Elvira (Vera) Jiā Xī Mancini

Tell us your Smith College Libraries story.

I became interested in the Libraries as a sophomore in the Autumn of 2021, after Special Collections re-opened to students after COVID-19. I came in as a history student looking for resources on medieval medical practice surrounding disorders of the brain, specifically epilepsy. The librarian working at the reading room desk helped me to navigate the finding aids and brought up a beautiful medieval materia medica in Latin.

I was more fascinated with the binding and craft of the book itself, and the librarian began talking to me about preservation, red rot, vellum, and other aspects of medieval book arts. I was hooked. I went home and applied for the book studies concentration. That librarian changed my career path.

Ever since I was eleven, I knew I wanted to enter the library field. However, I always thought it would be a public or primary or secondary school library. Talking to that librarian and diving into book history and arts has shifted my interest toward cultural heritage materials. I have found that my passion for librarianship flourishes when assisting readers seeking access to libraries and knowledge rooted in their cultural heritage and communities. Ultimately, I aim to work at a library serving ethnic enclaves, predominantly Asian and Pacific Islander American diasporic communities. I still do not know that librarian's name, but I would like to thank her for changing my life for the better.

Outside of the Libraries, what are your interests and hobbies?

I love to read, write, dance, and create art in my free time! My favorite poets are Franny Choi and Ocean Vuong. Recently, I have been reading Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai and Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden by Zhuqing Li! I enjoy listening to Janelle Monáe, Rina Sawayama, and Klassy. I have two adorable basset hounds who love hiking, and I enjoy spending time in the woods of the Northwest Cascadia with them!

If you know, what is next for you after graduating from Smith?

After graduating from Smith, I am interested in getting my masters degree in Library and Information Science and pursuing a career in cultural heritage and museum librarianship. I am passionate about decolonization in library collections, cultural heritage preservation, and the freedom of knowledge.

If you could impart one piece of advice to incoming first year students, what would it be?

Find your community. Especially for the incoming first years of color, Smith College, the institution, and all its systems foundationally do not fit us. Sophia Smith and the founders had no intention of giving us a space or an education. We must work within a system never designed for us to build spaces and communities for ourselves.

Make places for kindness and love and joy and culture when there are none. Listening and learning to build solidarity and resilience in a community is a form of love to ourselves and each other; to listen and validate the experiences of another is to uplift and support another person. The women of color who came before me taught me that through the evidence and marks they left on this place, and I am working on making my marks now. Leave evidence of our memories, that we are here and that although the founders did not build the system for us, we have been reshaping it and making it work for us for decades, and we will continue to do so.