>> Eric Eldritch: Good morning everyone. Good morning everyone, glad that you're here and we'd ask that all of you would take a seat. We're here in LJ119. We love this room. The nightlines are not the best. So we just thank you for your patience with that. Later on today -- this program is going to be more informal than a lot of our other programs. We want to hear from you when we talk about reflections. But before we do that, I have a little bit of housekeeping to take care of before we get kicked off here. Now let's see. At the end of the program -- at the end of the program in LJ113, that's just behind those wooden doors there, we want you to pick up your certificate. But most importantly we need you to pick up this green folder. This is your separation clearance form. And there are a number of things to fill out with this within your department. And I want to thank from our department, LCSG Beth Bills [assumed spelling]. She actually went through and got signatures for all of you, so you wouldn't have to walk through. Ask one of your co-workers what walking through papers are here at the library. She's done that. Let's give her a round of applause. [ Applause ] It would also not be a library if I didn't tell you this. There are six of you, six, and you know who you are because you got a message from Beth Bills about your books that you need to return [laughter]. So it would behoove you to do that. They probably will not let you leave the library. You won't get your final paycheck. You will not be able to go into retirement [laughter] if you do not return your materials to the library. You haven't even started a career -- well you started a career, but you won't get anywhere if you don't return your materials to the library. All right [laughter]? Today and just so we all know, we've asked you to think of some questions and to use this time as reflection. And so we want to be able to open up in a more casual way a time for you to think about your experience here. We're going to hear a little bit more about that later and we'll tee that up. We've got handheld mics and we'll come back and forth and ask you to help share your experiences to really make this a reflection and a culminating experience of the Junior Fellows program. So I would like to remind you of this before we get started, that our Junior Fellows internship program is made possible by a generous gift from the James Madison Council. James Madison Council had a member named Nancy Glanville Jewell and through her Glanville Family Foundation and the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund established by -- with a lead gift from the late H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest -- he's Chairman Emeritus of the Madison Council -- and with the major support provided by members of the council. The program was originally made possible through the generosity of Mrs. Jefferson Patterson. And that's why we're here today and why we have this legacy. And it allows you to now be a part of the library history and library experience. So let's thank them. [ Applause ] So, the last housekeeping thing I need to tell you is that there will be yet another form. I think I told you at the beginning of this experience, cars run on gas, governments run on paper. Right? So there's always a form, there's something to fill out. There's a closeout for your transit fare subsidy and there's some instructions about materials if you're taking something specific from the library. Your supervisors will walk you through that. Your timekeepers will walk you through that. And on the final day, on Friday, in the morning you will get your final web TA. That web TA form allows -- must say final on it -- and it has to have a printout. But we have people from HCD set up to walk us through that who process and we will make that as painless as possible, so that you have the best experience on your last day. All right, so I think we're ready to start our program properly now. And I'd like to invite Kimberly Powell, Chief of IFP to come up and get us started. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Kimberly Powell: Thank you Eric and good morning everyone. Oh my goodness. I told you it would go by quickly, didn't I? Yeah, 10 weeks ago. So, again, just a delightful opportunity to be here with you today and to share, and to start off some of these reflections. Now, there may be a number of people in this room who might want to arm wrestle me about this, but I like to believe that I have the best job, maybe in the world, maybe in the library, maybe in the Adams building. And I'll tell you why. So one of those things is, in a number of -- in addition to a number of things that I get a chance to do in this role, I get to be the program director for Junior Fellows. So as your program director, here's some of the things I get to do. I get to observe and interact with a number of people, both inside and outside the library each year. I do remember, in this role, getting project proposals. I remember being in my office and they started coming in and Eric said, they're coming in, and starting to read about some of the things that you all were going to be doing this summer. And I remember being, first of all, awestruck, and honestly a little bit envious, that I didn't get a chance to peek over your shoulder and help you with this. Because they were all just amazing projects. So I get to do that in this role. I remember seeing the photographs come in. Do you all recall we created the face page? Where it's a lovely document that has all your names and your schools and all that good stuff. So, what happened with the face page, is the first time we see the face page, I get a chance to go, there were these projects, but then these people are going to come here and lead these projects. So it starts to kind of knit together for me. I remember seeing Eric Eldritch, your program