Meet Sam Dunnington ’14

Sam Dunnington ’14 has been working in the Libraries' Special Collections and Archives since summer 2012. While his job involves tasks such as helping patrons with reference questions and processing collections, Dunnington particularly enjoys the outreach side of his work: writing the blog, running open house events, and working on exhibits. The small staff size — three student workers alongside Catherine Rod and Chris Jones — is also ideal for collaborating on projects.

Dunnington’s most recent exhibit, “Grinnell’s Fall Sports, Way Back & Way, Way Back,” displays pictures and memorabilia from Grinnell’s fall sports between the 1950s and the 1980s. Since Dunnington has been a cross country runner, he thought showcasing historic fall sports material would appeal to the many people involved in athletics at Grinnell. It was also a perfect opportunity for Dunnington to combine his academic and personal interest with his work in Special Collections. The exhibit attracted visitors to Burling Library and was featured in the S&B December issue.  

A history major, Dunnington chose his job initially because of the opportunity to work on a project blending computer science and primary source material. So naturally, he’s very excited to see Digital Grinnell, the College's institutional repository, gaining popularity.