Name: Michelle Peralta
Title: John Foster and Janet Avery Dulles Archival Fellow
Educational background: From San Diego State University, I have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in European humanities with a minor in classical languages, as well as a master’s degree in history. This summer, I am finishing up my very last class to complete my master of library and information science degree from San Jose State University’s School of Information.
Previous experience: Prior to this fellowship, I held an internship at the University of California San Diego’s special collections and archives, where I helped process faculty papers and created metadata for a digitized photograph collection. I also assisted with outreach efforts as a volunteer at Lambda Archives of San Diego, and served as the archivist at a local history archives for two years.
Why I like archives: I like that “discovery” can happen in various ways in archive. A researcher might find a record that supports their thesis. Someone might find an article that helps them connect with long-lost family members. Archives can even impact the way an individual or whole community thinks about their existence –they can find themselves existing in ways they hadn’t considered before – and all due to the inclusion of a single record. It’s incredible to think about.
Other interests: Outside of the archives, I enjoy baking, wandering in nature, defending the name of Slytherin house, and watching re-runs of my favorite shows. As the World Cup is this summer, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time trying to catch various matches!
Projects this summer: I have already started processing a couple paper-based collections and assisting researchers with their reference questions. In the coming weeks, I’ll start processing some born-digital projects and assisting in the migration of an AV database. I am also eager to work on Mudd’s next exhibition, which will focus on the women at Princeton, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Princeton as a co-educational institution.