By Anna J. Cook

Today the Library Reader Services staff welcomes a new Library Assistant to our ranks: seasoned MHS intern Liz Francis.

Liz has been a familiar face at the MHS since June 2011, when she began as an intern with the Massachusetts Finds Her Voice Civil War project. Thanks to her diligent research and writing we were able to highlight Civil War-era documents from our collections in August, November, and December of last year.

A long-time Massachusetts resident, Liz comes to us with a degree in Art and Education (University of California at Santa Cruz) and graduate coursework in Museum Studies, History of Art and Architecture, German, Russian (Harvard University), and Library Science (Simmons College). Her extensive experience at public history institutions includes positions at the Custom House Maritime Museum (Newburyport, Mass.), the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and the archives of the Chelsea Public Library. She brings with her a keen interest in New England history and a passion for reference services.

In addition to working with us here at the MHS, Liz will also continue in her position at the Arnold Arboretum’s Horticultural Library as well as her studies at Simmons. She hopes to graduate with her MLS in August 2012.

We are pleased to welcome Liz as part of our staff, and look forward to getting to know her better.