As of 2017, Mary Markey retired from the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
What did you do at the Archives?
I am on the Smithsonian Institution Archives’ Reference Team, fielding questions from the public and researchers ranging from the scholarly to, “Where is the live brontosaurus the Smithsonian discovered in Africa in 1920?”
Favorite spot in DC to recommend to visitors:
The Mary Livingston Ripley Garden is truly the Smithsonian’s Secret Garden—tiny, enchanting, and with the most flowers in the smallest space you’ll ever see.
Collection favorites:
Record Unit 305, the Accession Records of the US National Museum, circa 1850-1958. Not only are these records the primary documentation of the Smithsonian collections, but I find a fascinating surprise every time I use them.