As Head of Technical Services for Special Collections, Kit is a key member of the team responsible for the long-term stewardship and care of Smith College’s special collections: the Sophia Smith Collection, the Mortimer Rare Book Collection, and the College Archives. She coordinates the day-to-day work of Smith’s archivists and project staff; supports arrangement and description of unique materials; and works closely with the Collection Stewards and Special Collections Public Services to develop effective policies, procedures, and workflows. A collaborator at heart, Kit is excited to partner with colleagues across the library to think comprehensively and strategically about preservation of and access to rare and unique materials. She is always looking for ways to make archival work efficient, ethical, and sustainable.

Prior to coming to Smith, Kit was the Manager of Special Collections Cataloging at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. She has previously been a processing archivist at the New York Public Library and the New-York Historical Society, and a Junior Fellow at the Library of Congress. When not at work, Kit is busy exploring the Pioneer Valley with her dog and husband, and planning her next horseback adventures.

Committees

National Best Practices for Archival Accessioning Working Group; Term Labor Best Practices Working Group; SNAC School Working Group

Research Interests

Archival accessioning, archival efficiencies, and ethical labor practices

Professional Affiliations

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Publications & Presentations

Clemens, Alison, Courtney Dean, Angel Diaz, Margaret Hughes, Monika Lehman, Lauren McDaniel, Kit Messick, et al. 2022. “Best Practices for Archival Term Positions.” OSF. August 1, 2022. doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/A4ZC8.

Messick, Kit. "Social Networks and Archival Context: Connecting Entities in the Historical Record," presented at Network Analysis + Digital Art History Workshop, June 21, 2021, virtual.

Kim, Helen, Lauren McDaniel, Kit Messick, Grace Muñoz, Shira Peltzman. "Doing the Work: Reparative Archival Description Initiatives in Public and Private Special Collections Libraries," presented at the Society of California Archivists Annual General Meeting, April 30, 2021, virtual.