Laura Michelson (she/her/they) received her BA in Medieval-Early Modern Studies from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. While there, her interests in book history led her to take part in the ACM Newberry Seminar: Research in the Humanities program, where she researched marginalia in early modern English books and was introduced to the professional field of libraries and archives. Laura received a MA in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa in 2020, with a joint certificate from the University of Iowa Center for the Book. As a graduate student assistant and an Olson Fellow working in the Special Collections Department of the University Libraries, they worked significantly with the Brewer-Leigh Hunt Collection which sparked a research interest in “gentleman’s libraries”, particularly of the 1920s, and how bibliophiles build their collections. From August 2020-October 2024, Laura was the Project Archivist of the Salisbury Collection at Grinnell College. In this term, worked to curate a unique collection, fostering research and increasing accessibility, conducting instruction, creating interpretation, designing exhibits both digital and in-person, and continuing research into library history and practicing conscious curation. In October 2024, Laura joined University of Iowa Special Collections & Archives as Maps Collection Librarian. This Carver Grant funded term focuses assessment and modernizing the stewardship of a major maps collection. Preservation and sustainable practices inform Laura’s work. Current research interests are book and library history, critical librarianship, land studies, maps and visual culture, and cosmography.