September 19, 2022
Ohio University Libraries is pleased to welcome Morganna Marks as its 2022-23 OhioLINK Luminaries Intern.
The Luminaries Internship is a newer program with Marks being University Libraries’ third intern. The program is meant for students to get the opportunity to learn about librarianship, how the library system works and get hands-on experience.
Marks is a senior studying history and hopes to pursue a master’s in library and information sciences. She said that her interest in librarianship comes from wanting to make knowledge more accessible.
“I’m very passionate about [how] the concept of access to learning [and] access to knowledge can help shape society in a more positive way,” Marks said.
She also mentioned her interest in libraries in general and the benefits of having those public facilities.
“I feel like libraries are extremely important because public libraries are for everyone,” Marks said. “They're a place where people can come use the internet, print things, look up books and just have a nice warm safe place. They’re places where kids can get different viewpoints on things, places people can do research and have access to actual fact and knowledge.”Marks will have four rotations for the academic year, which she picked out herself: User Services, Collections & Content Strategies, Rare Books and Preservation. User Services is the public facing aspect of the Libraries which includes working the service desk, answering patron’s questions and checking out books. Collections & Content Strategies is more behind the scenes with organizing the physical materials and electronic collections, curating collections and learning about the Library of Congress classification system.
Rare Books is with University Libraries’ Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections where Marks will be able to work with early historic books, artists books and many historical facets of books and printing that one would typically have limited access to view. Lastly, the Preservation department gives interns the chance to learn how to repair books and upkeep them whether it be a missing page or broken spine.
When picking rotations, Marks decided to choose User Services and Collections & Content Strategies as “practical” rotations while Rare Books and Preservations would be her “fun” picks.
“Although I guess all of them are practical, and to some extent to me, all of them are fun,” Marks said.
Carla Williams, music and special projects librarian, explained that since Marks already knows that she wants to work in libraries, the Luminaries Internship will be beneficial for her.
“Unlike some of the interns we've had in the past, she [Marks] knows she wants to be a librarian,” Williams said. “She is in a situation where this internship can be really helpful for her to understand what it is that she wants to do.”
Even though the school year has just begun, Marks mentioned how much she likes working with the University Libraries and the people too.
“I'm really enjoying working in the Library,” Marks said. “I'm learning pretty much every day, and everybody who works there is amazing.”
Photo by Charlie Nick/University Libraries