MCC assistant librarian selected for archival program
Amy LaFleur has always loved books — not just reading them, but learning about how they’re made, where they come from, and how they last through the years. Now, the Meridian Community College Assistant Librarian is building on that foundation.
LaFleur was recently selected to attend a special summer workshop hosted by the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Only 10 people from across the state, were chosen for the residential, on-campus program, which runs June 16-27 in Hattiesburg.
“This program is a good way for me to build on my education in terms of librarianship and archiving and it’s a good refresher on digital archiving and preservation skills I already have so I can learn to make the most of what we have here,” she said.
The two-week program is designed to train librarians, museum staff, and college faculty in digital archiving — learning how to scan, store, and share old photographs, documents, and other items that tell the story of Mississippi’s past. The goal is to make these resources more available and easier to use for students, teachers, and the public.
LaFleur said the training lines up perfectly with her values. “As librarians, our mission is about access and lifelong learning,” she said. “This program helps with both.”
She already has ideas for MCC’s library archives. “We have some really meaningful pieces here,” she said. “Making those available to the public and to researchers would be huge.”
LaFleur, a Meridian native, joined MCC in 2024. She holds degrees from Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi State University, and USM, where she earned her master’s in Library and Information Science with a focus on archival studies.
She says her time at the program will help her spot what MCC’s archives are missing — and learn how to fill in those gaps using the resources the College already has.
When she’s not in the library, LaFleur enjoys writing book reviews, baking gluten-free food, and editing The Scribbler, the College’s student literary magazine.
Visit meridiancc.edu to learn more about the College; to find out more about Hub workshops and grants, go to ms-digital-hub.com.