Staff Spotlight: Elizabeth Nosari

Headshot of Elizabeth NosariElizabeth Nosari is currently working on reprocessing the Small Library’s collection of William Faulkner papers as well as contributing to On These Grounds. She was previously the Nau Project Archivist for the John L. Nau III Civil War History Collection. She earned her MLIS from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where she held a graduate assistantship in Faculty Papers at the University Archives. She also holds a MSc in art history from the University of Edinburgh and a MA from the New School focused on propaganda studies. Her love of history and material culture led her to the archival field.   

What was your first-ever job with libraries?
As a life-long learner, libraries have always been like a second home. Early on, I worked with cultural heritage collections in the museum field. My first true archival role was as a graduate assistant at UIUC where I processed faculty papers.

What was the first thing you collected as a child? What do you collect now? (oh, c’mon, admit it).
Animals and books filled my childhood. I loved collecting Breyer horses and works of fiction, usually with equally animal-loving protagonists. Now, I still collect books as well as plushy toys for my dog Oliver. But my true collecting passion is for ideas and experiences. 

Hopefully you’ve been roaming Grounds and Charlottesville a bit since your arrival. What’s your favorite new discovery other than Special Collections?
Aside from exploring the local architecture and food, my favorite discovery so far has been the fox that lives in my neighborhood.

Tell us what excites you about your job?
I love experiencing firsthand the magical qualities of historic materials that have borne witness to the passage of time. It’s a joy and a privilege to make these materials and their narratives accessible to researchers. I am just getting to know the William Faulkner holdings at the Small Special Collections Library, and I am excited to learn more about the author’s life and work.

Tell us something about Special Collections or UVA that is different from what you expected.
I am continually impressed by the culture of kindness I’ve encountered at Technical Services and Special Collections at-large. Archival work can be solitary, and it is a really nice balance to have such supportive colleagues.

If you could be locked in any library or museum for a weekend, with the freedom to roam, enjoy, and study to your heart’s content, which one would you choose?
This is a tough choice! What comes to mind is the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, Italy, a city I lived in for a year. It has an impressive collection of Neapolitan art and decorative art, and its grand setting in a Bourbon palazzo with views overlooking the Bay of Naples would make for a beautiful and inspirational weekend.  

Special Collections Catalogs and Catalogers

This post was contributed by Seonyoo Min, Rare Book Cataloging Intern at the Small Special Collections Library.

The Guanhailou Collection is a collection of East Asian rare books formed by Soren Edgren, Editorial Director of the Chinese Rare Book Project at Princeton University and current RBS Instructor. Recently, part of the collection was transferred to the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. As a Summer 2022 intern at the UVA Library who has a background in East Asian Book History, I was able to get a chance to catalog and process 338 titles of invaluable rare materials, written in Classical Chinese, Modern Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, etc. Cataloging records I created this during my Summer 2022 internship will help you to find books from Guanhailou more easily, and help you understand the overall information of the collection quickly.

The Special Collection Library manages diverse materials written in various languages besides English. Catalogers in there always consider the best way to introduce these collections to the community. Through this blog post, I would like to share with you all the new things I learned during my internship.


How do you find a book you are looking for? In my case, I use a library catalog. I visit a library website, and search for a title of the book, or search keywords that I want to explore. And then, I look at a list of catalog records to find a book I want to investigate. In particular, in the case of Special Collections, the place with “closed stacks,” catalog used to be the only medium that made books accessible to me. Sometimes, even if I do not look for books to read, I look at a library catalog when I want to get some information about on books or writers. And then, I use hyperlinks on the list to search for books on related topics or books written by the same author.

Library catalogs can help you when you find books, when you want to get brief book information, or when you need well-organized information about the book you are looking for. In libraries, staff called ‘Cataloger’ makes catalog records every day to connect valuable information to library users who want to use it. Special Collections Library also has wonderful catalogers.

Catalog records of special collections are a bit more special than usual library catalog records that we are familiar with. Most of the materials in Special Collections are old, and they often go through the hands of several owners before they come to the library. Therefore, you can find descriptions about previous owners or history of the material itself: such as notes written by owners, purchase receipts, and photographs in the bookcase. In addition, catalogers sometimes need to catalog materials other than books, such as leaflets, scrolls, sculptures, etc. The charm of the special collections catalog comes from explaining contextual information and some special physical formats. It helps library users to efficiently search for information by allowing them to understand the characteristics of the materials, without physically looking at them.

