Sample interview questions: Have you ever participated in rare book provenance research using traditional archival sources? If yes, can you discuss your role and the outcomes?
Sample answer:
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Yes, I have participated in rare book provenance research using traditional archival sources. My role was to examine and interpret primary sources such as handwritten annotations, marginalia, previous ownership marks, early letters, and auction records to establish the history and journey of rare books.
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In one of the projects, I worked on a 17th-century scientific manuscript that had been recently acquired by the library. By meticulously examining the author’s annotations and the library’s acquisition records, I was able to piece together the manuscript’s ownership history, revealing that it had once belonged to a prominent scientist of that era.
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In another instance, I contributed to the provenance research of a collection of 19th-century literary first editions. Through archival research, I identified the original owners of the books, which included famous authors, scholars, and collectors. This information not only provided valuable insights into the history of the collection but also enhanced its val… Read full answer
Source: https://hireabo.com/job/18_0_18/Rare%20Books%20Librarian