Laura Pratt Resume
Professional Experience
FEB. 2020 - PRESENT
FRONT OF HOUSE SERVER | DREAMCAKES CAF� | HOOVER, AL
� Provide exceptional, personalized, and positive customer service to guests in serving food and taking customized bakery orders, particularly during high-volume operations
� Address dissatisfied customer queries and concerns and resolve them quickly to the consumer�s satisfaction
� Mastered multiple POS terminals, and handled both credit and currency transactions quickly and accurately
� Maintain constant, proper cleanliness and sanitation of caf� facilities
MAR. 2018 � MAR. 2019
MARILYN BLACKWELL POST-BACCALAUREATE FELLOW | SMITH COLLEGE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | NORTHAMPTON, MA
� Assisted in directing college classes and workshops where students interacted with archival materials, including preparing descriptive labels and facilitating student questions
� Served on the reference desk and addressed patron research inquiries and paged boxes of archival material
� Communicated and met with established and potential donors to the Sophia Smith Collection; one project involved writing letters to 75 participants in the Coalition of Indian Controlled School Boards Oral History Project for ex post facto releases so their interviews may be accessed by researchers
� Prepared comprehensive summary documentation on the contents of donor history files
� Entered data into content management system, ArchivesSpace, and handled processing and filing of deeds of gifts and other legal agreements
� Participated in the hiring committee for a new processing archivist and in a user experience testing team for the Five College Compass Digital Collections website
NOV. 2017 � FEB. 2018
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY ARCHIVES | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Arranged and processed the Birmingham AIDS Outreach (BAO) Collection
MAY 2017 � NOV. 2017
CURATORIAL ASSISTANT | NEGRO SOUTHERN LEAGUE MUSEUM | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Assisted in scheduling and leading regular events such as �Tour Tuesdays� that facilitated interaction between former Negro League baseball players and the public
� Presented historical information on artifacts from the museum�s collection to an audience
� Created a preliminary database enumerating and describing items in the museum�s collection
� Analyzed statistics of museum visitors and tours and entered data in Microsoft Excel
JUN. 2017 � OCT. 2017
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Arranged and processed the BLK Magazine Collection and the Willy Leventhal Collection
AUG. 2016 � FEB. 2017
OFFICE ASSISTANT | AUBURN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ART HISTORY | AUBURN, AL
� Assisted the Lead Administrative Assistant in the Department of Art and Art History with the maintenance and documentation of financial records
� Reconciled receipts and expense reports
� Engaged in routine office maintenance such as making copies, cleaning, and refilling supplies
JAN. 2016 � JAN. 2019
RESEARCHER | AMMERMAN CENTER FOR ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE | NEW LONDON, CT
� Completed archival research, literature reviews, and theoretical analysis as part of �Recreating the Posture Portraits: Artistic and Technological (Re)productions of the Gendered (Re)presentations of Bodies at Connecticut College,� a project that investigates the ramifications of the practice of posture photography in the Ivy League and Seven Sisters during the mid-twentieth century
JUN. 2016 � JUL. 2016
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | LINDA LEAR CENTER FOR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE | NEW LONDON, CT
� Accessioned, arranged, and processed the Ann E. Beck �55 Collection as a part of the larger Alumni Collection
� Transcribed letters from a collection of a family during the Civil War
AUG. 2015 � MAY 2016
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT | AUBURN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES | AUBURN, AL
� Analyzed and annotated qualitative research in Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt�s Family Violence Across the Lifespan Lab, a lab that focused on young adults� exposure to domestic violence; completed research in both the Young Adults Live and Learn Project (YALL) and YALL 2.0 Project
JAN. 2016 � MAY 2016
ARCHIVAL INTERN | AUBURN UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | AUBURN, AL
� Transcribed letters from the Whitfield Family Papers
� Processed three collections of personal papers: the James Hammersmith Papers, Richard K. Smith Papers and the Isaac J. Rogers Collection
� Digitized and transcribed a Civil War diary from the Isaac J. Rogers Collection
� Assisted the Special Collections Department in implementing a system of �fingerprinting� for rare books
JUN. 2015 � AUG. 2015
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY ARCHIVES | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Catalogued and tagged all the items and artifacts from former Mayor William Bell�s office
� Processed a collection of over 1500 accident reports from the DeBardeleben Coal Company and created a preliminary digital database in Microsoft Access for the reports
MAY 2014 � DEC. 2017
VOLUNTEER | YOUNG WOMEN�S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YWCA)/MY SISTER�S CLOSET | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Acted as a cashier and sorted, hung, and priced clothing in the store
� Assisted women from shelters with referrals select outfits and accessories
� Provided childcare at Santa�s Workshop while homeless families picked out provided gifts
AUG. 2012 � MAY 2013
INTERN | BIRMINGHAM HISTORY CENTER | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Recorded and photographed relevant articles from Birmingham newspapers from 1870 � 1920
� Ran statistical analysis on the number of museum visitors
� Researched and wrote articles on the history of Birmingham for the museum�s website
Education
May 2017 History (BA) | Art History (BA) | Women�s Studies (Minor), Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
Summa Cum Laude, 4.0 GPA
? History Thesis: "An International on the Internet? A Comparison Between the Histories and Methods of the Marxists Internet Archive and the Revolutionary Internationals (1864-1916)�
? Art History Thesis: �The Sublime and Helen Frankenthaler�s Sun Mountain (1968)�
? Areas of Specialization: History of Marxist Movements, Archival Activism, Cultural Body Studies, Feminist Art History
