A Path Towards Museum Studies

By Avery Foligno, Student Collections Assistant, The Wittliff Collections

During my first years at Texas State University, I was unsure of what I wanted to do after graduating with my degree in Anthropology. I had so many questions about my career path and felt very unprepared for my future. Right when I needed it though, I was offered an incredible opportunity to travel to England under Dr. Jon McGee and the Texas State University Anthropology Department’s Study Abroad Canterbury program.

Through the Study Abroad program, I was a volunteer student worker at The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury, England. At that time, The Beaney was experiencing a major shift in their repository space. Helping relocate the collections, I gained behind the scenes experience with moving, inventorying and digitizing collections including artwork, historic military and Roman era artifacts as well as paleontological finds. Being able to interact with centuries worth of curated material was truly incredible, and I left feeling more confident about my major and a future career in museum studies.

Although the experience I gained at The Beaney helped me become familiar with repository spaces and working with art, artifacts, and archival materials, I felt that I needed more experience in the field before graduating. On cue, The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University were in need of a Collections Assistant, and I applied instantly. At The Wittliff Collections, I work as a Collections Assistant within the Southwestern Writers Collection, and the Texas Music Collection. In this position, I have gained experience working within the archives accessioning incoming collections prior to processing.

Accessioning archival materials involves establishing baseline physical and intellectual control over incoming collections as well as the identification of preservation issues. I have accessioned a variety of material from authors, musicians, songwriters, television and movie script writers, playwrights, and poets including unpublished songs, poetry, manuscripts, fan mail, and even an Emmy Award! This has given me insight into the lives, thoughts, and working processes of authors, musicians, playwrights and poets. It is always exciting to open up a new collection and see what awaits. There is so much to learn from these collections, and I love knowing that someday the collections that I have worked with to preserve and protect will be available to researchers, and potentially become part of exhibitions that the public can enjoy.

After I graduate in May, I will continue to work at The Wittliff Collections through the summer. Starting in the fall, I will be attending the University of Derby, England working toward a Master’s in Public History and Heritage. As a graduate student, I will continue to learn from museum professionals through a variety of projects, practicums, research, and work placement opportunities further building on the experience I have gained at The Wittliff Collections.  In the future, I hope to be involved with the interpretation of museum collections in order to engage and connect audiences with exhibition material. Museums, archives, and cultural heritage sites such as The Wittliff Collections, are developed not only to preserve the past but also to educate the public. My work within The Wittliff Collections at TXST University has provided me with valuable experience in this field, and has helped prepare me for graduate school as well as future career opportunities.