NCC News: News

Specialist Spotlight: Kana Jenkins

This year we are periodically shining a spotlight on the librarians and information specialists of NCC who are often behind the scenes working to support students, faculty, and staff. Whether you’re in the classroom to learn or teach or are conducting research near or far, these hardworking individuals make Japanese Studies possible.

This week for our Specialist Spotlight we feature Kana Jenkins, Curator of the Gordon W. Prange Collection and East Asian Studies Librarian at the University of Maryland Libraries. Jenkins brings diverse expertise to her work as an information specialist, strengthening both multilingual disciplinary studies at UMD as well as special collections and university archives.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, Jenkins holds an MLIS from the University of Maryland (2020). Since then she has developed her professional interests in user services, the intersection of archival collections and pedagogy, and using social media as a tool for promoting institutional resources.

As the curator of the Gordon W. Prange Collection, Jenkins has the privilege of managing a unique collection of postwar materials on Japan that includes one of the most substantial archives of Japanese print publications from this time period. Serving in the capacities of librarian, archivist, and educator, Jenkins uses the Prange Collection print materials, including books, newspapers, posters, magazines, and more, to assist with research and instruction at UMD.

More recently, Jenkins has been seeking ways to get interested UMD students actively involved in information science and support their professional development and career goals. In 2018, she guided an iSchool intern through the ins and outs of collections processing with the Mead Smith Karras Papers, and in 2022, she participated in the Intern for a Day Program, hosting several undergraduate students as they shadowed her to learn about librarianship and curatorial work. Her dedication to pedagogical service also goes beyond the boundaries of UMD, hosting a National History Day workshop for high school students in the surrounding community.

Jenkins guides students through an examination of archival materials for National History Day 2019.

Jenkins continues to be actively involved in outreach programming at her own institution and beyond. As a part of NCC, Jenkins has served on our Outreach Working Group since 2019, assisting with our efforts to support researchers and students at institutions without comprehensive Japanese library resources and is a part of the Cooperative Collection Development Working Group, working to enhance North American collections to make them more broadly accessible. She plans to continue these efforts to engage people in and beyond the UMD community by sharing her expertise where it’s needed. You can follow the latest news about the Prange Collection via their accounts on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.