I am currently at the airport in Washington DC, awaiting a
flight to Chicago. My hyper-paranoia about missing the plane has brought me
here exceptionally early, but it has also finally allowed me a minute to think
and, more importantly, write.
I have recently started an internship at the University of
Virginia. When I first told people about my internship in Charlottesville,
everyone in libraries immediately asked if it had anything to do with the Rare Book School. It did not. That being said, thanks to my proximity to
the Rare Book School, I think I will be able to learn a lot more about the
world of book people: conservators, collectors and craftsmen. Virginia has
proven to be an exciting place to work, and not just because of the University’s
presidential controversy currently trending in the news. It’s a really great location, right in
the Blue Ridge, with a really impressive history. As a more-or-less native Illinoisan,
the state of Virginia is flooded with American history by comparison. We may be
the land of Lincoln, but Virginia is the land of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, pretty much everyone except Benjamin Franklin….
Needless to say, the collection reflects this rich history,
and its been interesting just get a peak into it. Next Post: my work at UVa….?
