Tales from the Interns |  Hannah

Hello, I’m Hannah Brennan and I am the IUPUI 2023-2024 Intern at the Indiana Archives and Records Administration (IARA). Originally, I am from Le Mars, Iowa. I received my bachelor’s in history at Iowa State University in 2022. I have just completed my first year at Indiana University - Indianapolis for my master’s in history with a focus on Public History. I want to study LGBTQ history. This is my first internship in an archive, and it has been a great experience! It has been fantastic getting to learn about what happens in an archive and how to properly care for the documents stored there. I am considering working in an archive in the future.

I am currently finishing up my internship at the IARA, but I wanted to share a little bit of what I have learned and done over the course of my internship. I first started off learning how to properly care for the documents and remove staples, nails, and paper clips. My first project was processing the Indiana State Soldiers Home collection. I went through boxes that had initially been processed by a volunteer and then finished processing and arranging the records. I also created a finding aid for the collection. I was also able to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the new state archives building that will open in 2026. My second project took up most of my time and attention due to its size. I have been working on the Governor McNutt Collection (1933-1937). Governor McNutt was the governor during the Great Depression and his records include correspondence from constituents, state agencies, federal programs, and even from President Roosevelt! I have processed and arranged 175 manuscript boxes and worked to ensure that the documents are stored correctly and safely. I have also been adding interesting records I find to the McNutt finding aid.

Another interesting thing I got to take a closer look at was conservation. I was fortunate to take a mending workshop with the conservator, Elizabeth Hague, and I learned a lot from the experience. I look forward to using my knowledge from both the class and the internship in the future.