coordinator, who is one of the most dedicated professionals that you'll ever meet, coming in early before a lot of us every day and staying later than a lot of us every day for months to pull things together. And with that said, I want to pause for a moment. Could you all help me thank Eric again for his tireless -- [ Applause ] All right, one this at the library, we really believe in continuous improvement and the Junior Fellows program has been around for quite some time, and each year it just grow and it does different things during its time. And Eric has really challenged us to make it bigger and do some things a little differently. To include this morning's ceremony. Typically it would be a little more of us talking to you and speeches. There'll be a couple of those up front. We think that's important to do. But he really advocated that we hear from you all, your reflection. So we're going to do that. I'm really excited about that. I also remember, as your program director, meeting you on May 28th. May 28, 2019. I was that lady in the back -- you didn't know me then -- I was kind of in, you know, incognito, helping you be -- helping to be the traffic director to help you get to the forms and fill out those forms for HCD, so that you could become temporary employees of the federal government. Do you all remember in that back room I was chatting you up a little bit, just trying to -- hey, welcome to the library and all very earnestly trying to get to know you. Trying to go from, you know, the projects to the face page, to really understanding who you were. And I remember walking away at the end of that day just being so impressed by each of you individually and I'm deliberately looking at you, because I'm remembering those moments. It was wonderful and I knew that we were going to have an amazing cohort this year. So now, I also remember as your program director that I got a chance to see the looks on the faces of the 750 people who were here last week experiencing you through the Display Day program. The looks on those faces. I'm a photographer in another life, and so visual is very important to me. So you'll hear me describing a lot of imagery. But literally the looks on the faces of the people when you all were talking to them. You could just see that they were really engaged and they would stop me in the hallway and in [inaudible] shop, and in the cafeteria to tell me about the impact that you really had on them. So I get to do all that as your program director. You all met leaders at different events. You asked bold questions. You made discoveries. You made friends. And you made meaningful contributions that are going to continue long after you leave here on Friday. I'd also like to congratulate you on choosing to intern here at the library. I mean you could have been doing anything else, anywhere else. You chose to spend the summer of 2019 here with us. And, internships are so important. And I don't say that just because they paid me to say that. I always thought it was important. I am -- I was an intern. Everywhere you could be an intern in this town except for the Library of Congress I was an intern. And it really served me well, and I know that this is going to serve you well. But there are three reasons that I believe are the most important ones for interning and I want to share that with you all, so that you can kind of take that with you. One, is you get to discover -- to develop the number one skill that employers are looking for in their new hires. Anyone have any idea what that might be? The number one skill. Shout it out. >> Networking. >> Kimberly Powell: Networking. Good one, but that's not it [laughter]. Communication? Good one, but that's not it. >> Asking for something. >> Kimberly Powell: No, that's also good. And that's also not it. Problem solving and critical thinking. Problem solving and critical thinking. So all that you've learned in your education so far, you've got to be able to relearn and keep learning, and you've got to be able to figure things out. We want to hire people who can figure things out. You probably found that the time you've been here at the library, everything wasn't perfect. I mean, the library's amazing but everything is not perfect. And ideal -- and conditions are not always perfect. So you saw your project mentors having to figure things out. The show must go on. You know, the work has to get done. And they figured out how to make that happen. You all had a chance to do that as well in your internships. Each and every one of you. So, problem solve -- you get to say you did that. That is the number one skill. So feel free to mention that in your resumes and your LinkedIn. Right? In your interviews. That you are a problem solver and then give us examples. The second reason I love internships is that you get a chance to learn about you. You will learn about your strengths, you will learn about some weaknesses and some opportunities for improvement. I had a chance to run into a number of you, whether it was in a training class or again, hallway. Sometimes you'd invite me to meet with you in my office and we would talk about some things. And I learned that there's what you thought the internship would be and then there's what it actually was, which is very different. And there's what you thought about who you were and then you learned about -- some new things about yourself that you didn't know coming in. So I'm looking forward to hearing more about that this morning. So, internships give you a chance to learn about you. And then reflection. So why do we reflect? So, reflecting really helps you to seal in that knowledge. Does anyone here take yoga? Anyone take yoga? At the end of your yoga sessions, what's the last pose they have you do? Savasana, the corpse pose. Right? The whole -- I was blown away. The first couple times I would do yoga and they'd have us kind of lay there. You just