Hello everyone,

Just a short 12 weeks ago, I started my internship here at ANSM through a Saint Mary’s University field placement. Working one day a week has made time fly by, but it has been such a wonderful experience where I have been able to learn so much. While my main focus was to develop a procedure for audio cassette tape digitization, there were several other ongoing projects I was able to pick away at, along with partaking in several personal development sessions.

The most exciting part of my internship was finishing the digitization procedures! I am not an overly tech-savvy person, so I spent a lot of time researching before jumping into this project. There were more hurdles than I expected, but in the end, we found some equipment that would work. This allowed me to make detailed instructions that included visual aids to help users work through the process. As of right now, it is specifically for the equipment that is housed at ANSM, but this project aligns with ANSM’s ReconciliAction Plan and their Unlocking Collections Initiative. I am excited to see how this work evolves and supports future progress now that a clear framework is in place!

When I was not working on the audio cassette digitization project, I was “eating the elephant,” as Karin says, by taking time to work on large ongoing projects. This included tagging cultural affiliations in the Collective Access Manufacturers database, data cleaning by migrating condition report information in Collective Access, and drafting NovaMuse Education stories from compiled information (similar to that of Père Clarence d’Entremont).

ANSM was an amazing intern host as they ensured my experience was well-rounded and contributed to my professional growth. I was able to attend their “All Hands on Deck” conference where I learned about a variety of initiatives that are happening around the province and different perspectives on new topics. I attended two virtual site visits which allowed me to better understand some of the challenges community museums are facing on the ground. I was also able to watch several real-time webinars to learn about digitization actions that were taking place across Canada.

This mixed bag of tasks has been eye opening as I gained new perspectives and learned about subjects that I would not have otherwise. Once again, I am so grateful towards ANSM for taking me on as an intern. After I graduate in the spring, I hope to stay in the museum sector, so I look forward to working with ANSM in the future if the opportunity arises.

Happy Holidays to all of you who celebrate, and I wish everyone a warm and safe winter season!

All the best,

Erika Rudolph