As I close the semester in this internship, it is a bittersweet type of feeling. I have learned so much in the last few months, from what accessioning is to helping set up events to inventorying and cataloging hundreds of items. Not only this, I learned why it is so important to properly care for and properly inventory items. A lack of these professional skills has made it incredibly difficult for Ashley Webb, as well as interns and volunteers, to discern exactly what is in the collection. I have learned just how much it takes to properly care of items and the amount of effort a simple inventory takes. It is no easy task and it was a privilege to have helped the organization. At the same time, there is still much work to be done. The title of this blog is a bit of a pun, since I have actually inventoried about a dozen or so forks. However, it is also important to state that it isn’t the end of the road, not for the HMWV. With all of the work left to be done, the road is simply forking to the side as I continue down my path and the museum keeps on striving to create a complete and accurate inventory and record system. I have learned that this job is too large for just a few people and must truly be a community effort through the help of volunteers and the community.
