What experiences led you to your work with HMML?

A love for libraries, knowing great mentors, and having a knack for learning all led to my work with HMML. As a high school student, I worked for the Dakota County Library System in Minnesota, processing new books. After graduating from CSB with a degree in German, Secondary Education, and Coaching, I obtained a degree in English from SCSU while working at the periodicals counter in the SCSU library. I then worked for the Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud for eight years—working my way from packing book bags for the delivery van, to a circulation desk library assistant, to a registration clerk and, finally, the systems librarian. A move to rural Minnesota led me into the private sector at Bankers Systems in St. Cloud for five years as a software support specialist.

Throughout all these positions, I had incredible mentors who showed me the ropes of libraries and computers and gave me a good skill base to apply for the digital assistant job at HMML, where I once again found a great mentor in my supervisor, the Director of Digital Collections & Imaging.

I can say all these experiences led me to HMML but—full disclosure—my husband found the ad for this position in the Dairyland Peach newspaper, a weekly advertising and local news publication serving Sauk Centre, Minnesota, and surrounding areas. He suggested I apply.

A view of the Hoppe Farm pasture from the Gramma Mile walking path. Photograph by Mary Hoppe, used with permission.

What does a Digital Projects Assistant do? How do you see your role?

Official duties of the HMML Digital Projects Assistant include implementing the digital collection workflow for HMML’s manuscript images: managing archiving tasks; cataloging, storing, and retrieving digital resources; fulfilling requests for digital media materials; and duplicating and distributing digital content as needed by HMML and its constituencies.

I also help maintain existing archival collections: recording and maintaining data related to analog and digital asset storage, tracking progress of projects, creating backup copies of important databases and lists. Those are some of the official duties.

Unofficially, I help wherever I can. When we remodeled HMML in 2014, I helped move dozens of book carts to a temporary shelving location and then back again after the remodel was completed. Over the years, I helped stuff hundreds of envelopes to donors because the annual mailing needed to get out. I helped an Eagle Scout candidate learn about rare book digital photography and spoke at his award ceremony in the Twin Cities. I hosted HMML visitors from Mali for a hayride at my family’s farm and to a neighboring farm for a demonstration of a dairy calf computerized-feeding system.

I’m sure all the other employees at HMML have their own lists! I believe that to truly embrace working for a nonprofit, the employees need to work together with no one person being more important than another. Everyone must be willing to do those “other duties as assigned,” which cover a plethora of tasks at a nonprofit.

I have given many digital photography demonstrations for students, new staff, visitors, and donors. One donor was particularly interested in our digital photography studio and asked numerous questions about my job. He ended the conversation by asking me what my title was. I told him, “Digital Projects Assistant.” He advised me to ask for a more exciting title. This gave me a good laugh! (And, by the way, my title is fine.)

HMML digital photography studio. Photograph by Wayne Torborg.

Tell us about a project you’ve worked on at HMML that you’re especially proud of or that was meaningful to you.

It took a global pandemic to find the time to get this project going, but I genuinely enjoyed working on the Vööbus Syriac Manuscript Collection created by Dr. Arthur Vööbus (1909–1988), a renowned Estonian scholar, teacher, and minister. My project consisted of creating a system of organizing the more than 65,000 photographs that Dr. Vööbus made of Syriac manuscripts on his travels (learn more about the project).

Fun example of a creative photography studio in the Vööbus collection. Photograph by Arthur Vööbus. (MAR_422_Page_1143_007-full image)

Much of the organization was done working from home in 2020. After creating the system and manually organizing all the film strips, the strips needed to be individually scanned and then HMML’s Director of Information Systems created a website to share the images. Receiving positive and grateful feedback from Dr. Vööbus’ daughter was a bonus to the completion of the online project.

My 2020 home office featuring boxes of Vööbus film. Photograph by Mary Hoppe, used with permission.

More recently, I have been involved in the collaborative process of redesigning the image order workflow. The new system will be deployed by the time this is published. It’s nerdy, but I find it satisfying to have a new system that will help all parties involved do their work in a more efficient manner!

Do you feel that your work at HMML has changed you? If so, how?

Yes, indeed, HMML has changed my view of the world. I have learned about countries I didn’t even know existed and their cultural heritages. Their stories have helped me to understand the importance of history and preservation on a deeper level. HMML has employees and connections all over the world. I hear first-hand accounts of insects, demolition, war, weather, and more that are causing damage and destruction of manuscripts. The stories coming from real people in real time have helped me become a much more empathetic person.

What do you like to do in your free time outside of HMML?

I enjoy anything active and outside. Working on our farm, biking, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and ice skating are some of my favorite activities. But I also love grabbing a good book and hanging out in a boat or on the rocky shore of Lake Superior. My husband, daughter, and I really enjoy traveling with our German friends on adventures in the U.S. and in Europe. I have stepped back from Girl Scout leader and volleyball coach and instead try identifying needs in my community and helping in any way I can. And I’m not afraid to say, I love a good nap when I can catch one.

Relaxing on the shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Photograph by Mary Hoppe, used with permission.