Profile for Laura Godden

Laura Godden Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Assistant Professor

Murphy Library

Specialty area(s)

Special Collections/Area Research Center (SC/ARC) archives

Brief biography

The UWL Murphy Library Special Collections/Area Research Center (SC/ARC) archives houses a variety of unique and historic materials (most of which have some sort of local connection). In my role there, I collect, preserve, and provide access to these items of enduring value, aiding researchers from UWL, the surrounding community, and beyond. I frequently advise and consult on public history projects and other related matters, as well as present and write about historical topics, archives, and primary source records. I also serve as a regional National History Day (NHD) judge, City of La Crosse Heritage Preservation Commissioner (HPC), and La Crosse County Historical Society (LCHS) Discover the Silent City tour guide. Additionally, I am a member of the University of Wisconsin System Archives Council (UWSAC), UWL George Gilkey Special Collections Research Scholarship Committee, UWL Oral History Program (OHP) Board, and various other university and departmental level committees.

Current courses at UWL

I teach a select cohort of UWL undergraduate students practical, in-depth, and hands-on cultural heritage skills through professional-level employment in SC/ARC, providing them with invaluable experience for their post-graduation endeavors. I also conduct a large number of individualized instruction sessions for community groups and UWL classes of various disciplines (APH, ARC, ART, ECO, ENG, ERS, FYS/UWL100, GEO, HIS, REC, SAA, THA, WGS, and more). Additionally, I regularly help educators at all levels incorporate primary sources and other archival materials into their instruction and coursework.

Education

Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), 2018, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Concentration: Archival Studies

Master of Arts (MA), History, 2011, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Concentration: Ninetieth and twentieth-century American history

Bachelor of Science (BS), 2007, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Major: Broad Field Social Studies, Secondary Education
Second Major: Political Science, Minor: History
Wisconsin Teaching Licensure EA-A, 73, 701

Career

Teaching history

Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee History Department, September 2009-May 2011. Planned and led discussion sections, conducted assessment/grading, held office hours, constructed review sessions, and assisted enrolled undergraduate students.

HIS 131: World History to 1500
HIS 152: American History from 1877 to the Present
HIS 249: Second World War in Europe
HIS 287: Vietnam War

Professional history

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Murphy Library Special Collections/Area Research Center (SC/ARC), April 2012 to present.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, History Department Graduate Teaching Assistant, September 2009 to June 2011.

Research and publishing

Godden, Laura, Teri Holford, Patricia Stovey, and Tiffany Trimmer. “Friendly Finding Aid: A Collaborative Way to Build Primary Source Research Foundations.” In Embracing Change: Alternatives to Traditional Research Writing Assignments, editors Silke Higgins and Ngoc-Yen Tran, 111-130. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2022.

“University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Murphy Library Special Collections and Area Research Center (ARC).” In A Resident's Guide to La Crosse, Wisconsin: An Anthology of Essays Written by the Leaders of La Crosse’s Most Well-Respected Businesses, Clubs, Organizations, and Events, 100+ Things to Do in America’s Cities Series, xx-xx. Racine, WI: Z Publishing House, forthcoming.

Postcard History Series: La Crosse. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2015. F587.L14 G72 2015, Search@UW Library Catalog Entry.

“Homecoming, the Lantern, and the Lighting of the ‘L.’” In We’ve Hung the Lantern: A Visual History of the First 50 Years of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, by Leslie F. Crocker, 64-92. Houston, MN: Looney Valley Publications, 2013. F589.L17 C72 2013, Search@UW Library Catalog Entry.

“La Crosse, Wisconsin’s Oehler Mill: The Gradual Reinvention of an Historic Landmark.” University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2011. F589.L15 O44 2012, Search@UW Library Catalog Entry.

“Forgotten Peacemaker in a World Moving Toward War: Herbert Hoover’s Unique Brand of Foreign Policy in a Climate of Isolationism.” M.A. Thesis in History. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 2011. 121 pages. E1000 .G579 2011, Search@UW Library Catalog Entry.