kind of have to lay there. And I thought, I'm not really getting anything out of this. And then I heard an instructor tell us that during that pose, that's the most powerful pose because that's where you're taking in everything that you've learned. Everything that you've just experienced in the yoga session. So, same thing is true for this. We reflect so that we can really learn. Take it in. Think about what we experienced and lock it in. And seal it in. So those are the reasons that we do reflections. It also gives you meaning to the experience. It also gives you closure. And it really I think helps you to understand and articulate some of the things that make you each uniquely and beautifully you. So that's said, as I wrap up my notes, I do want to let you know that I think that each of you -- I'm looking around the room -- each of you is powerful beyond measure. I really, really believe that. It's been our great pleasure to meet with you and work with you, and we know that you will stay connected to us. Today is not an ending and Friday's not an ending. And just know that we will always be here for you. And we will expect you to be ambassadors of the Library of Congress. It's been a pleasure. I'm going to wrap up my remarks and with that said, I'm going to bring up Ryan Ramsey, our Chief of Staff who would like to say a little bit to you as well this morning. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Ryan Ramsey: Morning. So I was talking with Kimberly and Eric just before this and I said, they've already heard me speak twice. They're probably kind of tired of me. What's different about this? And they said, oh this is more casual, it's like Oprah. So I want you all to look under your seats [laughter]. So I have no idea how to make it like Oprah, but I do want to thank you all, again, it bears repeating. I hope that this experience was as valuable for each of you as it was for the library. Because we got quite a lot out of it. And I hope that you saw that connection. I hope that you saw what the library gained from your time here. So again, we're going to go through some recognitions, because a lot of people put a lot of work into making this happen. So first, I'd like to acknowledge Kimberly Powell for organizing this entire endeavor, with the help of Eric Eldritch planning and managing the program. Along with the Display Day coordinators, Julie Biggs and Catalina Gomez, who wasn't here I think on Display Day. So if we would all join me in thanking them now. [ Applause ] And as I said last week at Display Day, and I said this before Display Day kicked off, it's one of my favorite days of the year at the library and this year did not disappoint. It was -- it's always sort of a little bit of a leap of faith to say it's my favorite day before I see what you all have done. But you all did not disappoint. I have to say a couple of things. One, the subject matters that each of you got to dive into, I think was -- they were each uniquely interesting and it was really fun for me to see how confidently and how -- well, how confidently you spoke about those topics. I would say at the risk of offending some of my library colleagues, that public speaking and even interpersonal interaction are not the main reasons they got into librarianship [laughter]. And you all, I think really showed sort of wisdom and grace and poise beyond your age. So I compliment you on all of that. Dr. Hinton and Mark Sweeney also attended Display Day. I'll note that not surprisingly at all, Dr. Hinton essentially ignored her entire schedule that day in order to spend more time with you all. It is also one of her favorite things to do and I think she gets great energy being around the younger folks from the library who are just beginning their careers. Many of you as librarians and some of you in other related fields. I think a couple other points I want to make, you know, the collaboration of the staff across the library was really evident in that Display Day. But also in the work that you've done over the past 10 weeks. And through your hard work we're furthering a few of the library's strategic priorities that I mentioned. Expanding access, creating valuable experiences, to fostering lifelong connections to the library. My personal view is that I think the library has for too long been seen as a place that's really only for top scholars. For people who are your college professors and beyond. And I would really like for people who are just more casual lifelong learners to view this place as a resource that's available to them too. And I think that you all played a role in doing that during your time here. Internships like this one, like the one you're completing right now, are important as you build out your career paths. Our personal and professional relationships have a direct impact on the career readiness and I think that's a message or a lesson that I've tried to convey to a couple of you as I've met individually with some of you. As somebody who didn't have any internships during undergraduate years, I felt that when I went to look for a job, so you are all already well ahead of where I was at that point. So I note that, I congratulate you for that. And I hope that -- I hope that you realize -- I think one of the important things about an internship is realizing how to talk about the experience you gained. And I think the benefit of the Junior Fellows program that makes it really special to me is that it's not just -- you're not just assigned to an office where you're doing whatever, sort of, menial tasks the lowest person on the totem pole gets. You are assigned a discrete project that you see through from tip to tail, from start to finish, and you really have something that you can be proud of and that you can talk very knowledgeably about and passionately about, and many of you showed great excitement in talking about the work that you did. So, I