Wow! How is it already the end of May???

After two days of intermittent driving and enjoying the scenery of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, I finally arrived in Arlington, VA (a suburb of Washington D.C.) yesterday afternoon. In addition to using the weekend to get comfortable with my commute and the area, I'll using the holiday weekend to get some tourist action in before I begin working.

Today started early with a test run of the commute I'll have from my house to the Library. I wanted to see how long I will need to allow to arrive at the Library on time (it's about 50 minutes, if anyone is interested). My Dad and I, the two museum enthusiasts in our family, used the rest of the day to explore the visiting exhibits in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, the National Museum of American History, and the International Spy Museum. In addition to exceeding my 10,000 daily step target, I learned a lot- for example, did you know that Abraham Lincoln was the only president who held a US Patent?- and soaked up some rays walking in the sunshine.

I've already started a mental list of the amazing museums and exhibits I want to explore in my free time and on the weekends, however I also am starting to get REALLY excited to work in the Library starting Tuesday. Being present in the city and experiencing all the sights and sounds of Washington continues to remind me what a joy and privilege it is to call this part of the nation my home for the next ten weeks. I have a few pictures of the adventures from today and will be posting again soon!

Emily

The James Madison Building, where I will have Orientation and also the building that houses the Manuscripts Reading Room where I will be interning.

A side view of the Jefferson Building, housing the main reading room and the exhibit halls.

National Museum of American History, right across the National Mall from the Smithsonian Castle

My collection of maps, programs and self guided tour pamphlets from the day.

Welcome to my blog! During the summer I'll be posting about my experiences and adventures in Washington D.C. as I work as a Junior Fellow for the Library of Congress.

A little bit about how this all got started:
My passion is for archives, history and preservation; I hope to one day work at the Library of Congress or in a National Historic Park. This is what made me want to apply for the Library of Congress Junior Fellows Internship Program back in January. Within the application, I had to choose my first, second and third choice of departments to which I would be assigned if I were selected. My first choice was a no-brainier: manuscripts. I was lucky to be interviewed for my first choice position and so honored to have been selected to work as an intern in the manuscripts reading room.

My primary duties will be working the reference desk, assisting patrons, retrieving materials, and filling copy orders. I'll be working in the same area that holds 23 collections of presidential papers, the diaries of Clara Barton and a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence. I would like to think working on campus at the South Caroliniana Library has helped prepare me for this internship - working with historic newspapers and microfilm will be skills that definitely will come in handy this summer.

So that's how I've gotten this far. I have my job description, reporting date (May 31st... at 7:30 AM!), a place to live (thanks to family connections, hooray!), and a whole lot of excitement! I have a ton of paperwork to finish before I even walk through the doors, but I am most definitely on my way!