Melanie Sigman
Conservation Archivist at South Carolina Department of Archives and History- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Scott McDermott
March 22, 2018 I am delighted to recommend Melanie Sigman for any position in museum curating or archives/collections. It was my pleasure to have Melanie as a student in History 201, U.S. History to 1877, during Block 2 of Fall Semester 2014 at Tusculum College, and again in History 323, The Civil War, during Block 7 of Spring Semester 2015. Melanie impressed me as undoubtedly one of the brightest and most committed students I have ever taught – the sort of student who renews one’s faith in the promise of higher education. I got to know Melanie quite well during History 201, because she invariably arrived at our classroom half an hour early, well before anyone else. We would often chat on historical topics, that is, when she was not spending the extra time reviewing her notes so as to better participate in group work and discussions. About halfway through the block, Melanie came down with a bad cold which any other student would have used as an excuse for one or more sick days. In fact, one day she looked so sick that I told her she could go home with an excused absence if she wanted to. Melanie refused, saying she would rather not miss any material. This should tell you something about her work ethic. There is no doubt in my mind that Melanie can handle the stress and demanding workload of any professional position. Melanie did not dominate our discussions in either class, but her frequent comments were always on point, insightful, and helpful to the conversation. Often during both courses, Melanie would contribute information of which I was unaware but which invariably proved quite accurate. My classes are built around active learning methods, especially group work, and in her unassuming way, Melanie was certainly the leader of her groups. She always remained on very friendly terms with her fellow group members, who clearly both respected her intellect and liked her as a person. In History 201, Melanie wrote two outstanding papers for me. The first had to do with the trial of Anne Hutchinson, and the second with Salem witchcraft. Melanie was one of the few students who submitted drafts of both papers to me for comments, so that I was able to work with her quite closely during the writing process. In her work on Hutchinson, Melanie proved herself to be a bold and original thinker who was also amenable to constructive criticism. For instance, when I suggested that Hutchinson herself would have resisted the label
Scott McDermott
March 22, 2018 I am delighted to recommend Melanie Sigman for any position in museum curating or archives/collections. It was my pleasure to have Melanie as a student in History 201, U.S. History to 1877, during Block 2 of Fall Semester 2014 at Tusculum College, and again in History 323, The Civil War, during Block 7 of Spring Semester 2015. Melanie impressed me as undoubtedly one of the brightest and most committed students I have ever taught – the sort of student who renews one’s faith in the promise of higher education. I got to know Melanie quite well during History 201, because she invariably arrived at our classroom half an hour early, well before anyone else. We would often chat on historical topics, that is, when she was not spending the extra time reviewing her notes so as to better participate in group work and discussions. About halfway through the block, Melanie came down with a bad cold which any other student would have used as an excuse for one or more sick days. In fact, one day she looked so sick that I told her she could go home with an excused absence if she wanted to. Melanie refused, saying she would rather not miss any material. This should tell you something about her work ethic. There is no doubt in my mind that Melanie can handle the stress and demanding workload of any professional position. Melanie did not dominate our discussions in either class, but her frequent comments were always on point, insightful, and helpful to the conversation. Often during both courses, Melanie would contribute information of which I was unaware but which invariably proved quite accurate. My classes are built around active learning methods, especially group work, and in her unassuming way, Melanie was certainly the leader of her groups. She always remained on very friendly terms with her fellow group members, who clearly both respected her intellect and liked her as a person. In History 201, Melanie wrote two outstanding papers for me. The first had to do with the trial of Anne Hutchinson, and the second with Salem witchcraft. Melanie was one of the few students who submitted drafts of both papers to me for comments, so that I was able to work with her quite closely during the writing process. In her work on Hutchinson, Melanie proved herself to be a bold and original thinker who was also amenable to constructive criticism. For instance, when I suggested that Hutchinson herself would have resisted the label
Scott McDermott
March 22, 2018 I am delighted to recommend Melanie Sigman for any position in museum curating or archives/collections. It was my pleasure to have Melanie as a student in History 201, U.S. History to 1877, during Block 2 of Fall Semester 2014 at Tusculum College, and again in History 323, The Civil War, during Block 7 of Spring Semester 2015. Melanie impressed me as undoubtedly one of the brightest and most committed students I have ever taught – the sort of student who renews one’s faith in the promise of higher education. I got to know Melanie quite well during History 201, because she invariably arrived at our classroom half an hour early, well before anyone else. We would often chat on historical topics, that is, when she was not spending the extra time reviewing her notes so as to better participate in group work and discussions. About halfway through the block, Melanie came down with a bad cold which any other student would have used as an excuse for one or more sick days. In fact, one day she looked so sick that I told her she could go home with an excused