For Erica Rousseau, working in Special Collections at UTA Libraries is a bit like being Indiana Jones—minus the runaway boulders and ancient booby traps. Instead of venturing through tombs, she spends her days making historical items accessible to scholars, researchers and history enthusiasts by carefully organizing and describing them.  

Rousseau’s passion for history took root while she was a student at Tarleton State University. A pivotal moment came when she accompanied a professor to an archive in Liberty, Texas. That visit would change the course of her career. 

“The archivist there was so wonderful,” Rousseau recalls. “I told her I had never been to an archive before, and she took the time to show me around. It was then that I realized just how important archivists are—and that this was something I could do. That trip sparked my love for archives and history.” 

As a processing archivist, Rousseau plays a vital role in making Special Collections’ extensive holdings available to the public. The archive continues to expand, with recent acquisitions including Libraries supporter Dianne Powell’s personal map collection, a UTA Mavericks baseball uniform, and a collection of Spanish and Mexican comics. With so much history to uncover, Rousseau’s job is both exciting and essential. 

“My goal is to tackle our backlog and make as many collections accessible as possible,” Rousseau explains. “These materials could be the missing piece in someone’s dissertation or research project. One collection could be the key to unlocking discoveries.” 

One of her current projects is processing a collection of Antarctic postage stamps and postal covers donated by NBC 5 meteorologist David Finfrock. The collection also includes more than 150 Antarctic maps, which will be added to the Libraries’ archives. 

“As we’ve been going through these postage stamps, I’ve even learned how to read Russian and Japanese postmarks,” she says. “You never know what you’ll come across in the archives. One day, it could be documents from a student organization; the next, materials related to the civil rights movement. Each day is a new adventure.” 

Rousseau’s journey within UTA Libraries has taken her through several departments, from Digitization Services to Open Partnerships and Services. Seeing the diverse work being done across the Libraries has given her a deep appreciation for how they continue to evolve and serve the community. 

“I feel like we are heading in a great direction as a library,” Rousseau says. “Our focus on achieving R1 and Association of Research Libraries status pushes us to think outside the box regarding research and services. It’s an exciting time for UTA Libraries, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” 

From preserving rare collections to helping researchers, Rousseau is doing more than managing archives—she’s helping shape the future of historical research at UTA Libraries. And while she may not carry a whip or wear a fedora, her work is no less adventurous.