found that some of you -- many of you are in school to be librarians or other information science professionals. And you -- you know within some, you know, degree of variation what you want to do with your lives. You're working on specializing, you know, exactly what that means. But, for others of you, my people, you don't know what you want to do. And so, I think -- you know, I hope that this experience helped you figure out something about yourself, something about your interests. I hope that it makes you more curious to do something either related or something new next year. I was really proud of you all to read that at least one of you got a job on Display Day. Like just out of the blue [laughter]. I think at least one more of you is coming back in the fall for a second internship or fellowship. I would not be at all surprised if another handful of you came back to work at the library in the near future. I was emailing yesterday with a Junior Fellow from 2018. So I keep track -- keep in touch with a number of our former Junior Fellows. I invite you to stay in touch with your mentors, with me, with anybody else that you've interacted with at the library. You're a resource to us and we value, and I just want to say thank you again. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Eric Eldritch: So as a way to help us think about reflections, Julie Biggs and I have prepared a few things just to kind of help you tee up and think about your experience here for today. And to take -- kind of hit the pause button and be able to like thinks about how things have transpired for you. So, I wonder, do you remember where you were when you heard Junior Fellows, and it came across I assume a computer screen or somebody said, don't you want to apply for the Junior Fellows? At the Library of Congress. Do you remember that day? Do you remember -- how many of you applied at like the last minute of [laughter] the last second? So there are so many people that went through this experience. And I wonder if you remember what -- can you remember what you thought the Library of Congress was before you got here? You see -- how many of you were actually at the library before you applied? Like you actually had been here. So like, five, six of you. Right? So, when friends and family now ask you, what'd you do this summer? You say, I worked at the Library of Congress. Remember that they have that same lack of bubble in their head for the Library of Congress that you had. And so now, you get to unfold and unpack that story. Is this anything like you thought the Library of Congress would be? No [laughter]. And when you meet the people at the Library of Congress, when you meet your colleagues and you meet the other interns that are here, I think that really opens your experience. That's the reason that I love to work on this program. I feel that there's teaching that happens in the moment while you experience each other, while you experience your connection with the project. So, how many of you got to project -- your first choice of project? And do you remember that little blurb that was out there for the project? I mean somebody wanted to do chemistry and paper. That was a career goal for them. And they did that thing [laughter]. And so I wonder if you could -- what was -- how did that translate for you? Those few lines that were on the piece of paper or on your computer screen. Is that what you did and how did that translate into your Display Day project? Because we had a short description, we had a long description, and then you got here and we started talking about Display Day and translated that into what you presented. But you're walking away from here with a sense of personal history. You're walking away from a sense of the Library of Congress making an impact on you, but also you making an impact on the Library of Congress. So, as we think about your projects and we think about Display Day, let's invite Julie Biggs to come up and talk about Display Day. [ Applause ] >> Julie Biggs: Thanks Eric. Good morning everyone. It's great to see you again. I want to just start by saying Display Day was a triumph. It really was. The variety of projects, the richness, the energy, and excellent, excellent feedback. So that's kind of a focus on outcomes. I also want to take a minute just to focus on the process itself. So, there are three things that I'd like to touch on. One is teamwork. Eric, Catalina who is with us in spirit today, conservation staff, exhibits, IFP, including interns Adriana [assumed spelling] and Alejandro [assumed spelling] and the constant effort of all of the mentors. Huge amount of work. In terms of making sure that this event was a success, following our guidelines, showing up when we asked you to, meeting deadlines. I mean these are all really critical things and you did it. And we also had fun in the process. I think this year in particular tabletop review for almost all of you was just a lot of fun. And it was for us too. I mean, I love doing this work and I loved it especially this year. So thank you. And then, sort of seeing the development of -- I think Ryan and Kimberly touched on this already -- your arrival here and, you know, initially the just knowing the project in terms of the title and a brief description about it. And then that developing with sort of embryonic concepts when we met for desk side consultation. And then, gradually into sort of clear ideas about what you wanted by the time you came to tabletop review. The focus that that involved, taking time to develop the visuals that were necessary to be able to showcase these projects, and then selecting the collection items, many of which this year were just stunning. And then, ultimately again, as has already been mentioned, communicating with great enthusiasm and confidence on Display Day itself. It was so palpable. And I think seeing that development from the beginning of when, you know, we first met and we did our, you know, Display Day orientation and faces were a bit blank, to this just, you know, wonderful discussion, interaction with everyone on Display Day. So I want to thank you for making my job such a pleasure. For the great work you did and congratulations, and all the best for the future. