Name: Will Clements
Position: John Foster and Janet Avery Dulles Archival Fellow
Educational Background: I earned my bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin. I studied English literature, with a minor in Russian language and history. I’m currently working on my master’s degree in Information Studies at the UT Austin School of Information. My focus is on archives, both traditional and digital, and I’ll graduate in December of this year.
Previous experience: Since 2003, I’ve worked in the Reading Room at the LBJ Presidential Library. My work there includes administrative duties, public service, and reference. When I return to the LBJ Library in August, I will be transitioning from public service to technical service projects under the supervision of our digital archivist. I’m pleased to be gaining more experience in both these areas during my time at Mudd.
Why I like archives: I believe that archives are important centers of cultural memory (to borrow a phrase from Jeannette Bastian). It’s really gratifying to be a part of preserving and providing access to that memory. Interacting with the scholarly community is another perk for me, and I also enjoy working with younger researchers encountering archives for the first time.
Other interests: I love hiking and walking in the woods. My house in Princeton is about a mile from Community Park and the Witherspoon Woods, and I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the trails since I arrived. I’m looking forward to checking out some of the other parks and nature preserves in the area this summer. While indoors I enjoy cooking, movies, reading, and collecting rare books (mostly genre fiction).
Projects this summer: I’m thrilled to be getting a good deal of description and arrangement experience already, and I’m looking forward to researching and answering reference questions starting in June. I’m also keen to learn about processing and providing access to born-digital collections.
One response to “Meet Mudd’s Will Clements”
Will, we are already ready for you to come home, but I have a suspicion that after being immersed in the rarefied air of northern Garden State, and especially the hyper-rarefied air of Princeton, might be easier said than done. Enjoy!