My internship with World History Commons (WHC) included many “firsts.” It was the first time I had written for an internet publication that is not only public, but has a distinguished background and user base. My only other past experience writing for the public was on a niche history blog that ran in conjunction to a history project I worked on, and I doubt more than a handful of people saw, let alone used, my work. Writing for such a large user pool was more daunting than I thought it would be. This led to many edits, questions, and rereading, and I delayed posting the write-ups until long after I finished them. In the end, I had to abandon the perfectionist’s trap of endless editing and believe in the quality of my work.
WHC was also the first time I worked on such an interdisciplinary project. At the Jane Addams Papers and the Margaret Sanger Papers, my research was limited to the respective woman’s life and interests. At WHC no topic was off-limits, and their current focus on countries outside the United States and Western Europe put me in a new territory of history. This contributed to the anxiety that led me to delay publishing posts: I was not only writing for a large potential audience, but I was unfamiliar with the topics I researched. To combat this issue, I made sure that I was reciting information the reviewed sites were giving me so that everything I said was factual by the site’s standards. This helped to ensure that I was not spreading misinformation, even if I had never researched the topic before.
Writing and consulting for WHC was the first time I had worked on a project completely remotely. I had never even taken a remote class before this program, so the virtual work and collaboration I did over the last two years was also a first. While this was not a part of the project I thrived in, I’m glad that I participated and grateful for all the mentorship I received during the program. I learned about creating dedicated spaces in a small home and thoughtfully preparing for the work I set out to complete.
Althought I currently work as an academic librarian and would consider myself an educator, I don’t have any formal training in education. I also don’t have experience with planning lessons for any grade level. Researching and writing for WHC necessitated a crash-course lesson on how educators use the site and plan for upcoming classes. Learning how to write for educators who were not looking for a drawn out, scholarly discussion helped me convey information more effectively, a skill that will be useful in any public history project.
Because of my internship, I am more confident about writing for the public. I received positive feedback on my writing and researching capabilities and I have been assured of my skills. I better understand when to stop editing and when to start publishing, and I have improved at writing objectively and succinctly for educators. WHC has helped thousands of users, and I am extremely proud to have been behind some of that exchange of knowledge.
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