A blog post by Laura Bass, Reference Associate

Laura Bass, Reference Associate

I am a native of South Carolina, mostly the upstate but have lived in the Midlands for the last three years. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Alex, for four years. I was raised by history buffs and had a love for history instilled into me at an early age. I attended Erskine College where I earned a BA in history. I knew I wanted to work in history but not teach so I made it my mission to find a career doing something I love!

What do you do as a Reference Associate?

As part of the reference department, I research and reply to research queries from patrons all over the world who are looking for specific information from our collections. I also work on the Reference Desk in our Research Room where I aid patrons in finding documents and records. Also at the desk, I answer telephone questions and research requests.

What is your favorite part of the job?

My favorite part of my job is that every day feels like a treasure hunt. I am given a reference query (that feels like clue) and I have to use our resources and my knowledge to hunt down the information people are seeking. I love that I get to learn something new every day. Through my daily research I get to get a glimpse into the past and I find it fascinating.

Who is your favorite historical figure or time period?

My historical first love is Renaissance England, specifically the Tudor Dynasty. It intrigues me that leaders used to rule with their own personal passion and emotion. That how they were feeling at one time affected the outcome of history. And that was probably the truest during the reign of the Tudor monarchs.