This is a guest post by James Thompson, an undergraduate intern from the University of Notre Dame as part of the Cross Cultural Leadership Program of the Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame.
Several people, when they hear about my internship at the Library of Congress, are inclined to ask about what I do on a day-to-day basis. My answer is always the same: “Every day is different.”
Ever since my supervisor, Nanette Gibbs, met me in front of the Jefferson building, extended her hand, and said, “Welcome to the Library of Congress,” my days have become a whirlwind of navigating the ins and outs of this vast research institution. From that moment on, I have embarked on a journey of exploration and discovery, making visits to every reading room at the Library and getting to know the dedicated staff who occupy them and assist patrons. As I made my way around the library, I had the opportunity to see the stereographs in the Prints and Photographs Division, which brought scenes from the 19th century vividly to life. I also ventured into the literal depths of the Library’s collections, exploring what felt like sub-zero sub-basements of the Madison building. Each exploration felt like a treasure hunt, uncovering some of the hidden gems of the library.
Beyond the collections, I got a glimpse into the operational side of the library as well. I met with staff engaged in the meticulous preservation work of important library materials, ensuring that these valuable resources are available for future generations. I also got to know the various personnel who work throughout the library, including, but not limited to, the security personnel who ensure the safety of visitors and collections, the book porters who manage the flow of materials, the Architect of the Capitol, and the sanitation and maintenance staff who keep the institution running smoothly. Each day brings new experiences and learning opportunities, and I am constantly amazed by the dedication and expertise of the people who make this institution of knowledge thrive.
My first task was to assist in the curation and creation of materials for a series of Teacher’s Workshops in which the Hispanic Reading Room would participate. I was presented with a depth of materials that Nanette had curated over eight years concerning arithmetic all around the world, each book shaped by the language and culture for which it was produced. These books went largely untouched for about half a century, and our job was to make them useful and exciting to modern educators. Here, Nanette urged me to think contextually – imploring me to step outside of our division or just the collection we had gathered, and instead make use of the depth of information that we have in the multiple research divisions. Diving headfirst into the collection, we were able to find a plethora of materials that could serve as aids to Spanish language learners as well as students learning English as a second language. Reviewing the books, we found that many of the word problems corresponded to goals set by state standards of education, and even SAT practice problems in books meant for elementary age students.
Still, we thought there could be more, so we sought to, once again, think contextually, and remembered the counting songs of our youth – “One potato, two potato, three potato, four” and jump rope rhymes that counted how many doctors it would take to revive Cinderella after her mistaken romantic encounter with a snake. So, we went downstairs from the Hispanic Reading Room to the American Folklife Center where their team was eager and knowledgeable about finding some materials that could aid us in our search. To our luck, their collections contain multitudes of children’s games from over the ages and throughout the world – many of them having to do with elements of counting in various intervals. We were even able to find recordings made in my home-state of Texas during the early 1930s of Spanish counting songs!
The icing on the cake was being able to attend the teacher workshop to present all these materials we had gathered. Seeing educators from all over the United States at various stages of their teaching careers be excited about the materials from the library, and how they can use them to enhance their classroom experience. Offering materials that could be used in math, English, Spanish, music, and English as a second language classrooms – our table quickly became a hit (maybe also because of the chocolate Kisses we had front and center). It was clear that the cross-disciplinary approach, the intentional search for multimedia materials, as well as all the fun we had with the people we met collecting them shone through in what we presented. Being able to make such a tangible difference while also diving deep into the Library’s treasures made me realize that every day truly is different—and that’s what makes this internship an adventure I’ll never forget. What a welcome to the Library of Congress!
Learn More
This link offers some of the Spanish language counting songs shared with teachers, but there is a lot to find onsite with a visit to the Hispanic Reading Room.