Student Spotlight - Abby Poindexter
Abby Poindexter is currently a 2nd year grad student in the audiology program. She received her undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill and majored in Linguistics and Public Policy. We were lucky to have her work for us in the History Collections of Laupus Library.
Please describe in a sentence or two the work that you do for Laupus Library’s History Collections.
In the History Collections department, I assist the archivist, Mollie Frazier, with processing tasks such as sorting through materials that are donated to us and selecting artifacts and documents to show for various events such as health science/med school student tours.
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 has been learning about the cool artifacts and materials collected and donated from the Brody School of Medicine and other health science organizations. I also have learned a ton about influential doctors in eastern North Carolina and their impacts on medicine in this part of the state, such as Dr. Andrew Best.
What would you say makes archives important? Why should students, faculty, and members of the community use our archives?
Students, faculty, and members of the community should use our archives because there is lots of information and history about eastern North Carolina, specifically related to rural medicine, that is responsible for modern medical practice in eastern NC. These archives are important to preserve history specific to this region but also to recognize influential people who shaped medicine in this region.
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 studying audiology; I hope to work in pediatrics, specifically with children with cochlear implants.
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?
My experience in Laupus Library’s History Collections has definitely opened my eyes to the importance of preserving and accessing historical archives for future generations. Specifically, I have learned how important preserving historical archives is in places like Greenville, NC, where rural healthcare was carried out and contributed to large-scale medical advancements, but largely went unnoticed at the time. I learned how important it is for future generations to have access to these materials to better understand rural medicine and how this practice advanced medicine, as a whole, in eastern NC.