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Eric Eldritch: So now it's time for us to hear from you. And if you wouldn't mind, we would prefer that you would come up here, because the sightline's a little hard in this room. But if you really would prefer to speak from your seat, Kimberly and I will be here to pass the microphones back and forth to you. What was your experience like? What are you taking away from here? What impact did the library have on you? What impact did you have on the library? I've talked to a few of you ahead of time, so I do hope you'll jump in. And this is the time to hear from Fellows as well as mentors. [ Inaudible Speaker ] [ Multiple Speakers ] [ Applause ] >> I've met -- thank you for the applause, I appreciate that. So I've met a lot of you over the course of the Junior Fellowship. And a lot of you I haven't met and I'm very sad that I didn't get the chance to do that. I'm Dave Bernardo [assumed spelling]. I've been in PRTD, Preservation Research and Testing Division working on the -- assessing the National Collection project. But more importantly I'm a Library Science student at the University of Rhode Island and I have had such a fantastic experience working in this Library of Congress for the last 10 weeks. I don't want to leave. It's been great. I've met so many incredibly brilliant people over the time here. I've met so many -- I've seen so many interesting projects. And talked to -- had so many fantastic conversations. It's just been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the things I do want to suggest to Eric and Kimberly is that actually at the very beginning, when we have that orientation, it might be very beneficial to have an introduction between all of the Junior Fellows. Because I know I didn't get the chance to meet a lot of them and I would have liked to have that opportunity at the very beginning. So -- >> Kimberly Powell: We'll make that happen. >> I think that would be very beneficial to everyone in the program. And also, when you do the tours, please take the people down to PRTD. Everyone there is amazing. And it's really cool to see all the scientific stuff that they're doing down there. So, that's me. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Kimberly Powell: Thank you. Implemented 2020 [laughter]. Who's next? >> Hello everyone, I'm Stephen Wesson from the Learning and Innovation office. I could say any number of great things about this outstanding program and about the Junior Fellows in general and about our own Junior Fellow, the amazing -- oh, all right. [Inaudible] in the middle. Right in the middle. Okay [laughter]. Hello everyone. And about our own Junior Fellow the amazing Mandy Campbell [assumed spelling]. I could say all those wonderful things, but instead I'd like to talk about me and [laughter] and our office, Learning and Innovation, and all that we've gained from hosting Junior Fellows for the past four or five years. You've often heard people discuss the sort of these -- the spirit of sort of beautiful discovery that the Junior Fellows to the office of the library, all of that is true. But I found that working with Mandy and the Junior Fellows that proceeded her, is we are -- our office has benefited tremendously in terms of just hard concrete program support and developments. Mandy arrived with astonishing research skills and put them to work immediately. The discoveries that she made throughout the course of her time here were, you know, eye popping, revealing to us. Her insights into education and focus on audience benefit helped us find new ways to serve the libraries educator audience and helped us see our own mission in the materials we work with in new ways. And while we know that Mandy and all of you -- like all of you are going to go on to have dazzling careers, we are also tremendously satisfied with the -- all the support and the growth that Mandy, like our previous Junior Fellows brought to us. As you move on and go forward, and hopefully benefit from your time here, I hope you all realize that you've had a powerful impact on the offices you worked in. You've helped the library grow and that we'll be feeling that impact and talking about you for years to come. So thank you so much. [ Applause ] >> Hi everyone, I'm Tricia Glaser and I've been in the Veterans History project over the summer. So it's been an amazing experience. I moved out to the area for grad school at University of Maryland and graduated in May. Before I came out here I was kind of like almost joking with my friends. They're like, what if you ended up working at the Library of Congress? So this has just been an extremely rewarding, beneficial experience. I've loved getting to know all my fellow interns and all the great people in VHP. And then also, of course, the work that Tim and I did over the summer, you know, researching African American Veterans collections. Just work that I feel very passionate about and want to continue to do in my future career. So this has just been a really great experience. [ Applause ] >> Hello everyone, my name is Boryana Borisova. I did some cataloging over at the Russian Cyrillic collection. Or excuse me, over at the European division working with this particular collection. And, I was among those students who at one point a supervisor, professor mentioned the Library of Congress as a potential future possibility and I just remember like rolling my eyes. Like yeah, right. And then I was in Kazakstan when the application was open and I remember specifically being advised never to log