Skip to Main Content
  • About
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Campus Life
  • News & Media
  • Athletics
  • Support BC
  • Our Campus
  • Fast Facts
  • Administration
  • Initiatives, Plans and Policies
  • A Nationally Recognized Institution
  • International Education
  • Research
  • Our Past, Our Future
  • Offices and Services
  • Consumer Information
  • Contact Us
  • Schools
  • Academic Departments
  • Majors, Minors and Concentrations
  • Interdisciplinary Programs
  • Graduate Programs
  • Doctoral Programs
  • General Education
  • Honors Academy
  • Special Programs
  • International Programs and Study Abroad (IPSA)
  • Academic Resources
  • Library
  • Centers and Institutes
  • Academic Honor Societies
  • Technology
  • Research
  • Faculty
  • Course Schedules and Bulletins
  • Academic Calendar
  • Incoming Freshmen
  • Transfer Students
  • Graduate Students
  • International Students
  • Second-Degree Students
  • Other Students
  • Apply
  • Tuition, Fees and Payments
  • Financial Aid
  • Request Information
  • Visit Campus
  • Undergraduate Admissions Events
  • Graduate Admissions Events
  • BC News
  • BC In the Media
  • Research
  • Videos
  • Brooklyn College Magazine
  • Office of Communications and Marketing
  • Visit us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Email us a question
  • What the Campus Has to Offer
  • Vice President for Student Affairs
  • Division of Student Affairs
  • Student Clubs
  • Intramurals / Recreation
  • Health and Wellness
  • Orientation
  • Commencement
  • Veteran and Military Programs
  • Living in Brooklyn
  • Brooklyn College Foundation
  • Donate Now
  • Visit us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Email us a question
Brooklyn College

Brooklyn College logo
  • BC WebCentral
  • We Stand Against Hate
  • Calendar
  • Offices and Services
  • Library
  • Career Services
  • Honors Academy
  • Special Programs
  • Prospective Students
  • Current Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni & Friends
  • Admissions
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • Graduate Admissions
  • Apply Online
  • Transfer Evaluations Office
  • Campus Life
  • Financial Aid
  • Honors and Special Programs
  • Library
  • News and Media
  • Public Safety
  • Annual Security Report
  • Registrar
  • Academic Advising
  • Annual Security Report
  • Bookstore
  • Bursar
  • Calendars
  • Campus Life
  • Career Development and Internships
  • Commencement
  • Course Schedules and Bulletins
  • CUNY Blackboard
  • Enrollment Services Center
  • Financial Aid
  • Graduate Studies
  • Initiatives, Plans and Policies
  • International Programs and Study Abroad (IPSA)
  • Library
  • News and Media
  • Offices and Services
  • Pathways
  • Public Safety
  • Registrar
  • Registration Information
  • Resources for Undocumented Students and DACA
  • Scholarships and Awards
  • Student Handbook
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transfer Evaluations Office
  • Log into CUNYfirst
  • BC WebCentral Login
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Forgot Your WebCentral ID?
  • New Users
  • College Directory
  • Academic Affairs / Office of the Provost
  • Annual Security Report
  • Senior VP for Finance and Administration
  • Bookstore
  • Calendars
  • Campus Directory
  • Campus Life
  • Center for Teaching
  • CUNY Blackboard
  • Faculty Council
  • Faculty and Staff Development Opportunities (CUNY)
  • Human Resources
  • ITS (Information Technology Services)
  • Library
  • News and Media
  • Offices and Services
  • Public Safety
  • Sustainability
  • Transfer Evaluations Office
  • Webmail
  • Writing Across the Curriculum
  • Log into CUNYfirst
  • BC WebCentral Login
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Forgot Your WebCentral ID?
  • New Users
  • College Directory
  • Annual Security Report
  • Benefits and Services
  • Brooklyn College Alumni Association
  • Brooklyn College Foundation
  • Brooklyn College Magazine
  • Calendar of Events
  • Chapters and Affiliates
  • Get Involved and Give Back
  • Office of Alumni Engagement
  • Stay in Touch
  • Transcripts
  • Public Safety
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Academics
  • Schools
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Departments
  • History
  • Alumni Spotlight
  • Nathalie Belkin '13

Nathalie Belkin '13

Nathalie Belkin '13

Nathalie Belkin '13

Archivist at The London Library, St. James’s Square, London

In what ways do you feel your major in history helped to prepare you for your current career? Are there any skills that you developed as an undergraduate that are essential to your work? And can you give us an example (or examples) of this?

As an archivist it is essential to be able to tell the story of a city or a community, preserve pieces of history, hold people and institutions accountable, as well as improve transparency and access in order to connect researchers with the original documents they need. While this may seem like a lot to ask of a major, it was my major in history that gave me the basic tools I would need to enable this to happen.

First and foremost, the primary source research required and encouraged in most classes has been key to analyzing the importance of information generated from a particular time and place. Knowing how that information was used, shared and received from primary sources and then used by secondary sources, has been essential in organizing and understanding my work as an archivist.

I found that through readings, class discussions, and study I had more questions than answers. I developed skills that widened my scope of understanding. Instead of blindly agreeing or disagreeing with something I had read or heard, I found myself asking questions of history and the historians who created it. I wanted to know how and why certain choices were made. This has proven to be an invaluable skill I could not be without as I work with original materials today.

I am the first trained and experienced archivist to hold this position at The London Library. By using critical analysis skills learned from my time at Brooklyn College, I have been able to create a robust archive, one that is now understandable and accessible to colleagues, members and researchers. The organization of historical materials is not a straightforward matter of simply putting papers in chronological order, they need context.

The London Library archive is an institutional archive which contains materials from its inception to the present, with archival holdings dating back to 1675. Other materials include administrative records created by the Library’s staff, trustees and members, purchase and construction of the land and buildings surrounding the present day Library, collected papers of prior members, event outreach and membership records. Without a firm knowledge base of history and how it is told, as well as the ability to conduct historical research, I would never have been able to tell the story required to share the rich history of The London Library.

Are there any other reflections on your history major or time in the History Department that you'd like us to include in your spotlight?

I always loved history, with particular interest in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries of New York City and London. Initially I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go with the history major, or how I could plan a career around it. But I knew for certain I wanted to be able to conduct research, use primary sources, interact with other likeminded people, share the knowledge I found and make that information accessible. The encouragement and constructive criticism from professors, as well as the variety of classes the history department offered each semester helped to clarify these goals.

  • Alumni Spotlight

 

Hidden Pages:


Image of a phone with social media icons.

Let’s Stay Connected

Our social media directory features all our accounts from across campus.

Fall 2022 COVID-19 Guidelines

Fall 2022 COVID-19 Guidelines

Prepare for a crucial transition for the fall 2022 semester.

Group of faculty members

Outstanding Professors

Our highly trained faculty are leaders in their fields. Come learn from them.

View of the upper portions of buildings from the residential neighborhoods around the Brooklyn College campus.

Housing Options

Learn about housing options that are available in Brooklyn. 

  • Home
  • Directory
  • Employment
  • IT Remote Support
  • Remote Technology Resources
  • Privacy Policy
  • Policies
  • Contact
  • Text Only Website
  • Site Map
The City University of New York

© 2023 All Rights Reserved Brooklyn College
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210
718.951.5000 -10.1.1.11