absence if she wanted to. Melanie refused, saying she would rather not miss any material. This should tell you something about her work ethic. There is no doubt in my mind that Melanie can handle the stress and demanding workload of any professional position. Melanie did not dominate our discussions in either class, but her frequent comments were always on point, insightful, and helpful to the conversation. Often during both courses, Melanie would contribute information of which I was unaware but which invariably proved quite accurate. My classes are built around active learning methods, especially group work, and in her unassuming way, Melanie was certainly the leader of her groups. She always remained on very friendly terms with her fellow group members, who clearly both respected her intellect and liked her as a person. In History 201, Melanie wrote two outstanding papers for me. The first had to do with the trial of Anne Hutchinson, and the second with Salem witchcraft. Melanie was one of the few students who submitted drafts of both papers to me for comments, so that I was able to work with her quite closely during the writing process. In her work on Hutchinson, Melanie proved herself to be a bold and original thinker who was also amenable to constructive criticism. For instance, when I suggested that Hutchinson herself would have resisted the label
Scott McDermott
March 22, 2018 I am delighted to recommend Melanie Sigman for any position in museum curating or archives/collections. It was my pleasure to have Melanie as a student in History 201, U.S. History to 1877, during Block 2 of Fall Semester 2014 at Tusculum College, and again in History 323, The Civil War, during Block 7 of Spring Semester 2015. Melanie impressed me as undoubtedly one of the brightest and most committed students I have ever taught – the sort of student who renews one’s faith in the promise of higher education. I got to know Melanie quite well during History 201, because she invariably arrived at our classroom half an hour early, well before anyone else. We would often chat on historical topics, that is, when she was not spending the extra time reviewing her notes so as to better participate in group work and discussions. About halfway through the block, Melanie came down with a bad cold which any other student would have used as an excuse for one or more sick days. In fact, one day she looked so sick that I told her she could go home with an excused absence if she wanted to. Melanie refused, saying she would rather not miss any material. This should tell you something about her work ethic. There is no doubt in my mind that Melanie can handle the stress and demanding workload of any professional position. Melanie did not dominate our discussions in either class, but her frequent comments were always on point, insightful, and helpful to the conversation. Often during both courses, Melanie would contribute information of which I was unaware but which invariably proved quite accurate. My classes are built around active learning methods, especially group work, and in her unassuming way, Melanie was certainly the leader of her groups. She always remained on very friendly terms with her fellow group members, who clearly both respected her intellect and liked her as a person. In History 201, Melanie wrote two outstanding papers for me. The first had to do with the trial of Anne Hutchinson, and the second with Salem witchcraft. Melanie was one of the few students who submitted drafts of both papers to me for comments, so that I was able to work with her quite closely during the writing process. In her work on Hutchinson, Melanie proved herself to be a bold and original thinker who was also amenable to constructive criticism. For instance, when I suggested that Hutchinson herself would have resisted the label
Experience
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South Carolina Department of Archives and History
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United States
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Government Administration
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1 - 100 Employee
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Conservation Archivist
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Oct 2021 - Present
I perform a variety of conservation treatments on rare and unique archival materials, including but not limited to: surface cleaning, tape removal, media stabilization, deacidification, compensation for losses (mending with heat-set tissue and Japanese paper), and routine and complex text block repairs. I also prepare and maintain records of work performed, prepare deaccessioned Bank of State of South Carolina notes for sale and advise staff, state and local officials, and general public on conservation and preservation issues. I keep the disaster recovery plan and preservation plan for the collection current, as well as inventory supplies. I track and maintain statistical information related to the collections preservation and alert my supervisor to any issues. I also identify and address any holding maintenance issues in the stacks directly related to document housing, location, and labeling. I accession and process archival records following in-house guidelines and procedures. This includes, but s not limited to assessing the records, determination and selection of needed documentation, and implementation of arrangement and conservation needs. I describe and catalog the records according to in-house guidelines and procedures and enter that information in the Proficio database and other finding aids. I create containers lists for unarranged collections. I provide reference services to patrons including interviews, demonstration of the operation of microfilm readers and copiers, demonstration of online finding aids, retrieval of requested records, and prepare photocopy orders Show less
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Legal Assistant
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Aug 2021 - Sep 2021
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Receptionist
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Jan 2021 - Jun 2021
