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| Elizabeth Freeman, archival assistant |
Elizabeth Freeman, an archival assistant, earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree in history from the University of Central Arkansas before
joining the Arkansas State Archives in 2008. She has experience as a library
technician, researcher and leader of outreach projects. Freeman also has been
instrumental in helping inspect, preserve and transport historical county
records that otherwise might have been lost. She is an experienced researcher
and lecturer who has made presentations for associations, groups and individuals.
Freeman recently took time from her busy schedule to answer a few questions
about her work at the Arkansas State Archives.
Q: What’s your
job title, and how long have you worked at the Arkansas State Archives?
A: I’m an
archival assistant who is in charge of various reference and outreach projects
and programs. I have worked at the Arkansas State Archives for more than 10
years.
Q: What do you do
on a typical day at Archives?
A: My day
typically starts with checking our social media pages. I post historical facts
and photos daily to both Facebook and Twitter. I also update our website with
the latest news and events. After that, I respond to research requests from
patrons. Part of our work at the Arkansas State Archives includes answering questions
about Arkansas history and helping people research their family histories. We
offer limited research services that help connect people with historical
records. As part of that service, I process all of our image and document
reproduction orders. Also, several days a week, I work in our research room,
where I help patrons find records.
Q: How did you
become interested in Arkansas history or working at the Arkansas State
Archives?
A: It was an easy
decision for me to major in history in college because I’ve always been
fascinated by history. When I graduated from the University of Central
Arkansas, I planned to work in public libraries, but when I was hired at the
Arkansas State Archives, I found a career that combined my love of history with
being able to work with the public.
Q: What’s the
most important or interesting thing you’ve discovered while working at
Archives? Why?
A: The most
interesting item I’ve discovered while working at the State Archives is
definitely the Marion Reed Biddle diary! The diary covers Marion’s time in
basic training for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) during World War II.
She was an interesting lady, as was her experience in basic training. It was a
great read!
Q: Why do you
think the Arkansas State Archives is important for Arkansans?
A: The Arkansas
State Archives provides the public with access to historical records, which
gives people the opportunity to discover their family stories. Our stories are
personal histories that are important for understanding where we came from, who
we are and how we are part of the collective heritage and identity of Arkansas.
In fact, interest in genealogy is growing in Arkansas and across the nation.
People from out of state are traveling here to discover or rediscover their
Arkansas roots!
Q: What is the
most rewarding part of your job?
A: I love the
variety of projects and topics I get to work on, but my favorite thing about my
job is helping a patron find the missing piece to their research. It’s very
fulfilling to be able to help people and see the exhilaration on their faces.
My job is very rewarding because of our patrons.
Q: How do you see
archiving evolving in the future?
A: I believe the
focus of the Arkansas State Archives will be more and more on digital records.
People want to be able to access more collections online, and we are and have
been working toward putting more of those records, including recent
acquisitions, online in an easily searchable format. We are also working with
other entities, such as the Library of Congress, to make sure more records are
available to researchers, no matter where they are.
