Who are Sourcerers?
Sourcerers are the backbone of Sourcery. They do the critical work of retrieving requested materials from all the different archives and creating reference scans. In contrast to research assistants who review and select documents while in the reading room, Sourcerers scan entire folders or volumes so the Researcher can review and evaluate the materials as if they were flipping through them in the archive themselves. Sourcerers produce scans that enable researchers to get critical documents, expand their source base, and streamline their access to archival materials. But who are Sourcerers?
Our Sourcerers are archive aficionados either working or training in the library and research professions. Most are information professionals — current library school students, early and mid-career librarians and archivists, or retired museum and library professionals. They enjoy working with a variety of archival materials and appreciate the opportunity to advance their skills while making a valuable contribution to the research ecosystem.
Others are current or recently graduated advanced humanities students, who also enjoy working in archives. Sourcery is a compensated way to explore archives, collections, and materials they otherwise would not see. And fulfilling requests at an archive in which they are already working is a great way to help fund their own research trip. While in the reading room, why not call an extra box or two and get paid to create scans for someone who can’t make the trip?
You can get to know some of our Sourcerers better by reading their blog posts and profiles!
Meet Maddie House-Tuck, a return beta-tester and Sourcerer who has been working closely with us since Summer of 2025: https://sourceryapp.org/2025/09/23/sourcery-research-ambassador-meet-maddie/
Meet Brandon Harrington, another return beta-tester and Sourcerer: https://sourceryapp.org/2025/11/03/tips-for-sourcerers-from-a-beta-tester/
Lastly, meet Meagan Schulman, a beta-tester and Sourcerer:
➡️ Interested in becoming a Sourcerer? Apply today to join our army of Sourcery Expansion Ambassadors here: https://forms.gle/GtG4sRAXScbm1obh6
