Hello from Hagley: Introducing Alexis Jimenez

As a new Processing Archivist at Hagley, I thought it might interest readers to know a little bit more about me. And so, I am taking this opportunity to introduce myself!

How I came to be an Archivist is somewhat of an interesting story. I didn’t start college until almost 17 years after I graduated high school. I had been working as a licensed cosmetologist for all that time and had decided to start taking piano lessons. To the right is a picture of me playing at a piano recital. I immediately fell in love with the piano and playing music, so I decided to study music at community college and before I knew it, I had gone on to earn a bachelor's degree in music from Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey.  

At this point, I realized that my performance anxiety was too much of a hindrance to continue pursuing a career as a music therapist. Luckily, a librarian friend of mine suggested that I consider a master’s degree in library and information science. I began studying at Drexel University and quickly discovered the archival field. I focused all of my coursework on archival studies to prepare myself for my career. In March of 2022, I began my internship at the Drexel University Archives. While working there I processed three collections and solidified my passion for the archival profession. 

Shortly after I ended my internship at Drexel University Archives, The Library Company of Philadelphia hired me as a Project Archivist. My project consisted of processing their James Barton Longacre collection, writing social media and blog posts, and curating an online exhibition to highlight the collection. When I completed my project, I volunteered there until March of this year when I was fortunate enough to have Hagley offer me a position as a Processing Archivist.  

Since starting here at Hagley in March, I have already completed processing my first collection, Francis Bannerman Sons (Acc. 2185). I feel so lucky to work for such an outstanding institution. Finding myself surrounded by so many talented and experienced colleagues is truly inspiring and reassuring. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow in my field while here at Hagley, as well as providing access to all of our rich collections for researchers.