Jen Leahy '25MS, graduate of the Library and Information Science: Archives Management Concentration from Simmons School of Library and Information Science, wrote a guest blog post for the Boston Public Library (BPL) about her experience as an Archives Intern at BPL Special Collections.
Her position, from February to May of 2025, included stabilizing the records of the Boston-based non-profit UrbanArts, Inc. The unprocessed collection of over 112 records boxes provides, according to Leahy, "insight into public art administration, urban planning, and contemporary Boston history." In the course of her work, Leahy discovered the photo project, "Along the Elevated: Photographs of the Orange Line," now accessible online.
"This is why archival work is so important: to share information that has been held behind the scenes for some time," said Leahy. "We want to put it out there, make it accessible, make it user-friendly; otherwise, it is of no use. There is something for everyone in archives, and we want to make it available for all."
All students in the Library and Information Science: Archives Management Concentration complete one 60-hour internship in an archival setting as part of the curriculum. Learn more about the concentration, or visit the School of Library and Information Science for information about all offered programs.