VA Student Sara Mason Rosensteel Gives Ten

My volunteer experiences have been varied over the last year, and that has given me a chance to get a taste of how I truly enjoy spending both my free and professional time time. I’m thrilled to have had the chance to try so many new things. The experiences I’ve gained in tandem with my graduate education and my day job(s) have made me feel well-prepared to face the professional world when I graduate from SLIS in May.

My favorite volunteer experience was in the archives of the Hermitage Foundation Museum and Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia where I spent most Mondays from January to July in 2010. Not only are the house and grounds amazing, but they are filled with a spectacular collection of antiquities, art, a family library and archives that outline the history of the arts community in Norfolk from its very inception. I had the privilege of working in those very archives, uncovering the history of a family, a house and a city. The thrill of the chase – What would I come across next?!? – kept me going, as did the desire to make sure that the archives were organized and properly housed so that they could be accessed and referenced easily by museum staff and patrons performing research. The more I learned about the house, family and art, the more excited and determined I became. There is nothing that matches holding a delicate piece of history in the palm your hand, just as there is nothing quite like coming across that one letter or photo that holds the illusive answer to your reference question. I was sorry to have to give up my volunteer time, but I will be forever grateful for the experience.

- Sara Mason Rosensteel