Student Spotlight – Ashley Brown

Ashley Brown was born in Huntington Beach, California but lived most of her life in Huntersville, North Carolina. She is the third of a set of triplets and about to be a rising senior in the history program in the fall.

Please describe in a sentence or two the work that you do for Laupus Library’s History Collections.

I help aid in research, organization, and preparation of exhibits. I also help prepare and organize archive materials to enter into the collection.

What has been most interesting to you about your work? What new things have you learned? Have you made any surprising discoveries?

The most interesting thing about my work is sitting down with historical material and analyzing and interpreting what they have written to use in an educational context. I have further refined my object handling skills and learned how to use ArchivesSpace. I found a little business card in one of the books I was reading, which was fun to find.

What would you say makes archives important? Why should students, faculty, and members of the community use our archives?

Archives are the gateway to the past, collecting primary and secondary sources with significant historical value that gives us a look into the minds of those who came before us. Everyone should use an archive to get a deeper understanding of how their career came into its modern form, and to truly appreciate those who came before us.

What are you studying, and what do you hope to do in your future career? Has your work in the History Collections influenced this in any way?

I am currently studying to get a BA in History and Anthropology with a minor in Parks and Recreation Management. I hope to work in a museum or archive once I graduate. Working in the History Collections has further confirmed what I want to do with my career choice.

How has your experience in Laupus Library’s History Collections shaped your perspective on the importance of preserving and accessing historical archives for future generations?

I have always been an advocate for preserving historical archives and giving them access to the public as all knowledge should be shared, both modern and historical. That be through a digital format, or an individual can come into the Collections to view it in person. The information should be accessible. My experience at Laupus Library History Collections has only just strengthened my beliefs that archives, and historical preservation have great importance in our society, to understand our past and help us move toward the future.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about your time with History Collections?

My time with History Collections has been very fun and insightful, and more students should work here and use the resources that History Collections provides as there is a plethora of knowledge on the shelves and boxes located in the archive.