in to usajobs.gov when in Kazakstan [laughter], even if you're using like a VPN. So I flew out to Western Europe and applied on the last day in January [laughter]. And like got it [laughter]. It's really crazy. And my initial thoughts when I read the description about the project were, I'm probably going to be in a basement somewhere. Library of Congress, yes, it's the Library of Congress but I really understood it as a physical space as a storage site. And was I wrong. Because it's a very much, an active organ. It's constantly showing accessibility to the public. It's -- the productivity of my colleagues to get me introduced to other staff members or just yesterday I had former Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, which I was in Kyrgyzstan prior to Kazakhstan, agree to have tea with me in our little conference room in the European division. Just swapping stories and hearing about the Open World program which is over in the Adams building I believe. It's incredibly invaluable and I have some many people to thank and I'm especially, especially grateful to everyone in the European division because yes, on the surface level I was there to catalogue, but beyond that I was in a room with passionate colleagues, people who gave me ideas about my project, who in some shape or form helped me drive my project, and really make sure that I took -- took this opportunity to go beyond that job description. And I think I've succeeded in that because Display Day was the absolute greatest highlight. It was so fun and the faces that came to the table were really I think excited to learn about Russian art and how it has to do with -- what it has to do with politics even in 2019, with the current regime. So what I'm trying to say is, I'm a product of being a reader of the job description and actually seeing the opportunities that could come out of this lovely institution. So I thank everyone who was involved. >> Eric Eldritch: Boryana, one of your colleagues is retiring today. There might be an opening. >> I'm sorry, who? >> Eric Eldritch: One of your colleagues is retiring today. There might be an opening. >> Matt already got it. [ Laughter ] >> I have to go right after that because only in DC can I say, I lived in Kazakstan before I came to the library. So [laughter] it's weird, but only in DC would that happen in the Library of Congress in a room like this. I'm Nellie Buddha-Smith [assumed spelling], Chief of Design at OCIO. Lily Huang who's right back there was our Junior Fellow. It was the first time that we had a Junior Fellow in the Design and Development Directorate and specifically the User Experience Design Division in the Directorate. That's a lot to say. And Lily doesn't know this, but we actually had a very competitive group of people who applied. Someone was getting their PhD in User Experience Design at a very prestigious user experience design school, and when I saw Lily's resume and interviewed her I knew she was good fit for us and we were a good fit for her. So, that really ultimately is why we chose Lilly [assumed spelling]. Even though we get amazing resumes it was really great to find someone who as a great fit for us as much as we were for her. So the job she did was amazing. And in 10 weeks a lot was done and it made a big impact. And it's hard sometimes because of the library it does take a lot longer to do things, especially when it comes to IT. We see it as a big ship and if we can move it one degree, we're getting there. So Lily was able to build connections across different parts of the organization and get at the undercurrent of what we do at the library which is really preserving knowledge, but a lot of that is done through digitization and the management of data. A lot of people, you know, are very familiar with the books, are very familiar with this beautiful space, but a lot of the work that we do and a lot of the work of Library Sciences is being a part of that foundational management of data. And so, Lily was able to start to document that at the library. And I want to reiterate its part of this longer legacy of what the library does and this collection of people at the library who have served the foundational structures of what the internet is and how we share data. A lot of the standards and other important structures for sharing data across the world come from the library and come from Library Sciences. So really appreciate the work of everyone and especially of Lilly [assumed spelling]. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Kimberly Powell: Time for maybe two or three more. >> Hi, my name's Alec Silvera. I was in the Library Events office for the summer, which is not traditional Junior Fellows area of study I guess. Yeah, so I mean, it was -- actually being in the office for the summer was great because it actually helped me understand about another way that the library actually got other -- like different organizations and people involved with how the library actually -- like things that the library has to offer. Because like, during my Display Day, actually I mentioned to people that the library, it hosts events to non-profits and organizations about -- they can just come and have events here. And like but you have to be in line with the library's mission. Which is to engage, inform, and inspire the public about what the library actually has to offer. So during that I actually learned that the library it offers -- it's just another way that people can come and learn about the things that the library has. Because they put out the treasures displays. Like a lot of things that a lot of you in this room probably worked on with your mentors throughout the summer. So it was really cool to see that and then also being a part of all the Congressional events that happened was a nice little perk of the office I guess [laughter]. But yeah, so I mean it was really just an overall great