Guanhailou Collection

Guanhailou (觀海樓) Collection was formed by Dr. James Sören Edgren (or 艾思仁, 1942-), former Editorial Director of the Chinese Rare Books Project at Princeton University. The primary focus of the collection is Chinese rare books, but the collection also includes significant rare materials in East Asian book history outside China, and some sample leaves of early printing in Europe. Overall, the collection gives a chronological overview of the East Asian book history and printing history, spanning the period of the 12thcentury to the 21st century.

Here are some collection highlights of Guanhailou Collection.

Guanhailou A144

十竹齋箋譜 (Shi zhu zhai jian pu), edited by Hu Zhengyan (1584-1674), Beijing: Rong bao zhai, 1934. 1 volume.

Guanhailou A144 is a Chinese stationery paper book. This 1934 copy is a reprint of xylographic polychrome stationery from Ten Bamboo Studio (十竹齋), Ming Dynasty. Every page of the book contains beautiful printing with detailed light and shade. You can also figure out Chinese blind printing technique (拱花, gong hua) through this book. It is a similar concept to blind embossing of Western culture.

Photo Guanhailou A144 displaying its blue cover and side stab sewing.

Photo of correspondence.

At the backside, 2 pieces of correspondence are laid in the book (Photo 3). The document on the right side of Photograph 3 is the correspondence from R. J. Walsh (1886-1960) to J. Walter Flynn (1910-1977), regarding the book itself and their plan for a new article. The document indicates that the Guanhailou A144 is a presentation copy (no. 12 of 21) by Zheng Zhenduo (鄭振鐸, 1898-1958) to Nym Wales (Helen Foster Snow, 1907-1997).

Guanhailou A144 not only shows an advanced printing technique of China, but also shows the intellectual communication between China and America in 1930s, regarding Chinese publication history. I am thinking about finding a corresponding article in the ASIA journal in the upcoming days, to satisfy my curiosity.

Guanhailou A175

妙法蓮花經卷第三 (Myōhōrengekyō kan dai-3), [Japan], 12th century. 1 roll.

Guanhailou A175 is a Lotus Sūtra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra) manuscript, used gold and silver pigment on indigo paper. When you open the scroll, you can find a frontispiece illustration depicting the three chapters of the Lotus sūtra, chapter 5 to 7. I enjoyed finding out which part of the illustration represents each chapter. If this material is used in undergraduate classes or graduate school’s introductory Buddhist studies class, I think it will be a meaningful experience to compare the texts and illustration of the sūtra.

Lotus Sūtra is my favorite Buddhist text, because of the idea of equity in chapter 5, Parable of the Plants, which is in the first part of the Guanhailou A175. In this chapter, Sakyamuni likens the people to plants. Every plant has various heights and leaves size. These differences make each plant’s acceptable amounts of rainwater (wisdom) different. In Sakyamuni’s view, every person has a possibility to become a buddha, so they are equal. He thought if he understood each person and gave them a customized sermon for them, everyone could get enlightenment. This phrase was helpful to me at the time when I just started teaching as a graduate assistant. Thanks to the phrase, I could try to understand each student’s characteristics and their interest more. I hope this sūtra will help someone who is starting a new career in dealing with people.

Guanhailou A095

中說 (Chungsŏl), written by Wang Tong (584-617); annotated by Ruan Yi, [Seoul: Kyosŏgwan], [not before 1484]. 1 volume.

Guanhailou A095 is a canonical work of famous Confucian scholar Wang Tong (王通). Wang’s insights into Confucianism, education, and politics are well described in conversations between Wang and their students.

A number of Ex libris stamps on the caption title page, and photographs and documents laid in shows the solid provenance information, from the 16th century to the present.

A number of Ex libris stamps on the caption title page, and photographs and documents laid in shows the solid provenance information, from the 16th century to the present.

What makes this book so attractive is the printing style and provenance. This metal movable type printing used Korean metal movable type called Kapchinja (甲辰字). Made by palace in 1484, this movable type is well-known for beauty and its small font size. It was used until just before the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598).

After the war, the book started a long journey outside Korea. A number of Ex libris stamps on the caption title page, and photographs and documents laid in shows the solid provenance information, from the 16th century to the present.

Guanhailou A095 is a wonderful teaching and research resource to study history of Japanese book collectors and the wartime history of East Asia. If there is anyone who is interested in the history of Korea-Japan relationship, they will fall in love with this book.

