As the old story goes, Milligan has a way of becoming a family tradition. Mrs. Katie Banks is now a part of this tradition, sharing all of Milligan’s old stories with the campus and community as she takes over as Information Resources Librarian and College Archivist. Mrs. Banks will be working in the P.H. Welshimer Memorial Library Archives this semester, working towards increasing awareness and cultivating a user-friendly environment for historical research, two goals she has for the archives this year.
“It’s my dream job to work here.” Banks said, “It felt like coming back home.” Many faculty members remember Banks as Katie Siebenaler from her undergraduate years. Banks followed in her parents’ footsteps attending Milligan College and meeting her husband here. She graduated in 2015 with a double major in History and Humanities and obtained her graduate degree in library science with an emphasis on archives from Indiana University.
Mrs. Banks is passionate and knowledgeable about Milligan history, from both archived documents and her own time living in Sutton Hall which she highly regards. Mrs. Banks was also the first person to work an internship in the archives at Welshimer Library during her senior year of undergrad. Banks said, “God had a plan to bring me back here. It’s way better than anything I could’ve imagined.”
Banks took an interest in history from her father who taught her that history was “stories to learn, not just dates and people to memorize.” Archives provide a unique way to research history by providing the primary documents that create history. Through archives, members of the community have the ability to learn about Milligan history by looking at the documents, such as letters written to people who were students generations ago. “They become almost like a friend to you.” Banks said.
“I do work with my actual family, but everyone else feels like family too.” Banks said. Her father, David Siebenaler, is an adjunct Professor at Milligan and her mother, Deborah Siebenaler, is the Secretary of the area of Nursing. Banks loves the community at Milligan because it is a Christian environment where God is a priority, and she is surrounded by like-minded people.
Banks laughed saying that she fits the generic librarian stereotype in terms of her hobbies and interests. She enjoys reading, of course, as well as knitting, crocheting and playing piano. Banks enjoys both classic films and artistic films. In her spare time, she also stage manages for her husband Daniel Banks (’12), currently working on his production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] at The Bonnie Kate Theater.
When asked Banks to tell the one thing she wants the Milligan Community to know she replied, “We are a fun group of people in the library so come hang out with us.”