Molly Kunkel
Digital Archivist
A Typical Day at the Library
Similar to my fellow colleagues, I have a long-time interest in history— specifically public history, which is the pursuit of making the academic study of history accessible to the general public. While pursuing my M.A. at UMASS Amherst, I found myself invested in my archival classes. This interest propelled me into my MLS degree at the University of Maryland at College Park where I pursued full-time study in Archives. These two graduate school experiences developed my enthusiasm for the importance of curation in archival work.
Here at 51¹ÙÍø, I feel lucky to be part of such a helpful team with diverse skill sets. We are always eager to problem solve! As Digital Archivist, I am responsible for the acquisition of born-digital and digitized records. My job is to curate, organize, and preserve them. As we look to the future, I am especially excited about the growth of our team and our efforts to increase the accessibility of archives and special collections.
When not at work I enjoy activities outside as well as spending quality time with my dogs and husband. Lately, I enjoy caring for my growing array of houseplants!
Areas of Interest
- Digital curation and preservation
- Post-custodial archival curation
- Inclusive and conscientious archival description
- Public history
- Material culture
Education
- M.L.S. University of Maryland, College Park
- M.A. University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- B.A. James Madison University