experience. And being someone who didn't really have -- I'd never been to the library before until I came here. And so, I wasn't really sure about what it was really going to be like and the experience I was going to get. Especially being in the events office, because it was like, you know, not traditional. Like I'm not going to be doing research. It's more just like administrative stuff that I was doing. Which was really part of the reason why I came here. Because I like wanted to get that kind of skill out of, you know, the Events office and they were all great. They're excellent at their job and so, you know, helpful and inviting. And it was just an overall really good time and a great learning experience, and I'm glad that I got it. So yeah, thank you. [ Applause ] >> Kimberly Powell: Melissa. >> Hi, my name is Melissa Crawford [assumed spelling]. I work in the Digital Strategy office in OCIO. I've worked at the library for 13 years and I would say that the past few months have been some of the best for me. I have two things I wanted to share quickly. When I decided -- I interviewed a lot of people for our Junior Fellowship and we were also -- we were also very competitive. We had a lot of applicants. And I remember when Eric gave the green light to like call the fellows, or you know, the incoming fellows. I was so excited because I knew I wanted these two individuals and I was really hoping that they would say yes. And I remember one of them -- I will always remember this, and I've been working in the world for a long time. Older, you know, but I remember offering it to one of them and the excitement that came -- both of them really, but I just remember this one moment of like so excited and it reminded me that we're very lucky to work here. And for me, the past few months have -- or the past 10 weeks have been -- reminded me, you know, what a great place this is. And to see the transformation happen over the past 10 weeks of these two people is probably the best 10 weeks that I've worked at the library. Within the second week of the Junior Fellows time here, Leigh and Nina [assumed spelling], was our digital strategy roundtable which is a very chaotic but very important event for our team. Our team is very new. We started last October. So we bring in experts from around the world, 16 experts, and it's kind of a critical event for us. Especially this year was our first official annual meeting. And we had a lot of good feedback. It was a huge success. But these two were here and helped with every aspect of it. So, and I can safely say that it would not have been a success without them and so I just wanted to thank the both of you. Leigh and Nina and I wish you all the best. [ Applause ] >> Hi everyone. So my name is Madison MacArthur and I've been a Junior Fellow with the Rare Books and Special Collections division this summer, which has been absolutely incredible. But when I first came in, I'm actually a journalism student, so I have had very little experience when it comes to the inner workings of a library. So one of the big challenges that I had to do was to adapt what I've learned in school to working here and telling the story of my division from this summer. And it was interesting to work through documents rather than face-to-face interactions and becoming a storyteller in that other thing. That's one of the biggest things I've learned this summer is how many stories there are, because we work with all these incredible documents and books, and authors, and but there's also the stories of the people who have interacted with those over the years. The coffee stain from somebody who handled the document from the 70's, and it's like we've learned so much from that experience and how we've interacted with these documents and how important they've become to all of us. So I wanted to take a moment and just give a shout out to my division, because all the divisions are awesome, but Rare Books, it's got something in my heart now [laughter]. I mean, it's become something very important and I've worked with Daniel and she's coached me very intensely on how to handle all the documents. I now know how to remove paper clips. That's my biggest skill that I've gained this summer I believe is the removal of paper clips [laughter]. But it's just been a wonderful experience and I couldn't have said it better with problem solving being the biggest thing that we gained this summer. Even if you're not a library kid, as I started referring to everybody as. There's still something to be gained with all the experiences we take with us. So thank you for this wonderful experience this summer. To both you and everyone else here. [ Applause ] >> Kimberly Powell: So we've got one more. And does anyone else have a -- okay. And then we're going to have to stop. All right? >> All right [laughter]. Hey everybody. My name is Anthony and I just wanted to thank everybody who played hands on creating this amazing program. It has been way more positive an event in my life than I could ever imagine. Before I started here, I was at a complete rock bottom in life and it effected the way I processed everything. The way I envisioned how I could handle tasks and things like that. So to see where I'm at now is just like a full 180 and it's incredible. I was at a point where I literally didn't know where I was going to go next. So at the beginning of this year I started reading. And every week I've been reading a different book. And that was like the highlight of my life, because absolutely nothing else was happening at that point. And I got in contact with a prior supervisor that I had and I said, what should I do? Because it's getting to the point now where I'm running options to do anything. And he's like, oh, why don't you apply for the Library of Congress? And I'm like, you know, I'm [laughter], I'm not qualified. You know what I mean? That's where I was. He's