I love seeing students’ faces when they discover something new at the Bentley Historical Library. They so often light up when they hold a primary source in their hands—whether it’s a letter, a diary, a photo, or some other hands-on piece of history.
This is part of what makes my job as director of the Bentley so meaningful, and why I chose to enter the archival field.
I also see students who want to pursue work in the archival profession but who struggle to gain hands-on experience and make ends meet.
I personally had to work several jobs as a graduate student. My job in the archives, where I built the professional skills that launched my career, had limited hours and lower pay than many other campus jobs.
That tension between experience, coursework, and financial struggle is significant for many students today, too.
That’s why I have created the Bentley fund for student support.
Gifts to this fund will create archival jobs at higher wages, freeing students from a difficult choice between a job that provides direct, hands-on experience, or a non-archival job that pays more. This fund will also help attract more students from diverse backgrounds to the archival field, engaging them in meaningful work in processing, reference, fieldwork, acquisitions, conservation, and outreach.
Today, I hope you will consider a gift to support the Bentley fund for student support.