Cataloging Guanhailou Collection

Making catalogs of the 338 titles of rare books, I realized that this collection has invaluable content and contextual information, showing the long history of intellectual distribution and exchange. I cannot deny that this collection is attractive, but I thought it is quite difficult to access because most of the materials in the collection were written in Chinese characters. As a cataloger, I need to focus on creating catalog records with accurate metadata according to the guidelines. But this ‘language barrier’ made me think more about how to effectively share this information with entire UVA communities. This thought brought out in me the memories when I just started to study East Asian book history.

I was a junior in college, and was learning about East Asian history, but bad at reading Chinese characters. When I first took a glance at East Asian rare book catalog records, I was embarrassed because there was nothing I could read. At that time, I thought it would be wonderful if I could know the topic of the book at least. Also, I wanted to read the Ex Libris seals on the first page of the main text. I simply thought if I knew the previous owners of books, I could more easily figure out the theme and value of the book. However, understanding those decorative engraving seal scripts was impossible for the student who had just begun to memorize regular script Chinese characters.

While cataloging the Guanhailou Collection, I wanted to make a catalog that people like me in the past could read and would like to read. As mentioned earlier, catalog is a search tool that allows library users to find information efficiently. I was convinced that if I could create a catalog that even users who did not know Chinese characters could figure out the title, author, subject, and provenance information of the book, I could reduce the time of information research for users and help users’ decision-making. Let me talk a bit more about subject information and provenance information.

Catalog records of Guanhailou A095, “中設.”

Catalog records of Guanhailou A095, “中設.”

Most catalog records in Virgo use controlled vocabulary called Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Developed and maintained by the Library of Congress, this thesaurus is one of the most well-known and widely used controlled vocabulary in the library world. Catalogers find or combine the appropriate words in this huge wordbook to describe topics well. If you know LCSH, you can not only understand the topic of the book you are looking for, but also figure out the list of books with the same subject. Catalog records of Guanhailou Collection also contain LCSH. If you click the blue hyperlink at Subject field in Image 10, you can see multiple UVA Library materials with the topic. “Philosophy, Confucian – Early works to 1800.”

Provenance information, information about where the book comes from is in the Local Notes field. As you can see the Image 10, there is a string of the previous owner’s name that can be found in the book. If you know those people and could find a relationship between their interests and the book, you may discover some knowledge that has not been known before.

A Screen you can see when you click “Full Metadata” hyperlink

Currently, the processing for Guanhailou Collection is almost complete. If you search for “Guanhailou” in Virgo, you can explore its catalog records managed by the Special Collections Library. If you want to learn more about the book, please click the “Full metadata” at the bottom of the record, and “FULL RECORD” button. You can read additional information of the material written in some Chinese characters, such as physical description, table of contents, and more subject information.

Finding Your Books

Library resources in foreign languages always makes library users think one step back. They are much harder to find, and even if we find something, it takes more time to figure out if this information is necessary for research. Catalog records of Guanhailou Collection might not give you a complete answer but would assist your decision making at least. I hope my records could help you on your journey to explore our amazing East Asian rare book collection and find some new things that will make you excited.

Staff Spotlight: Lauren Zuchowski Longwell – University Archivist

We’ve hired several new staff in the Small Special Collections Library in the past year, and we’re delighted to introduce you to our wonderful new colleagues. In previous weeks, we met Whitney Buccicone, Kim Cull, Stacey Lavender, and Rose Oliveira. This week, meet Lauren Zuchowski Longwell, our University Archivist. 

Lauren Zuchowski Longwell started in August 2020 as the University Archivist at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. She previously worked at Loyola Marymount University, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Norton Simon Museum of Art (all located in Los Angeles). When she is not hard at work preserving university history, she enjoys spending time outside, baking, and reading.

Lauren Zuchowski Longwell, University Archivist

Lauren Zuchowski Longwell, University Archivist

What was your first ever job with books or libraries?
I almost always had a book in my hands as a child, but my first job working with books was at the Museum of Contemporary Art bookstore in Los Angeles. I loved it, but it turns out I spent a lot of money during my shifts and wasn’t great at selling things! I started library school while working there and never looked back.

What was the first thing you collected as a child? What do you collect now? (oh, c’mon, admit it).
I was deep into the Beanie Baby craze and even learned to sew so that I could make my own. I also collected CD singles (sparked by my deep love of the song MMMbop) and had an impressive collection of stickers showcasing Lisa Frank and fuzzy animals. My collecting as an adult is less influenced by the 1990s. I collect vintage Santa decorations, board games, fabric from places I’ve traveled, and lots and lots of books!

