History 21 The Podcast - 3.02 Meet Kassandra Mackenthun
Kassandra Mackenthun joined the ACHS staff as their new Collections Manager at the end of 2022. In this episode she sat down with her new boss, Rebecca, and talked about how she thinks about history, what she wants to tackle first in the collection, and her joy in sharing history with family.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director
Kassandra in her graduation gown.
A note from Kassandra Mackenthun
Hey there! I am excited to be back at Anoka County Historical Society permanently as an archivist. I was here in summer of 2021 as one of the special collections interns for Federal Cartridge Company collection, which to date is still one of my favorite projects that I had the opportunity to be a part of. During that time, I was also a graduate student at Minnesota State University Mankato. I just recently graduated in December with my MS in History and I am excited to put my newly minted degree to good use. My fondness for all things history goes back much further, beginning with my family history. I am originally from Glencoe, where I grew up on a farm that has now been in my family for seven generations. Story telling was always a central part of my childhood, which guided me to choose to get both of my degrees in history. With local historical societies and house museums’ family histories like my own, so it seemed only natural for me to choose a career as a museum professional.
I have worked in museums on and off for the last seven years—fresh out of undergrad I was hired as a collections intern with the Siouxland Heritage Museums in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. My next museum adventure was working as a seasonal historical interpreter for the Minnesota Historical Society at the Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River. After experiencing the full range of museum professional work, I knew my heart was in collections, so I applied to graduate school with a goal of being hired as an archivist not long after graduation. Serendipitously, the ACHS team was on the hunt for a new archivist and I was eager to work with them again—the rest is history.
My plan for the ACHS’s collection going forward is to continue to foster a collection that uses familial and personal stories to reflect the county’s communal history, because I have always cherished this type of history. When I am not wearing my archivist hat, I am spending time with my husband and our five cats and one dog on my family farm. A few of my favorite pastimes are reading, cooking, and Scrabble. I look forward to serving the Anoka community to the best of my abilities and making meaningful connections with its residents!
Searching for items in the archive sometimes means wearing the light on your head.
Kassandra’s desk with cozy quilted accents, a lamp and sunny flower.
Anoka County Library Minute
Further Reading:
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No Hard Feelings: the secret power of embracing emotions at work by Liz Fosslien (158.7 FOS)
A visual exploration of how to embrace emotion at work and become more authentic and fulfilled while staying professional. Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy take a charming and deeply researched look at how emotions affect our professional lives and how we can navigate emotions at work. The modern workplace can be an emotional minefield filled with unwritten rules. As our jobs become more collaborative, complex, and stressful, effectively embracing emotion is more important than ever.
Joy at Work: organizing your professional life by Marie Kondo (650.1 KON)
In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. This book will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.
Choosing Courage: the everyday guide to being brave at work by James R. Detert (650.13 DET)
We all have opportunities to be courageous at work. But since courage requires risk, we often fail to act, which leaves us feeling powerless and regretful for not doing what we know is right. Jim Detert, the world's foremost expert on workplace courage, explains that courage isn't a character trait that only a few possess; it's a virtue developed through practice. Choosing Courage will give you a fresh perspective on the power of voicing your authentic ideas and opinions.
Our organizations benefit as friendships at work result in higher levels of workplace productivity, employee retention, safety, innovation, collaboration, and profitability. In The Business of Friendship, friendship expert Shasta Nelson inspires readers to see why friendship is crucial to our health and our careers and teaches us exactly how to develop the supportive and meaningful connections we need.
The Remix: how to lead and succeed in the multigenerational workplace by Lindsey Pollak (658.3 POL)
The Remix: how to lead and succeed in the multigenerational workplace is the essential guide for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees looking to navigate today's multigenerational workplace, which spans more generations than ever before. To lead and succeed in any organization today, you must adapt to how Millennials work, while continuing to accommodate their older colleagues and paying attention to the next generations coming up. The Remix shows you how to adapt and win through proven strategies that serve all generations' needs.
Wellbeing at Work: how to build resilient and thriving teams by Jim Clifton (658.382 CLI)
One-third of Americans have shown signs of clinical anxiety or depression, and the current state of suffering globally has risen significantly. The mental health pandemic manifests everywhere, not least in your workplace. Increasingly, leaders and managers must support mental health and cultivate resilience in employees -- not just increase engagement and performance. Based on more than 100 million Gallup global interviews, Wellbeing at Work shows you how to do just that.
Upstream: the quest to solve problems before they happen by Dan Heath (658.403 HEA)
Upstream probes the psychological forces that push us downstream, where we respond to problems as they happen. Heath suggests we switch to an upstream mindset that focuses on the systems that cause the problems and introduces us to thinkers who have succeeded with this change in mindset.
The Rule Book by Jennifer Blackwood (FICTION BLA)
Book 1 in the Rule Breakers series. Starr Media Second-Assistant Survival Guide 1. Don't call your hot boss the antichrist to his face. 2. Don't stare at hot boss's, um, package or his full sleeve of tattoos. (No. Really. Stop!) 3. Don't get on the malicious first assistant's bad side. 4. Don't forget to memorize the 300-page employee manual. 5. If you value your cashmere, steer clear of boss's dog. 6. Boss's dimples are lust-inducing. Do. Not. Give. In. 7. "The elevator ate your clothes" is not a valid excuse for showing up to important meetings half dressed. 8. Don't break seven of the rules within the first week of employment if you, ya know, are in dire need of money to support your sick mom. 9. Whatever you do, don't fall for the boss. See rule eight about sick mom. 10. Never forget the rules.
Geared for children 12 to 18, this illustrated guidebook from New York Times bestselling author and financial expert Jean Chatzky, Kathryn Tuggle, and their team at HerMoney, breaks down the basics of money - how to earn it, manage it, and use it - giving you all the tools you need to take charge and be fearless with personal finance. How to Money will teach you the basics of: creating a budget (and sticking to it), scoring that first job (and what that paystub means), navigating student loans (and avoiding student debt), getting that first credit card (and what "credit" is) and investing like a pro (and why it's important!).
Earning Money by J.P. Press (E332.024 PRE)
Earning Money, meant for children in Kindergarten to 1st grade, looks at why we need money, and how to develop early money management skills. Bright photos and child friendly examples make building financial literacy fun!
Manjhi Moves a Mountain by Nancy Churnin (E625.7 MAN CHU)
Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and chisel, grit, determination, and twenty years to carve a path through the mountain separating his poor village from the nearby village with schools, markets, and a hospital. Manjhi Moves a Mountain shows how everyone can make a difference if their heart is big enough. For children 5 and older.
Tanna’s Owl by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley (E QIT)
When Tanna's father brings home an abandoned owl, she is not eager to take care of the needy, ugly little bird. Tanna must wake at 4:00 AM to catch food for the owl. She must feed it, clean up after it, all while avoiding its sharp, chomping beak and big, stomping talons. After weeks of following her father's instructions on how to care for the owl, Tanna must leave home for school. Her owl has grown. As she says good-bye to the owl, she is relieved not to have to care for it anymore, but also a bit sad. This heartwarming story based on the author's own life experience teaches young readers the value of hard work, helping, and caring--even when the thing you are caring for does not love you back. Picture book.
Learning Express – Computer Skills Center; Job & Career Accelerator by EBSCO (Online resource)
Learning Express provides access to interactive tests, tutorials, and ebooks. This database includes a School Center, College Preparation Center, College Center, High School Equivalency Center, Adult Learning Center, Career Center, and Recursos para Hispanohablantes (Spanish Center). Create a user name and password to access courses and tests.