Student Spotlight: April Hagins, Digital Program Digitization Assistant

The Special Collections Research Center blog series "Student Spotlight" features student employees who contribute to the work of the SCRC. Guest author April Hagins, class of 2026, is a graduate student in the School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill, working towards her Master of Science in Information Science. April has worked as a Digital Program Digitization Graduate Assistant on the Expanded Extending Cooperative Extension History project in SCRC since January 2025.

Please describe in a sentence or two the work that you do in the Special Collections Research Center.

At SCRC, I help digitize a variety of materials for the 3X Project including photographs, slides/negatives, newspaper clippings, and other documents. After the materials are digitized, I edit and provide metadata so that the resources are accessible. 

What has been most interesting to you about your work?  What new things have you learned? Have you made any surprising discoveries?

The most interesting thing about my job is being able to work with many mediums. I love being hands-on with collections and being able to share these materials with others who might find them interesting or helpful in their research.

In this job, I have learned how to navigate instances where things don’t always go as planned; sometimes storage won’t mount to upload materials or a computer is acting up. You learn to go with the flow and come up with unique ways to get things done. 

If you met someone who was unfamiliar with archives and special collections, what would you want them to know? What should new researchers know about the work you do?

For those who are unfamiliar with archives and special collections, I would want them to know that these spaces are FOR them. I think there is often a cloak of mystery over archives/special collections that many find intimidating or feel that they are not allowed to go into these spaces. I would want them to know that they are welcomed and encouraged to use the materials. Information is power. 

Researchers should know that those who work with archives/special collections are on their side and will do the best we can to provide access to information and materials that are beneficial to them. 

What are you studying, and what do you hope to do in your future career?  Has your work in the SCRC changed how you look at your studies or your future career plans in any way?

I’m a graduate student at UNC-CH, where I study information science with a concentration in archives and records management. I hold a BA in Arts Studies - Visual Arts from NCSU and between the two degrees, I hope to work with art collections in the future. Ever since I was little, I wanted to touch things that I “wasn’t supposed to” so I chose a career in which I am allowed to (with a gloved hand, of course!).