Hopefully you’ve been roaming Grounds and Charlottesville a bit since your arrival. What’s your favorite new discovery other than Special Collections?
My husband, daughter, and I have been exploring different hikes in the area. We have loved exploring Mint Springs Valley Park and venturing into Shenandoah. We also like to visit different wineries nearby—my one-year-old is a big fan of pulling up grass and people watching while we sample some wine so it’s a win-win! Our favorite so far has been Pippin Hill.

Tell us what excites you about your job?
I love that I’m constantly learning on the job, and I can’t wait to delve deep into UVA’s history! My position gives me the opportunity to meet so many different people across Grounds, and I am really looking forward to working with different groups to ensure that their history is preserved in the University Archives. I’m looking at you, student groups!

Tell us something about Special Collections or UVA that is different from what you expected.
The UVA specific lingo! I think I’ve finally gotten into the habit of saying “Grounds” instead of “campus.” Next up is to eliminate freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior.

If you could be locked in any library or museum for a weekend, with the freedom to roam, enjoy, and study to your heart’s content, which one would you choose?
This is a tough one! My top choice would have to be Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. I’d love to see the areas that aren’t included in the tours! It would also fulfill my lifelong dream to swim in their two phenomenal pools. My runners-up would be the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or The Met Cloisters but I keep thinking of more as I type…I’ll stop myself here.

Staff Spotlight: Rose Oliveira – Accessioning Archivist

We’ve hired several new staff in the Small Special Collections Library in the past year, and we’re delighted to introduce you to our wonderful new colleagues. In previous weeks, we met Whitney Buccicone, Kim Cull, and Stacey Lavender. This week, meet Rose Oliveira, our Accessioning Archivist

Rose Oliveira, Accessioning Archivist

Rose Oliveira, Accessioning Archivist


Rose Oliveira is the Accessioning Archivist at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. She began this new position in June of 2020. She previously worked at the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Rose and her intrepid cat Euri ( short for Euripides) enjoy reading books, writing letters, and adventuring in the outdoors.

What was your first ever job with books or libraries? 

Growing up in Naugatuck, Connecticut, the Howard Whittemore Library was my second home. But my first job working in libraries came in my library program when I got a graduate assistant job at the Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. My first job working with books was in Seattle. I worked at the University District’s Half Price Books. I never had the pleasure of working with a better cast of characters (and I do mean characters). It certainly helped me on my way.

What was the first thing you collected as a child? What do you collect now? (oh, c’mon, admit it).

Actually, I was not much of a collector as a child unless you count Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High books. I had a lot of those! Because I have done a lot of moving, I keep my collections very curated and small. But I do collect friends’ zines from the Pacific Northwest.

Hopefully you’ve been roaming Grounds and Charlottesville a bit since your arrival. What’s your favorite new discovery other than Special Collections?

Hard question…but probably Blue Hole. Growing up by the water, I knew that I would miss the ocean when I moved to Charlottesville. I was determined to find as many swimming holes as safely as I could during COVID. Blue Hole was the first one I found. I like that it’s close, an easy hike, and a great place to swim.

Tell us what excites you about your job? 

SO MANY THINGS!! I love the creativity and problem solving that is required in understanding and mapping out a new position. I love being able to create the initial records that provide access to users more quickly to the truly amazing collections we bring in. I love working with a great team of people on accessioning digital materials and making them available to users. And, I truly love working with my colleagues; they make the library flourish and do incredible things in their varied roles.

UVA Library staff unloading a truck

Rose with colleagues accepting delivery of a recently donated collection.

“I truly love working with my colleagues; they make the library flourish and do incredible things in their varied roles.”

Tell us something about Special Collections or UVA that is different from what you expected.

Well, I came into the library and UVA at a very unusual time, so everything is different than what I expected. However, I am impressed with how adaptable and flexible everyone (staff, students, faculty) has been in such extreme changes.

If you could be locked in any library or museum for a weekend, with the freedom to roam, enjoy, and study to your heart’s content, which one would you choose? 

Another hard question. Probably the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Specifically when the nasturtiums are in bloom in the spring. It has both botanical features and amazing art to be inspired by all weekend long. The courtyard is magical; I would love to frolic and read and write there. They also have a great library that is available for browsing that I would enjoy being locked in with for the weekend.

