Week 5: Testing, Testing, I'm Just Suggesting...

This week has given me a lot to consider. We did my midterm review and while the feedback I received about my character was very positive, I did have a few things to talk about regarding the field as a whole.

First: I've been processing this collection for the past five weeks, and I feel like I'm still scratching the surface of the collection and what I could be doing. The size of what I'm working on is starting to get overwhelming when I think of where I should be, even though I am making a great pace. The underlying feeling of, "I should be done by now!" keeps running through my brain whenever I pull the next box, even though I know I'm pretty far along in the process. Ten weeks at fifteen hours a week really is not enough time to do all that I need to do and I wish I had more time to devote to this collection.

Second: My supervisor and I have developed more of a timeline to get this collection fully processed so I can work on other projects. That gives me some comfort as I face the next few weeks. We also talked about how the nice thing with this type of a job is the work-life balance it creates. I don't need to take this work home with me to do, instead I can leave it all in the same place and it will be waiting for me when I get back. In a way, that is extremely comforting so I don't get burned out in the future.

Third: I knew going into this internship what the pay scale would be for an archival position, but I wasn't fully aware how precarious positions can be. I assumed there was some safety within a university system, but the reality of grant funding to support these programs is starting to loom in, especially with the political world being what it is now. I'm scared that even though I do love this field, it might not be feasible for a post-graduation job.

So I have a lot to consider now. I'm really grateful that I have this experience so I can better understand the realities of what I could potentially be getting myself into for the future.