Library of Congress
Research May Term 2016
Application Deadline: October 15, 2015
Dates in Washington: May 15th-May 27th, 2016
Program Description
Students will travel to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC to conduct original research to
support their coursework in their major or minor field of study. The Library of Congress has the
largest collection of published material in the world, and is also home to extensive print and
media archives. Students will produce a research plan during spring semester 2016. Upon
arrival in Washington, students will work 9am-5pm Monday through Friday in the Library, and
will present their findings on regular intervals to faculty and peers. Students may conduct
research on any topic, as long as it directly corresponds to their major and intended coursework
plan, and are encouraged to conduct research in a language other than English. The Library of
Congress Research trip is ideal for rising Seniors, but any student including graduating Seniors
may apply.
Faculty
Amy Bryant, Associate Library Director and Head of Reference. Amy has a Masters in Library
Science from Indiana University. Amy has over 14 years of experience in assisting Earlham
Students in refining research topics and locating resources. Amy teaches faculty/student
collaborative research projects, internship based courses for students interested in exploring
librarianship as a profession, and has co-lead a May Term course to Turkey. Along with Ryan
Murphy, she spent two weeks assisting with research at the Library of Congress during the
summer of 2014.
Ryan Murphy, Assistant Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Ryan has a Ph.D. in American Studies, and works in fields of U.S. labor history, history of
sexuality, urban history, and intellectual history. As an interdisciplinary scholar, he uses
ethnographic, archival, and literary historical research methods. Along with Amy Bryant, he
spent two weeks researching and writing at the Library of Congress during the summer of 2014.
Location
The Library of Congress is located in downtown Washington, DC directly adjacent to the Capitol
building. The library has the largest collection of published material in the world, and includes
extensive holdings in languages other than English. Students may also work in one of the other
renowned archival collections in Washington DC, such as the National Archives or the
Smithsonian Institution. Public transportation conveniently connects all of these locations to
students’ housing.
Course: HIST 399, 3 credits
This is a student-driven, advanced research course. Each student will have their own topic, but
will share their process and their findings with their colleagues. The goal of the project is to find
and catalog the scholarly sources that will sustain a student’s research for the rest of their time at
Earlham. Those sources could include archived manuscripts and personal collections, rare books
and journals, film and video, artworks, and government records among others. Students will
receive an online research tutorial from Library of Congress staff during spring semester 2016.
By May 1st, all students will have worked with Amy and Ryan to develop a concrete research
plan. Upon arrival in Washington, students will work at the Library of Congress Monday
through Friday, and will meet with Amy and Ryan each day to make a research plan for the next
day. On Friday, May 20th and Friday, May 27th, students will present and workshop their
findings with their peers. By no later than Wednesday, June 1st, students will present a thorough
research report that catalogs their documents and that lays out a plan for future analysis of those
documents.
Living Arrangements
Students will stay at Hostelling International, 1009 11th St. NW in Washington, DC. The lodging
is clean, comfortable, and safe, and comparable to campus dormitories. It is located close to the
Washington, DC Metro system, which will transport students to the library each day. Students
must arrive no later than Sunday evening, May 15th, and must check out on Friday morning, May
27th. Arrangements will be made to house students’ luggage at the Library of Congress that
Friday.
Orientation
There will be a course orientation during spring semester 2016, which will include an online
research tutorial from the Library of Congress. Students will also meet individually with Amy
and Ryan to produce a research plan for the trip.
Charges
The course fee for this May Term is $1655, which covers housing in Washington DC from
Sunday evening May 15th through Friday morning May 27th, 3 meals per day, transportation
within DC, and access to Library of Congress resources. Students will provide their own
transportation to Washington, DC, and may fly, drive, or carpool at their own convenience.
Participants will be charged a non-refundable enrollment fee of $385.00. Earlham tuition fees
apply if applicable.
Applications
Applications are available online at
http://www.earlham.edu/academics/off-campus-study/may-term-application-procedures/
The application deadline is October 15, 2015.
Students will be interviewed individually as part of the application process.
Further Information
Contact Ryan Murphy (murphry@earlham.edu) or Amy Bryant (bryanam@earlham.edu).
Program Plans Subject to Change.