Through four weeks in June and July 2023, Dorset History Centre hosted two students on work experience placements. During this month, they were given the opportunity to learn about what DHC does and how we work. In this blog, Molly gives us her thoughts on the placement…
—
Hi there! My name is Molly Butcher and I have just spent the last four weeks working at the Dorset History Centre for my summer internship alongside my history degree at Bournemouth University. I am about to enter my final year of studies and working here for a month has offered me an insight into a potential career avenue for when I graduate. In this blog I will intend to tell all the best parts of the archives and why, potentially if you are a student too, you should also get in touch for some work experience or even applying for their summer placement next year!
I have found it difficult to choose a highlight of the month because I have spent everyday learning something new and I always find this to be an enlightening and exciting experience. After deliberation, I would say that my favourite part has been being hands on with the archival material and getting to sort through boxes full of un-catalogued documents, reading through them (or trying my best!) and documenting what I discover in excel spreadsheets. This I believe is the dream when you enter a career in archives, and I can now fully understand the appeal.
This has taught me a lot, and not just about what I was directly looking at. As a history student it is vital that we use a range of sources to support our research and argument. I was naïve to the resources that surrounded me in Dorset and how easily accessible these were to the public. With my dissertation looming ever closer, I have been opened to a resource that will aid my studies no end and the possibility of other archives closer to me than I realised.
I would recommend working, volunteering or especially if you are an undergraduate, applying to complete your placement here. Everyone at DHC is so incredibly friendly, welcoming and willing to share all their knowledge with you throughout the experience. The best part is also that no two days are the same. Just by looking at our timetable each day there was something new to look forward to that would mean we weren’t sat at the same desk, day in and day out, we were up and running up and down stairs, moving trollies and retrieving archives!