During my first semester of graduate school I applied for a co-op placement, in which I would work (for pay!) for four months in a library or archives. After an in-person interview during which I was visibly nervous, a process of ranking the positions I was interested in, and a wait of a few weeks, I got the email announcing that I had been accepted for my dream job.

I was drawn to the Archives and Special Collections at the University of Guelph because of the range of their collections. They specialize in Scottish studies (I’m approximately 5/8 Scottish), L.M. Montgomery (I’ve loved her novels since childhood), culinary arts (I like to cook), theatre, agriculture, and more. In fact the reason I got the job, despite said display of nerves during the interview, was my enthusiasm for the collections.

I made the two hour move from my parents’ house to my first apartment during a January snowstorm. A few days later I showed up in the basement of the McLaughlin Library (an example of brutalist architecture just like the giant concrete library I was used to at Western) for my first day in the archives. Over the next four months I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many aspects of working in an academic archives, from helping students to creating displays to visiting the home of an artist preparing to make a donation to the archives.

After my term in Guelph I completed my degree, including one other co-op placement (at Library and Archives Canada), but after graduation I never ended up working full-time in archives. Now I’m a stay-at-home mom with four kids, keeping busy with home and family,  reading, writing, and making plans to home school. But once in a while — when I read a fascinating blog post or visit a historical site — I get a sudden hankering to work in archives again. Here are three things I especially miss.

1. Helping researchers find material. Although I get a definite thrill from organizing things and seeing shelves of books and boxes precisely arranged, my favourite part of working in archives is locating material so that it can be used. When I was in Guelph I loved working reference, either in person or via email, whether it meant finding photographs of a relative who went to the university or looking up serial numbers for John Deere equipment.

2. Browsing rare books. Besides archival material like manuscripts, posters, pamphlets, and letters, many archives also maintain a collection of rare books. In Guelph I distinctly remember browsing centuries’ worth of cookbooks and even making some photocopies to take home. (Bonus: playing with the mobile shelves that you move with a crank.)

3. Arranging and describing old manuscripts. During my term in Guelph I had the privilege of examining the letters of Dr. James Dinwiddie and arranging them by date. Deciphering handwriting is not a piece of cake, but I found it to be a fun challenge. And there’s always the hope of making an important discovery when you dig into unpublished material!

Maybe someday I’ll be back working in archives, but for now you’ll find me here, blogging about my varied interests and reminiscing about the past.