Digitizing History at Bodega Marine Laboratory’s Cadet Hand Library
An SRJC-BML Internship Story
Parker Stagnoli is a 2nd year student at SRJC majoring in molecular biology. He plans to transfer in Fall 2026 and pursue a career in research.
When I first applied to intern at the Bodega Marine Laboratory for the summer, I doubted there was a position that could engage my multi-disciplinary interests in biology, journalism, and computer science. As it turned out, that place did exist: it was BML’s Cadet Hand Library. My mentor was Molly Engelbrecht, BML’s knowledgeable librarian.
Together, we worked on a digitization project for the Student Reports Collection which holds over four thousand student papers stretching back almost a century of study. The rich data within these volumes offers insight into the past of Bodega Bay and surrounding ecosystems.
I began by designing an Excel system to efficiently organize and ship out the final third of the collection. With all the volumes being processed, I then shifted to familiarizing myself with the library’s database software, DB/TextWorks. This culminated in a proposal of three strategies for integrating the report PDFs into their respective catalog records.
Towards the end of my internship, I also adopted an oral history project. My goal was to enrich the library’s archives through the spoken word of key community members. As a prototype, Molly and I recorded an interview with Dr. Donald Mykles, who completed his doctorate at BML and has continued to collaborate here since.
I carefully reviewed the collection of letters Dr. Mykles had donated to the library as preparation. In our wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Mykles touched on his own career, advancements in his field, his philosophies in mentorship, and compared the BML of the past to the present.
Overall, I’m very thankful for the broad perspectives I acquired during my time in the Cadet Hand Library. Of course, science could not exist without bench or field work; Molly also gave me freedom to explore these aspects of research by shadowing in the Brown lab and sitting in on a toxicology class. But behind the scenes, there is so much infrastructure that supports the advancement of science. My time in the library gave me vital insight into this world, all while developing a versatile skillset.
About the Program:
The SRJC-BML Internship Program provides summer research opportunities for Santa Rosa Junior College students at the Bodega Marine Laboratory.