Annual Review '25-26: Past Meets Purpose

When Eli Kumin applied for a student assistant position at Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the end of his sophomore year, he was simply looking for a job to help support his time at KU. He didn’t know that job would introduce him to a mentor, uncover a passion for medieval history, and help set the course for his future.

Now, as he prepares for graduate work in Medieval Studies at 
Trinity College in Dublin with library school also on the horizon, 
the impact is clear.

“Working at the libraries is the most valuable experience I've 
had at KU,” Kumin said.  

Kumin began working in Spencer Library public services where he staffed the reception desk, checked patrons in to the reading room or helped visitors find their way to exhibits or meeting spaces. As part of his duties, he learned how to perform catalog checks, shelve items, retrieve materials, and carry out other daily tasks of the library.

In addition to developing strong skills in information organization and honing the attention to detail required for archival work, Kumin said some of his most meaningful learning moments at the library included opportunities to collaborate and communicate with others.

“I came to KU very shy, and I feel like being a public-facing representative has helped me open up and be better at talking to people and engaging with people," Kumin said. “That's been really valuable.”

In the fall of his junior year, Kumin’s libraries experience took a momentous turn when he connected with Digital Humanities Librarian John McEwan. Through the libraries’ Sanders Scholars program, Kumin worked with McEwan to improve search tools for Spencer’s sigillographic collections — medieval seals that often survive as part of historic documents, in this case parchment manuscripts from 13^th century England that are part of Spencer’s Abbey Dore Collection.

The sigillography collaboration proved to be a natural fit for Kumin, a May 2026 graduate with a bachelor’s degree including majors in English, Classics, and Philosophy, as well as established interests in history and Latin. The project also activated his drawing skills as he worked to recreate visual representations of the seals for the catalog. The work quickly turned into a passion and represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of his interests and career plans.

“Working on that project was probably almost entirely responsible for my decision to go on to graduate school in Medieval Studies,” Kumin said. “And it was really through Dr. McEwan that I figured out I want to focus on 12^th through 14^th century England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.”

Before heading to Ireland in fall 2026, Kumin spent one more summer working at Spencer Library and taking part in another project with McEwan, who became an important mentor. As McEwan conducted research at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England, Kumin lent support from Kansas by turning scans of historic seal materials into structured data for future use.

As he traced lives from centuries ago, Kumin found something of his own: a clearer sense of what he loves, and where he’s going next.

This story first appeared in KU Libraries 2025-26 Annual Review, a publication that reviews accomplishments of the past year and provides a glimpse of priorities moving forward. See this story and discover more in the full issue via the downloadable pdf.