Staff Spotlight: Stacey Lavender – Project Processing Archivist

We’ve hired several new staff in the Small Special Collections Library in the past year, and we’re delighted to introduce you to our wonderful new colleagues. In previous weeks,  we met Whitney Buccicone and Kim Cull. This week, meet Stacey Lavender, our Project Processing Archivist!

Stacey in her home office

Stacey in her home office

Stacey Lavender is our Project Processing Archivist, arranging and describing a variety of collections. Previously she was at Ohio University, where she worked first as a Digital Projects Librarian and then later as the Special Collections Librarian for manuscript collections. Stacey is originally from Houston, a city she loves everything about except the weather, and went to graduate school in Michigan, where she found out she loves snow.

What was your first ever job with books or libraries?
One summer while I was in high school I got a job at the local public library, mostly reshelving books. I don’t remember much about it, except that it was my first time working an 8-hour day and I felt very grown up taking 15-minute breaks in the staff lounge. At the time I never imagined I’d end up working in a library as a profession, but it must have planted a seed in my mind, because here I am!

What was the first thing you collected as a child? What do you collect now? (oh, c’mon, admit it).
Books! One year for Christmas my grandmother gave me a collection of my dad’s childhood books and I was absolutely delighted to have a full bookshelf that was ALL MINE. I’m still haphazardly adding to that collection, and I have approximately zero self control in any bookstore. I also collect postcards. I buy them at every museum I visit, and any time I travel they’re my souvenir of choice. I keep some of them taped to the wall in my office at home, and rotate them in and out. I’m also a total sucker for pretty vintage glassware.

Hopefully you’ve been roaming Grounds and Charlottesville a bit since your arrival. What’s your favorite new discovery other than Special Collections?
I’ve been having a great time exploring local places to hike, especially the parts of the Rivanna near our house and the trails around Monticello. My husband and I bring our pup, Bogie, and watch him wade in the water and (unsuccessfully) attempt to catch butterflies. We’ve also been exploring local restaurants as much as we can with the pandemic, by getting takeout a couple times a week. We get croissants and coffee from Petite MarieBette every Friday morning, which I would highly recommend as a way to kick off your weekend a little early.

Stacey's dog Bogie at the beach

Stacey’s dog Bogie at the beach

Tell us what excites you about your job?
Working with the materials! I’m an inquisitive (read: nosy) person and I love learning about people and their lives through their collections. I frequently tell people I became an archivist so I could read other people’s mail, which is mostly the honest truth. I also love thinking about the practice of arrangement and description and how to meet the needs of our users, be they students, faculty, staff, or the community at large.

Tell us something about Special Collections or UVA that is different from what you expected.
Well I certainly didn’t expect to spend most of my first 6 months working from home! I have been continuously amazed at how my colleagues here have adjusted and adapted to the rapidly changing situation caused by the pandemic. It’s been such a hard time, but it’s been heartening to see how everyone in Special Collections has come together to keep meeting the needs of our users as well as we possibly can.

If you could be locked in any library or museum for a weekend, with the freedom to roam, enjoy, and study to your heart’s content, which one would you choose?
Oooh this is a hard one! I think maybe the Met. I’ve only been there once, and sadly I got sick while I was there and had to leave after only an hour. That interrupted visit still haunts me, so it’s the place that comes to mind first. Plus it’s definitely big enough to keep you busy for a weekend!

Staff Spotlight: Kim Cull – Rare Book Project Cataloger

We’ve hired several new staff in the Small Special Collections Library in the past year, and we figure it is time to introduce you to our wonderful new colleagues. Last week, you met Whitney Buccicone. This week, meet Kim Cull, our Rare Book Project Cataloger!

Kim Cull and her dog, Elliot

Kim Cull and her dog, Elliot

Kim Cull is the Rare Book Project Cataloger working primarily with the McGehee Miniature Book Collection and the Shirley Plantation Collection. Before coming to the University of Virginia, Kim was the Cataloging and Metadata Librarian at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee. When she is not hard at work cataloging fun miniature books or slightly charred Shirley books, she enjoys cuddling up with her dog Elliot and eating cookies.

What was your first ever job with books or libraries?
My first ever library job was in the serials unit at Wells Library at Indiana University during my time in graduate school. Along with another student, I shelved periodicals, sorted mail, and checked in ‘PR’ serials, or serials published in Western languages. I got to work with some wonderful people and see some really fun art journals.

mugs on a shelf

She really does love a good mug!

