Introducing: Andrew Elder, Archivist

Name: Andrew Elder

Job title: Archivist

Location in Library: Lower Level, Ruth Clapp Archives Room

What I do in 50 words or less: As the Archivist, I work with Wheelock faculty, staff, and students to ensure that College records of enduring value are preserved for future access and use. I update archival collections and finding aids as necessary and develop presentations and exhibitions about the Wheelock Archives, the history of the College, and the history of early childhood education.

Choose one service that your department provides that you most want the Wheelock community to be aware of: Need information about Wheelock College? About any part of our history? Do you need a copy of a first-semester syllabus? Then you should contact the Archives! We preserve the history of Wheelock College, and every member of the Wheelock community is a part of that history. From faculty to students to staff, our archival collections reflect the diversity of our community. Contact me to learn more about including your history in the Wheelock Archives.

What is your favorite website? The Institute of Official Cheer can brighten up any day. More seriously, though: Slate is a great place for the sometimes quirky, often serious, finely written news.

What is your favorite book in the Wheelock Library collection? The Berlin Stories, by Christopher Isherwood. This book is just amazing. I’ve read it several times, and frequently recommend it to friends and to random people on the street. From descriptions of Weimar Germany to reflections on displacement and sexuality, this book is stunning and surprisingly relevant. And Isherwood is an intelligent, thoughtful, and challenging-without-being-difficult writer.

When I’m not at Wheelock, you can find me… In a Jamaica Plain café drinking coffee and reading 4 or 5 books at once, eating cheese, dancing to some hot radio jams, and planning visits to my family in North Adams, Massachusetts.