just like Anthony just -- you never know what could happen. Just go ahead and try it. So I applied for two projects that I did not get selected for and thankfully, because the people that did get selected for them did a fantastic job with them. But I did get selected for the Center for the Book. And it's all about programs that heighten reading engagement and just really encourage people to continue to broaden themselves through books. And to just see where I have come from that point to that point is just like really, really amazing. And I just want to say that the number one thing that I've gotten from this is to really be yourself. Because you're way more exceptional than what you probably believe. And meeting everybody here has just been so touching. Even if it's something as simple as, oh hey, on the elevator. Everybody was so nice and so encouraging. And you guys are so vibrant and so intelligent, you're going so far. And I'm really proud of you. I love you all. I wish the best for you all. And good luck with paying student loans [laughter]. [ Applause ] >> Kimberly Powell: Okay, thank you. >> Good morning. Is it still morning? Yes. Okay, I am Leigh Norman I was a Junior Fellow in Digital Strategy. And I am a communications major. Let's start with that. I'm not a librarianship graduate school. I don't have a PhD in existing. I'm just an undergraduate student. And I guess what I learned most here at the Library of Congress is that I can choose how I define myself. It doesn't -- my major doesn't define me, my experience doesn't define me. And I -- my -- the people who I worked with, which was someone in literally in every single one of these three buildings, they sort of let me try things without sort of giving me -- without sort of providing roadblocks. Like for example, when I -- when it came to the digital strategy round table, Melissa said, oh you want to design menus? And it was just -- I was given so many opportunities to try things. Oh you want to try making maps? Sure. You want to try analytics? Sure. Like nothing limited me except for my ability to say yes or not. And even then, even if I brought up things I wanted to try, like I mentioned haphazardly like one day we were just talking in the [inaudible]. I was like oh, I can't believe that -- oh, the Muppets are a thing and then my program mentor turned around and said, oh you know, they're downstairs in copyright right? We can go see them. Like so many opportunities evolved and just sort of erupted because I figured out how to ask for things. And how to give myself the confidence to ask for those things. Even if the answer wasn't always yet. But I feel like at the end of the day, what I learned most from this is that I need to have -- like it's okay to constantly be redefining yourself and asking yourself what you can do better, what you can do differently. And yeah, that's one of the most valuable things I took from this summer. And I have Nina my other Junior Fellow who made this possible. And then Melissa who already told you everything about me which is fine. So yeah [laughter] thank you for your time. [ Applause ] >> Eric Eldritch: So, thank you everyone. We really appreciate the time and whatever butterflies you pushed through to come up and speak. It's so important for us to hear from you, so that we can make the next year and the next year roll seamlessly through the future. We're coming up on 30 years of this program. It'd be great to have it for another 30 and then another 30. I'll be retired, but hopefully they'll be more Junior Fellows in the future. Right? So we have more chances for problem solving. So we're going to move the stage. You probably wondered why these chairs are up here. This is for us to get a group shot. And so, what's going to happen is we're going to call your names. We'll get a chance to get that last little hazah for each other. And then, whoever comes up -- in whatever order -- be in these chairs first and then start filling in this row, the second row. This podium's going to move back and then we'll get a third row. And Sean [assumed spelling] thank you for all those photographs that you've been taking individually for folks. Thank you. [ Applause ] And when we get to this setup here, then you're going to do whatever he says to get everybody in the shot. Okay? And then, after this program you're going to go to the room back here and pick up your certificates and -- >> Kimberly Powell: Green folders. >> Eric Eldritch: Your separation form. Your green folders. Right? And then, at the very far room, LJ110 we've set up for interviews. If any of you would either like to repeat what you've said or want to say other things and you didn't want to be in front of a group. Part of our multimedia team is set up to do interviews with you as well. All right? So I think we're ready. >> Kimberly Powell: All right. Ryan would you join us? Ryan and I are going to be here to shake your hand. We'll have Eric read your name. And then you're going to have a sear in one of the seats behind us. Okay? Give us just one second. Let's just take a two-minute break. Are we ready? Or we don't need to take a break. We don't need to take a break? All right, okay. >> Eric Eldritch: So, first up. Come on up. [ Applause ] Talia Benheim. David Bernardo. Boryana Borisova. Leah Borquez. Meghan Brody. Amanda Campbell. William Choi. Jaime Conlan. Azani Creeks. Cassidy Creighton. Kathryn Faulk. Brianna Gist. Patricia Glaser. Abigail Gomez. Rebecca Gourevitch. Aric Haas. Kelda Habing. Sophia Higgerson. Chloe Hovind. Lily Huang. Heidi Kastenholz. Laura Keller. Brayden Kelley. Anthony Lowe. Madison MacArthur. Madeline Mitchell. Danielle Moler. Swatha Nandhakumar. Leigh Norman. Hannah Reynolds. Madeline Roger. Alec Silvera. Sally Smith. Margaret Tucker. Nina Udagawa. Kimberly Windham. Ryan Wolfson-Ford. Iris Yellum. So we're going to turn it over to you Sean [assumed spelling].