Hello, everyone! My name is Kim Gianfrancesco and I’m your new Processing and Digital Archivist in the Archives and Special Collections here at TAMUCC. I’m so excited to be joining the Islander community and to be a part of the amazing team at the Mary and Jeff Bell Library!
My interest in archives began during my time as an undergrad at Amherst College in Amherst, MA. Working as a student assistant in the College’s Archives and Special Collections, I got to see fascinating, unique materials every day. I also got to see who came in to use them: students, faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and members of the community. As cool as the collections were, I learned that the archives weren’t just rooms full of stuff. They were a place where diverse groups of people came together in search of information they couldn’t find anywhere else. I really enjoyed helping our patrons, so much that when I finished my Bachelor’s in English and French, I decided to get my Master’s in Information Studies from the University at Albany with a concentration in Archives and Records Management. I wanted to spend my career not only preserving our shared cultural heritage but making it accessible to all.
Since finishing grad school, I’ve worked as a Project Archivist at the New York State Archives in Albany, NY and a Digital Projects Librarian at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. I grew up in a small town in the Hudson Valley region of New York State, about 85 miles north of Manhattan. When I’m not at work, I enjoy reading, watching movies and trying to keep my plants alive. I look forward to getting to know you all and learning more about the history and culture of South Texas.
Kim, Processing and Digital Archivist
