The following piece was originally created for the DH@MSU Newsletter and was featured in the January 23, 2023 issue. Subscribe to the Newsletter here.
Spring 2022
Alumni Highlight: Miranda Madro
What is your current role/responsibilities in your job?
I am an Adult Services Librarian at a public library in Virginia. Public libraries act as free community centers with a focus on equal access to information; most of my job is thinking of new, innovative ways to serve my community.
I help customers find library books and navigate library resources, like our free music and eBook/eAudiobook apps. I create programs for adults, like the Diversity Book Club I’m planning to start in June that will be held in a local coffee shop or bar. I create social media content for our library, as well as flyers and other promotional materials. I make book displays and organize our collection of materials. I provide notary services and an adult volunteering program. I’m also constantly looking for and attending professional development opportunities.
How did DH connect to your major?
I was an English Major, and there were a lot of exciting opportunities to enhance my study of literature with digital humanities resources. For example, text analysis became so much easier with a tool like Voyant, and comparing authors became simpler with Literature Map.
What experiences in DH stand out from your time at MSU?
I went on a four week Digital Humanities Study Abroad trip in 2016, called Technology, Humanities, and the Arts in London. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to see how digital humanities techniques were being applied in real institutions. Through the two classes I took during my study abroad, “Creative Arts and Humanities: The Creative Process” and “Culture: Physical and Digital”, I visited four libraries, seven museums, two archives, four galleries, two universities for conferences and lectures, three theaters, and one charity organization in London, Manchester, and Liverpool. Outside of class, I was able to visit many other places in England and Scotland with my study abroad group, which enhanced the whole experience. For one of my assignments, I created a map of each institution I visited during classes on my study abroad trip, and it still exists!
Also, Kristen Mapes introduced me to an academic librarian at MSU, who helped me decide on librarianship as a career path. Kristen is partially responsible for my happiness in my chosen field!
What did you learn in DH that you didn’t expect?
I didn’t expect that my Digital Humanities studies would turn into an internship at the MSU Archives, teaching me to transcribe, digitize, and input collections of Civil War era letters into the MSU Archives website. I also compiled a digital project based on my analysis of the digitized materials, including a genealogical research of a Civil War soldier (who I found out married his niece, scandalous!).
How did your experiences in DH prepare you for success?
Digital Humanities is all about innovation, analysis, collaboration, broadening access to information, and data management. I apply all of these principles in my job as a librarian. I was introduced to #TransformDH, a movement to work for social justice, accessibility, and inclusion in the Digital Humanities field, during my Digital Humanities studies, which is an extremely important goal and should be a goal in every field, including my own. I also still use resources I learned about during my Digital Humanities courses, like Trello, on a daily basis.
Your advice to today’s students and soon-to-be graduates?
Keep digital humanities in mind, no matter where your career path takes you. I still search for digital humanities resources that apply to my job, even as a librarian, and I’ve found some just in the past year or two, like Which Book and What Should I Read Next.