My name is Emma Brodfuehrer Hastings. I’m an MSLIS student with experience in libraries, archives, and museums. I have a passion for research and helping people find the information they need.
With the increasing stranglehold of mis-, dis-, and malinformation on our society, the ability to perform good research has never been more important, and neither have librarians with strong research skills. As I finish my MSLIS degree in spring 2023, I am eager to begin my career in this crucial time for librarianship. I aim to apply my knowledge, gained through coursework and hands-on experience, of research and reference services, metadata, digital curation, and more to help people find the high-quality, accurate information they need.
I have experience across the cultural heritage landscape, including providing research and reference services at the Kluge Center in the Library of Congress, supporting research as a library services assistant at Yale University Libraries, processing archival material at the Catholic University of America Special Collections, and participating in research, accessioning, and museum education as an intern at the National Museum of American History. My scholarly research has been published in Public Library Quarterly, and I have researched and written articles for popular audiences that have been published in the Smithsonian Magazine and the Law Library of Congress blog.
Education
Catholic University of America
Master of Science in Library and Information Science
Degree Expected Spring 2023
Yale University
Bachelor of Arts in History, May 2018
Graduated Summa Cum Laude
Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society, Early Election
Experience
Catholic University of America Special Collections
September 2022 - Present
Archival Assistant
I support the functioning of the archive, including inventorying existing collections and processing incoming collections. I also perform other tasks as necessary, including entering data in XML for EAD finding aids, scanning, editing, photographing of museum items, and supervision of the reading room.
Catholic University of America Department of Library and Information Science
September 2021 - Present
Research Assistant
I perform research for Dr. Youngok Choi of the Department of Library and Information Science, including analyzing data on library social message usage; developing an original framework for analysis of public library digital exhibits on diversity and social justice topics; and drafting and editing manuscripts for publication.
John W. Kluge Center, Library of Congress
June 2022 - August 2022
Research Intern
I conducted research and reference tasks to support resident Kluge Center scholars, including: performing research in the Library of Congress’s manuscript division; performing research in the Library’s physical and digital historical newspaper collections; and organizing research results to assist scholars in their projects.
Law Library of Congress
June 2022 - August 2022
Digital Resources Intern
I conducted original research in the Law Library of Congress’s collections and related documents, including the congressional record, congressional hearing documents, and US and state law codes, in order to draft a blog post for publication on the Law Library of Congress blog.
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen, and Loewy LLP
October 2018 - January 2020
Legal Writer
I devised and wrote legal arguments regarding the eligibility of immigrants to the US; incorporated a wide variety of evidence to craft persuasive arguments; edited a variety of legal documents; and performed administrative tasks such as client communication and the creation of spreadsheets for the sorting of client and case data.
Yale University Libraries
September 2016 - May 2018
Library Services Assistant
I aided patrons in navigating the extensive library resource network; answered reference questions in person and virtually; used the integrated library system to perform routine circulation tasks; and assisted with stacks management tasks such as identifying and correcting misshelved titles.
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale University
January 2018 - May 2018
Museum Assistant
I photographed objects in the Plains Indian collection as part of a Native American repatriation project. I edited these photographs using Photoshop. I also assisted in stabilizing and rehousing objects as necessary, showing respect for the unique needs of these indigenous materials.
National Museum of American History
May 2017 - August 2017
Intern
I assisted with accessioning new collection objects; photographed objects; inventoried a newly acquired collection; researched objects and their historical context to write labels; and worked at museum education events for the public.
