In 2012, the libraries embarked on an experiment to connect students with libraries through semester-long fellowship opportunities. Started on a shoestring, the program grew into a modest program with lots of potential. All this changed in 2017, when Dr. Richard and Poppy Buchanan and their family took an interest in the program and offered to endow the fellowship. Dr. Buchanan, a Vanderbilt graduate, was a library student assistant during his time at Vanderbilt and often remarked on how the experience of working in the library affected his life during his school time and after graduation. The fellowship connects students with the libraries, where they learn new skills and also gain a deeper appreciation of libraries. Typically, fellows attend seminars and present on their final projects. Since 2012, the libraries have hosted more than 140 fellows. We are grateful to the Buchanans for their vision and support.
Sixteen students were awarded Buchanan Library Fellowships in the fall.
- Strengthening Ties: Cornelius Vanderbilt and the Founding of Vanderbilt University
- The Evolution of the Peabody Esplanade
- Text Mining at Scale
Spring semester found our largest cohort to date of Buchanan Library Fellows—35 students completed the program. Projects included:
- Cursive & Recursive: Generating Transcriptions of Archival Documents Using Machine Learning
- Encoding Music Manuscripts in Vanderbilt University Special Collections
- Ethics of Information
- Gateway to Traditional Chinese Monuments: Data Curation and Web Development for Cultural Heritage Preservation
- Tending to Popular Thought: What People Read and Why
- The Vanderbilt Historical Tree Tour
- Netsuke: Gucci of the Edo Period