Beck Williams is a senior Sturgis Fellow from Fort Smith, Arkansas majoring in Political Science and Mathematics and minoring in Statistics in the Fulbright College or Arts and Sciences. This Summer, Beck interned at the Library of Congress where he worked as a program assistant to host and improve professional development events and support various intern programs.

Just behind the United States Capitol Building and just South of the Supreme Court lies the Library of Congress. Divided among three buildings on Capitol Hill and acting as the main research arm of the U.S. Congress, the Library of Congress represents the National Library of the United States and is the largest library in the world. This summer, I had the opportunity to join its staff of over 3,000 employees and become a small but influential part of the Library of Congress.

During this past spring, I set my sights on achieving an intern position in Washington, D.C. While I’d been involved with political institutions and campus organizations in the past, I had never held what I would consider to be a professional internship experience. With the upcoming summer, I wanted to gain experience working as an essential team member in a professional environment where I could expand my own career interests. My hopes were high, and thankfully, I got exactly this and more with the Library of Congress.

After applying through The Washington Center and interviewing with the Library, I received the temporary position of Program Assistant within the Internship and Fellowship Programs division (IFP), which oversees all of the Library’s intern programs. With no more than 12 employees at any given time, I quickly found IFP to be a wonderful team environment—always busy, beyond communicative, and full of devoted and encouraging mentors. My specific position included a range of responsibilities across the functioning of the Library’s programs, but most of my work was concentrated in assisting the Junior Fellows Program and managing the Professional Development Series.

In securing the internship, one of my main selling points as an applicant was my experience in managing events, especially those rooted in professional development, in UARK campus organizations such as the Associate Member Program. Therefore, I felt right at home planning and hosting two such events each week for the Library interns as part of IFP’s Professional Development Series (PDS). This was, of course, no simple task—each event could garner anywhere from 60-90 interns and Junior Fellows, with our largest virtual event, the Library Leadership Panel, including over 100 attendees and featuring the Library’s Chief of Staff Ryan Ramsey and Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden. For each event, I would draft and review run-of-show documents, communicate with guest speakers, invite all attendees, and moderate planning sessions, among many other essential tasks.

With the Junior Fellows Program, I helped assist in the management of Display Day, the annual showcase event for Junior Fellows to present their research into a variety of topics important to the Library. This year, we hosted the first ever “Display Day Interactive Session,” a virtual event with over 300 attendees and numerous breakout sessions where Library employees could hear presentations from and chat with the Junior Fellows. Beyond this, I assisted in multiple recording sessions where Junior Fellows presented their projects to be posted on the Display Day 2021 webpage, of which I assisted in development.

These responsibilities provided me with immensely important professional experience, but there was another significant benefit of a position with the Library of Congress which I had not expected. As mentioned, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the entire world with countless departments and seemingly endless collections. It did not take long for me to, as the IFP team would say, “catch the Library bug.” I was fascinated by the Library’s immense collection of historical items and texts: the Gutenberg Bible, the Waldseemüller Map, the Jefferson Collection—all merely the tip of the iceberg. Given my position (and an encouraging team!), I had the ability to work with other divisions and explore the many departments within the Library even when they did not immediately concern my work or position. With my own aspirations of law and federal work, I cherished the opportunity to connect with the amazing Library leaders in departments like the John W. Kluge Center, the Law Library, Congressional Research Service, and the Congressional Relations Office, all of which were inspiring places my career could one day lead. This internship opened the door and encouraged me to seek out my interests in the Library and make connections that actively forwarded my own career interests. And, of course, spending my time in Washington, D.C. was the cherry on top of it all: The Library was beautiful, the city was vibrant, and I could by all means see myself living there in the future.

Looking back on this summer, I am both incredibly proud of my work at the Library and grateful for the opportunity. Hearing the gracious feedback from Junior Fellows and Library interns, especially in relation to the Professional Development Series, makes my time there worthwhile in itself in, but the opportunities to pursue my own professional interests elevates this summer to a new level of importance within my career path. I cannot wait to return back to the Library of Congress in years to come, either as an appreciative visitor or an inspired employee.