Bonnie Wildie is a presenter and blogger, in addition to her work as an assistant curator.  She won the ALIA Student Award in 2017 for the Master of Information Studies (Librarianship) course.

How did you become involved in the GLAMR sector, and what attracted you to archives?

My career path may be similar to many GLAMR professionals. I came into it from another discipline. My first degree was a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in English and History. During this period of study, I worked in hospitality (fast forward – this is important later on). I then went on to complete Honours in English Literature and started to contemplate where my qualifications might take me. I saw a library assistant role and thought it would be a great fit. I had Honours with a dissertation in Victorian literature and was an undergrad in literature and history. I have had experience in customer service. The job was perfect, but I didn’t even get an interview.

I looked at why I had been unsuccessful. I wasn’t suitably qualified. Luckily, a colleague of mine had just completed the Diploma of Library and Information Studies and recommended the course to me, suggesting that it would ‘suit my temperament’. I decided to enrol in both the Diploma and a Master of History while I worked out what I wanted to be when I grew up. At the same time, I got a job working in digital archiving. I was handling records each day, and was my first introduction to GLAMR.

Towards the end of my Diploma, I was successful in my application for a library assistant position at an academic library. I was still studying, driving over an hour in the morning to my class, and then over two and a half hours to my job (on a normal day the commute was one and a half hours). My first library technician role was at an international hotel management school – a lesson that your previous experience and skills are so often applicable in the realm of GLAMR. In addition to working in the library, I lectured at the school and taught library science at TAFE. This period was incredibly busy, and rewarding. It was an absolute privilege to teach so many wonderful students who have entered GLAMR as, contributors to the field.

From here, I moved into the realm of cultural heritage. I can’t describe what it is like to work with original materials; each day feels like a dream, and you can’t be sure that what you are seeing is real, because how can it possibly be!? Reference work always felt like a better fit for me, given my experience working in customer service and teaching. I realized that the library hierarchy prevented me from my potential – my Master of History wouldn’t mean anything without a Master of Information Studies. I enrolled and graduated in 2017.

I moved into a curatorial role, and it honestly feels like the absolute best fit – a sort of amalgamation of my experience and qualifications coalescing into absolute dream work that I love. I get to share my love of history and cultural heritage with people and spend my days treasure hunting.

What has motivated you to engage with the historical records in a physical way, and how have you done this?

My first opportunity to engage with historical records was presented by Tim Sherratt, who posted an invitation to the GLAMR community on Twitter to get creative with the #redactionart he had discovered in digitized ASIO files. The community response was wonderful and creative. I was engaged with the process on Twitter (now X) and wanted to contribute to the conversation, but do it in a way that was meaningful to me. I didn’t want to replicate what others were doing; I wanted a very ‘Bonnie’ response to these records.

The response to #redactionart was interesting, in that it was a very physical response. People made tattoos, stickers, brooches, cookie cutters, cookies, cakes etc. The response was tangible. I thought about what I could contribute that would also be tangible by learning to sew in high school. The majority of my wardrobe is handmade, so it made sense to me to sew something. The more I liked the idea of wearing the records.

I presented at the #LCA2018 conference. Donna Benjamin also presented at the same event, and her presentation about her online campaign to #DigitisetheDawn, as well as the conversation that emerged on the day, prompted me to make a second dress.

Would you encourage others to engage with history in this way?

We should engage with our history. Engaging critically with our history, and as GLAMR professionals, analyzing our role in developing systems that record and disseminate the objects and records that form history. How have the structures imposed by our institutions influenced the stories that make up our history?

Find a way of engaging that makes sense to you. Make your response your own. Above all, create community.

So yes, I would encourage everyone to get out there and have some fun with our amazing cultural heritage.

Finally, is there any advice you would like to give library students and graduates?

Gosh, so much!

Most importantly – your experience entering and working in GLAMR will be unique. The advice of others, the things that worked for them and the things that failed, may apply to you, or they may not. It doesn’t mean that you’ve failed or done something wrong, it just means good for them, not for you.

So I would say – engage in the GLAMR community in a way that is safe for you. Create a public profile on Twitter account. Some of the best people in GLAMR I recognize only by their Twitter handle. The onus is on the GLAMR community to ensure that our professional development, networking, and hiring practices are inclusive of people with both public and private personas.

Engage in professional development for yourself and your career. Not all GLAMR professionals are life-long learners. You will work with people who do not undertake professional development and it can be incredibly frustrating, particularly for those of us who are temporarily employed.

And honestly, GLAMR can be tough. I’ve cried over lots of rejection letters. I’ve felt frustrated. But what helped me through this was a core group of GLAMR people who genuinely wanted to help. Find your people. Find the people that you can trust, and who trust you. Find the people who will help you, and who you want to help. Find the people you can ask anything of, people who will encourage you, the people who will commiserate with you, the people who will proofread a million cover letters and send inspirational Leslie Knope GIFS.