Professional Experience
FEB. 2020 - PRESENT
FRONT OF HOUSE SERVER | DREAMCAKES CAF� | HOOVER, AL
� Provide exceptional, personalized, and positive customer service to guests in serving food and taking customized bakery orders, particularly during high-volume operations
� Address dissatisfied customer queries and concerns and resolve them quickly to the consumer�s satisfaction
� Mastered multiple POS terminals, and handled both credit and currency transactions quickly and accurately
� Maintain constant, proper cleanliness and sanitation of caf� facilities
MAR. 2018 � MAR. 2019
MARILYN BLACKWELL POST-BACCALAUREATE FELLOW | SMITH COLLEGE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | NORTHAMPTON, MA
� Assisted in directing college classes and workshops where students interacted with archival materials, including preparing descriptive labels and facilitating student questions
� Served on the reference desk and addressed patron research inquiries and paged boxes of archival material
� Communicated and met with established and potential donors to the Sophia Smith Collection; one project involved writing letters to 75 participants in the Coalition of Indian Controlled School Boards Oral History Project for ex post facto releases so their interviews may be accessed by researchers
� Prepared comprehensive summary documentation on the contents of donor history files
� Entered data into content management system, ArchivesSpace, and handled processing and filing of deeds of gifts and other legal agreements
� Participated in the hiring committee for a new processing archivist and in a user experience testing team for the Five College Compass Digital Collections website
NOV. 2017 � FEB. 2018
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY ARCHIVES | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Arranged and processed the Birmingham AIDS Outreach (BAO) Collection
MAY 2017 � NOV. 2017
CURATORIAL ASSISTANT | NEGRO SOUTHERN LEAGUE MUSEUM | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Assisted in scheduling and leading regular events such as �Tour Tuesdays� that facilitated interaction between former Negro League baseball players and the public
� Presented historical information on artifacts from the museum�s collection to an audience
� Created a preliminary database enumerating and describing items in the museum�s collection
� Analyzed statistics of museum visitors and tours and entered data in Microsoft Excel
JUN. 2017 � OCT. 2017
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Arranged and processed the BLK Magazine Collection and the Willy Leventhal Collection
AUG. 2016 � FEB. 2017
OFFICE ASSISTANT | AUBURN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ART HISTORY | AUBURN, AL
� Assisted the Lead Administrative Assistant in the Department of Art and Art History with the maintenance and documentation of financial records
� Reconciled receipts and expense reports
� Engaged in routine office maintenance such as making copies, cleaning, and refilling supplies
JAN. 2016 � JAN. 2019
RESEARCHER | AMMERMAN CENTER FOR ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE | NEW LONDON, CT
� Completed archival research, literature reviews, and theoretical analysis as part of �Recreating the Posture Portraits: Artistic and Technological (Re)productions of the Gendered (Re)presentations of Bodies at Connecticut College,� a project that investigates the ramifications of the practice of posture photography in the Ivy League and Seven Sisters during the mid-twentieth century
JUN. 2016 � JUL. 2016
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | LINDA LEAR CENTER FOR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE | NEW LONDON, CT
� Accessioned, arranged, and processed the Ann E. Beck �55 Collection as a part of the larger Alumni Collection
� Transcribed letters from a collection of a family during the Civil War
AUG. 2015 � MAY 2016
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT | AUBURN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES | AUBURN, AL
� Analyzed and annotated qualitative research in Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt�s Family Violence Across the Lifespan Lab, a lab that focused on young adults� exposure to domestic violence; completed research in both the Young Adults Live and Learn Project (YALL) and YALL 2.0 Project
JAN. 2016 � MAY 2016
ARCHIVAL INTERN | AUBURN UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | AUBURN, AL
� Transcribed letters from the Whitfield Family Papers
� Processed three collections of personal papers: the James Hammersmith Papers, Richard K. Smith Papers and the Isaac J. Rogers Collection
� Digitized and transcribed a Civil War diary from the Isaac J. Rogers Collection
� Assisted the Special Collections Department in implementing a system of �fingerprinting� for rare books
JUN. 2015 � AUG. 2015
ARCHIVAL VOLUNTEER | BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY ARCHIVES | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Catalogued and tagged all the items and artifacts from former Mayor William Bell�s office
� Processed a collection of over 1500 accident reports from the DeBardeleben Coal Company and created a preliminary digital database in Microsoft Access for the reports
MAY 2014 � DEC. 2017
VOLUNTEER | YOUNG WOMEN�S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YWCA)/MY SISTER�S CLOSET | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Acted as a cashier and sorted, hung, and priced clothing in the store
� Assisted women from shelters with referrals select outfits and accessories
� Provided childcare at Santa�s Workshop while homeless families picked out provided gifts
AUG. 2012 � MAY 2013
INTERN | BIRMINGHAM HISTORY CENTER | BIRMINGHAM, AL
� Recorded and photographed relevant articles from Birmingham newspapers from 1870 � 1920
� Ran statistical analysis on the number of museum visitors
� Researched and wrote articles on the history of Birmingham for the museum�s website
Education
May 2017 History (BA) | Art History (BA) | Women�s Studies (Minor), Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
Summa Cum Laude, 4.0 GPA
? History Thesis: "An International on the Internet? A Comparison Between the Histories and Methods of the Marxists Internet Archive and the Revolutionary Internationals (1864-1916)�
? Art History Thesis: �The Sublime and Helen Frankenthaler�s Sun Mountain (1968)�
? Areas of Specialization: History of Marxist Movements, Archival Activism, Cultural Body Studies, Feminist Art History