Please join us in welcoming Alex Daniels to the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries as Digital Archivist. Prior to joining the Libraries, Alex was earning his Master’s in Information Sciences and working as a graduate intern for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
We asked Alex, who uses he/him/his pronouns, a few questions about himself and his plans for his new role.
What are your goals for this year as our new Digital Archivist?
The main objective is to lay the foundation for the new “born digital” processing arm of our University Archives. This involves devising new workflows and processing guidelines, setting up digital processing environments, tracking down born digital materials, networking with various departments, liaising with colleagues, and more. I am very excited to get this initiative off the ground!
How has your prior experience prepared you for this role at the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries?
I began my library career working for Special Collections at my undergraduate university, where I learned the basics of what goes into stewardship of both traditional and digital archival collections. During the summers I worked for the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics as their first-ever student trainee in library science; this involved doing a comprehensive survey of the organization’s digital workspace, particularly their digital storage, and recommending an implementation plan for improving it. Naturally this led to me to pursue a Master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences, which I obtained from the University of North Carolina this past spring. While studying at UNC I worked as a graduate assistant in Special Collections at North Carolina State University, with a specific focus on their born digital collections. It was in this role that I processed a 4+ TB collection of John Mark Hall’s photography! I followed my assistantship with an internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where I worked on a comprehensive analysis of their scholarly publications.
What projects are you excited to tackle in your first few months?
I am most excited about meeting people, talking with them, and getting their interest/involvement in born digital archives. Next to that, I am looking forward to obtaining and setting up the necessary equipment for born digital processing.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work you will most likely find me out in nature or in a coffee shop. I really love to read and write, and I have a deep love for video games as both a pastime and an art form.