Molly Brown

Archivist and Educator

Providing reference services

Presenting at NU at Noon event for alumni

Facilitating a workshop for Historias de Boston

Presenting at exhibit opening at NU's Asian American Student Center

Facilitating session with architecture students using historical photographs

Tabling at a Roxbury Historical Society open house

About Me

I am the current Reference and Outreach Archivist at the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections and am serving as co-chair of the Teaching with Primary Sources roundtable for the New England Archivists.

The goal of my work in archival reference, outreach, and instruction is to make archives as accessible as possible and to embed all reference and public services with an ethics of care that moves beyond transactional research.

I earned a dual master's in History and Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archival Management in 2018 from Simmons College. I received a BA in History and English from the University of Puget Sound in 2015.

Professional History

Reference and Outreach Archivist

Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

April 2018 – present

Manages all public services including reference, instruction and outreach.
Manages one full time employee.
Visions and strategizes for reference program that is implemented by Reference and Reproduction Archivist.
Facilitates classes and workshops using archives and special collections to Northeastern students, Boston Public Schools high schoolers, and Boston area community members.
Performs outreach to collections donors and community members represented in our collections.
Coordinates events to highlight historic material, such as the Neighborhood Matters Film and Panel Series.
Creates physical and digital exhibits for Northeastern University partners and community partners.
Manages social media including X, Instagram, and blog.

Archives Assistant

Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

November 2017 – April 2018

Supported collaborative digital projects by liaising with participating institutions and independent work.
Responsible for managing Boston Public School Desegregation Collection WordPress portal using CERES Toolkit, writing site content and promotional material, and collecting supporting materials from collaborators.

Part-time Archivist

Old South Church

August 2016 – April 2018

Regularly perform reference services for Old South Church staff.
Processed and described over 200+ collection of architectural plans along with other backlogged collections.
Manage other projects independently as the sole archivist and submit archives reports to board.

Digital Imaging Technician

Digital Ark Corp.

May – November 2017

Worked independently and performed on site project management for supervisors based in Rhode Island.
Digitized over 8,000 images from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and rare manuscripts from the Massachusetts Historical Society using custom digital photography workflows including FileMaker Pro, Capture One, and Adobe LightRoom software.

Research and Archives Intern

Congregation Kehillath Israel

May – September 2016

Acted as primary researcher and historic materials manager for synagogue’s centennial celebration book.
Digitized, edited, and organized all synagogue member donations for publication and later preservation.
Researched and wrote timelines for ten chapters and provided research support for each chapter author.