The sophomore got hands-on research experience creating his Bible exhibit
December 2022 – Elliot Franklyn C’25 recently curated an exhibit with Drew University’s Special Collections & University Archives featuring four of the collection’s historic Bibles.
Included in the exhibit are two recent donations, one from Franklyn and his father, the Geneva Bible, and another, the first Bible printed in New Jersey.
Unsure of where to go when needing to do research on the history of individual books, the experience of curating an exhibit was an insightful opportunity for Franklyn.
“My exhibit focuses on what makes these historic Bibles from our collection so special, such as typos and word choices, so I had to make sure I was finding the information about my specific version and not another,” Franklyn explained.
“Many older books have multiple versions released throughout history, so it was necessary to find accurate information about the exact version I was researching. Figuring out where to look was crucial, and that process was a major takeaway from this experience.”
Franklyn encouraged members of the Drew community to explore the Special Collections & University Archives resources—”no appointment necessary”—for themselves, and take advantage of the “hidden gem on campus.”
Though only a sophomore, Franklyn’s current career plans include entering the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies‘ Master of Arts in Teaching program to become a secondary education history teacher.
“Working in the archives has made me even more curious about history and really gives me the opportunity to work hands-on with objects that I have studied and learned about in my classes,” he said. “As a history teacher, I want to pass my knowledge on to students with the hopes that they, too, might have a similarly amazing opportunity that I’m experiencing now.”