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LGI Homes
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United States
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Real Estate
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700 & Above Employee
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Office Manager
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Mar 2020 - Dec 2020
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Atlanta History Center
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United States
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Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
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100 - 200 Employee
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Guest Experience Ambassador
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Apr 2019 - Feb 2020
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Graduate Archives Intern
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Jun 2018 - Sep 2018
I worked on the processing of a large collection known as the Mahan Family Papers. I performed inventory and processing. I created a scope and content note, as well as a folder-level container listing. I worked on the processing of a large collection known as the Mahan Family Papers. I performed inventory and processing. I created a scope and content note, as well as a folder-level container listing.
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Southeastern Quilt & Textile Museum
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United States
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Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
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1 - 100 Employee
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Daily Operations Manager
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Jan 2016 - Jul 2017
Created promotional artwork and advertisements; updated and maintained membership database; created correspondence; coordinated docent and volunteer hours; supervised interns Created promotional artwork and advertisements; updated and maintained membership database; created correspondence; coordinated docent and volunteer hours; supervised interns
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Intern
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May 2016 - Jul 2016
Helped update current exhibits. processed and cataloged collections. packaged items for storage. inventoried current collections. Helped update current exhibits. processed and cataloged collections. packaged items for storage. inventoried current collections.
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University of West Georgia
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Newnan History Project Curator
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Aug 2015 - Dec 2015
Curator for a historical program for the University of West Georgia's new campus based in a former city hospital built in the early 20th century. Conducted oral histories and research, created layout, wrote label copy. Curator for a historical program for the University of West Georgia's new campus based in a former city hospital built in the early 20th century. Conducted oral histories and research, created layout, wrote label copy.
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Tusculum College
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United States
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E-Learning Providers
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Phonathon Supervisor
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Aug 2014 - May 2015
Supervised student callers as they called alumni and friends; solicited monetary amounts for Tusculum Fund; diplomatically solved problems; created promotional artwork Supervised student callers as they called alumni and friends; solicited monetary amounts for Tusculum Fund; diplomatically solved problems; created promotional artwork
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Work Study Student
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Jan 2014 - May 2015
Cleaned documents and objects in the archives and collections; bound books with cardboard and cotton string; packaged artifacts to be moved and/or stored Cleaned documents and objects in the archives and collections; bound books with cardboard and cotton string; packaged artifacts to be moved and/or stored
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Intern
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May 2014 - Jul 2014
implemented and designed website. Identified medals. Curated exhibit: Women in the Military. implemented and designed website. Identified medals. Curated exhibit: Women in the Military.
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Office Assistant
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Mar 2011 - Aug 2013
Accepted payments via phone; made appointments; answered phone and questions; contact clients about appointments; administrative duties as assigned. Accepted payments via phone; made appointments; answered phone and questions; contact clients about appointments; administrative duties as assigned.
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Cashier
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Oct 2012 - Jul 2013
Processed payments; engaged with customers; stocked; trained new cashiers Processed payments; engaged with customers; stocked; trained new cashiers
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Education
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2019 - 2023
The University of Alabama
Master of Arts - MA, Library and Information Science -
2015 - 2018
University of West Georgia
Master of Arts (M.A.), Public/Applied History -
2013 - 2015
Tusculum College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Museology/Museum Studies -
2010 - 2012
Georgia Piedmont Technical College (formerly DeKalb Technical College)
Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.), Legal Assistant/Paralegal
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