Matthew Gray recently joined the Collections Directorate, reporting to Laura Bang, Digital and Special Collections curatorial assistant, and Michael Foight, Digital and Special Collections coordinator. The Collections Directorate consists of several critical library functions to support Falvey Memorial Library’s general and distinctive collections.

Since reporting as Digital Library intern, Gray has been involved in a number of projects. “Right now, I’m working in the scan lab digitizing a collection,” Gray exclaims. After scanning the collection, Gray will upload the images to the Library’s online server. “I’m in charge of the metadata for [that] collection…helping to facilitate access to the items so people are able to find them” he explains.

Gray is also working with Demian Katz, director of Library Technology, digitizing Falvey’s dime novel collection. He is also assisting Sue Ottignon, research/web services librarian, on the Sherman-Thackara Collection, and is aiding Bang in digitizing the Smith Map Collection.

A native of Oklahoma, Gray earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2016. He is currently working on his Master of Library and Information Science at Rutgers University. “Preserving and providing access to history is something that I’m passionate about” Gray describes of his work at Falvey. In his free time, Gray enjoys hiking, traveling, reading science fiction novels and watching television shows in the same genre.