What was the first thing you collected as a child? What do you collect now? (oh, c’mon, admit it).
I grew up in a family of collectors, so I have collected my fair share of objects. The first thing I vividly remember collecting was Pokemon cards (Gen 1). My brothers and I would go to a comic book store or Toys R Us and use our allowance money to buy packs of cards just hoping to get the limited edition cards. Now, I am a proud owner of a mug collection. I also collect books like most librarians, but I love a good mug.

Hopefully you’ve been roaming Grounds and Charlottesville a bit since your arrival. What’s your favorite new discovery other than Special Collections?
Carter Mountain Orchard is one of my favorite discoveries in Charlottesville. I love visiting orchards and picking apples, berries, flowers, or whatever is available. The view on top of the mountain is gorgeous too! Also, who doesn’t love a warm apple cider donut in the Fall?

Tell us what excites you about your job?
I mean, the materials I work with are pretty awesome. I love old things; they make me feel sad (bonus points if you know where that quote comes from!) The absolute best part of my job though is working with fabulous people. When I found out I got the job, the first thing I did was cry because I am privileged to work under someone who has been cataloging for 50 years.

Tell us something about Special Collections or UVA that is different from what you expected.
Truthfully, I did not expect to love it here as much as I do. Everyone I encounter is so nice and friendly. When I started working here, I figured I would work really hard and learn as much as I could in the two years given to me and then move on to the next adventure. Now, I am hoping that my next adventure can be put off for just a little bit longer.

If you could be locked in any library or museum for a weekend, with the freedom to roam, enjoy, and study to your heart’s content, which one would you choose?
Either the James Whitcomb Riley house in Indianapolis, Indiana because it is a gorgeous preserved Victorian house or Newfields/Indianapolis Museum of Art because the Lilly House and the gardens are so much fun to explore.

Staff Spotlight: Whitney Buccicone – Head of Technical Services

We’ve hired several new staff in the Small Special Collections Library in the past year, and we figure it is time to introduce you to our wonderful new colleagues. Over the next few weeks, you’ll meet five new members of our Technical Services team! First up: their intrepid leader: Whitney Buccicone, Head of Technical Services. 

Whitney Buccicone, headshot

Whitney Buccicone, Head of Technical Services

Whitney Buccicone is the Head of Technical Services in the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia. Previously, she was the Special Collections Cataloging Librarian at the University of Washington (2016-2019) and held multiple paraprofessional positions at the Lilly Library, Indiana University Bloomington (2006-2016). Her job duties include managing the team responsible for the workflows focused on Acquisitions, Cataloging, Archival Processing, and University Archives. The Technical Services team is also formulating a plan for the reparative work needed to ensure that all collections at the Small Library are properly described and enhanced to reflect history, including the voices normally hidden due to white supremacy.

What was your first ever job with books or libraries?
I worked in a small Christian bookshop in my hometown in Goshen, Indiana. I loved the books but hated selling them (I’ve been a book hoarder from a young age!). After that, I had a part-time job over the summer in the public library. I started working at the Lilly during my junior year at Indiana University and didn’t look back.

What was the first thing you collected as a child? What do you collect now? (oh, c’mon, admit it).
Books. It’s always been books. Now, I collect comics, graphic novels, and any sci-fi/fantasy novels written by women, especially Black and Indigenous authors. I also collect succulents and kitchen tools.

Hopefully you’ve been roaming Grounds and Charlottesville a bit since your arrival. What’s your favorite new discovery other than Special Collections?
Rivanna Trail is so much fun! I also love walking the Downtown Mall and popping into any of the bookstores where I promise myself that I won’t buy anything (it’s a lie). I’m a big BBQ aficionado so checking out new places is a fun pastime.

Tell us what excites you about your job?
I have the best group of employees that a boss could ask for. Each of them has skills that make them excellent at their jobs and I couldn’t imagine doing this job without any one of them. They love challenges and always step up when I need them. Way to go, team Tech Services!

Tell us something about Special Collections or UVA that is different from what you expected.
What brought me here was how, during my interview, every staff member came across as user-focused. Since coming here, I found that at every level of the Library and on Grounds. We are here for our patrons and students — it’s our focus and our pride.

If you could be locked in any library or museum for a weekend, with the freedom to roam, enjoy, and study to your heart’s content, which one would you choose
The Field Museum in Chicago. I want to drink hot cocoa with Sue the T-Rex!