Student Spotlight: Margot Cook, Special Collections Graduate Desk Assistant

The Special Collections Research Center blog series "Student Spotlight" features student employees who contribute to the work of the SCRC. Guest author Margot Cook, class of 2024, is a NC State graduate student in the dual degree program with the School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill, earning a Master of Arts in Public History from NC State and a Master of Science in Information and Library Sciences from UNC Chapel Hill. Margot has worked as a Graduate Student Desk Assistant in the Special Collections Reading Room since January 2022. 

Please describe in a sentence or two the work that you do in the Special Collections Research Center.

Since January of 2022, I have helped to process collections and update finding aids such as the African American Cultural Center Records, the University Coordinator for Environmental Studies Records, and the North Carolina State University Libraries Affirmative Action Records. I also supervise and assist researchers in the reading room. For the African American Cultural Center Records, I also wrote a blog post to highlight materials in the newly processed collection. 

What has been most interesting to you about your work?  What new things have you learned?

I’ve learned a lot about preservation and other archival standards by getting to actually process collections and work on finding aids myself. Working with archival materials themselves and programs like ArchivesSpace has been really exciting and rewarding work.

If you met someone who was unfamiliar with archives and special collections, what would you want them to know? What should new researchers know about the work you do?

I want people to know that a lot of thought and effort goes into deciding which records get preserved. The archive can seem vast and abstract, but in fact it is a careful construction that is constantly being updated to be more navigable and accessible. Even though it may seem overwhelming, you shouldn’t be afraid to approach and utilize special collections!

What are you studying, and what do you hope to do in your future career?  Has your work in the SCRC changed how you look at your studies or your future career plans in any way?

My dream is to become an archivist. Working in the SCRC has really cemented these plans for me and given me relevant experience as I pursue this goal. I love working with different collections and getting little glimpses into various histories and the organizational work that goes into processing collections. The thought process of considering what will be most useful to highlight for future researchers is really important to me in terms of making the archive a more usable and accessible resource. That is the work I hope to continue to do in the future!