collection and document it according to the Local History Room new standards. I will create some kind of instruction manual.

*****

This is my last post - I would like to thank the Long Branch Public Library for being the host for my SCILS internship. Ingrid Bruck supported all my educational efforts throughout the past year. Francine Marks supported the entire internship by providing an environment that is technically top notch. Supplies, cataloging, computer support, whatever - we asked for it, we got it. And finally I would like to thank my mentor and supervisor, Elsalyn Palmisano, for not only agreeing to give up her time to be with me in the Local History Room, but also providing guidance, advice, training, wisdom and experience above and beyond what was expected. I not only will finish this internship with a wealth of new experience but I will have a large portfolio of material that I have created and that Elsalyn has encouraged me to collect. In even the tiniest things, Elsalyn finds a lesson and provides her intern with a toolkit that travels far beyond the walls of the Local History Room.