Xiaoxue Zhou

My initial motivation for interning at MOCA (Museum of Chinese in America) was to gain experience in collection management and to diversify - work in different types of museums. As a collection intern, I spent most of my time at the Collections & Research Center. The first project I worked on was to digitize and label Alan Cheng’s donation for the MOCA’s reference library. My second project was to assist another PhD intern in accessioning Chinese books of Dear Marcella’s donation. I also went to the new location of 215 Center Street every Tuesday to read and select newspaper clippings related to MOCA, Chinatown and MOCA’s collections for the museum’s institutional archives. 

I had a great time in MOCA and I am glad that I spent my summer there as a collection intern.  Since I was the only intern who could write and read Chinese, I had an opportunitiy to work on projects that interns usually don't have access to. And the experience of accessioning and directly handling collections also contributed to my career objectives of becoming a conservator. The main challenge of the internship was object handling. Megon Noble's 'Preservation and Management of Collections' class made me more qualified for the position. I developed a good relationship with MOCA staff and other interns of different academic backgrounds and interests. And I would recommend the internship to other Museology students who feel interested in working for Chinese cultures, Chinese immigrant history and spending their summer in New York City.