Bailey is a master’s student in Library and Information Science at the University of California, Los Angeles specializing in rare books and special collections. With a background in English literature, she focuses on historical materials, archival research, and the intersections of translation, adaptation, and cultural exchange. Her academic interests include early modern English literature, medieval illuminations, and the evolution of book history across cultural boundaries. Her undergraduate capstone explored the impact of early printing on the distribution and commentary of Shakespeare’s works, a theme that continues to inform her research in bibliographic studies. She has attended and contributed to Shakespeare conferences, including the Wooden O Symposium, the Rocky Mountain Renaissance and Medieval Association (RMMRA), and the International Shakespeare Theater Association, where she engaged in discussions on textual transmission and theatrical adaptation. She is excited to be presenting her first paper this year at the RMMRA Conference in Utah.
Beyond research, Bailey has hands-on experience in collections management, digitization, and archival accessibility. She has been serving as a Reading Room Assistant at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, where she assists researchers and facilitates access to rare materials. She has also worked as a Collections Digitization Assistant, contributing to the preservation and digital stewardship of a collection of zines at the Stairwell LA gallery. She is beyond thrilled to start the Instruction and Engagement fellowship at the Clark Library, and contribute to expanding access to its truly phenomenal collections.
-Bailey Hart, Library and Information Science, UCLA