WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) today applauded Caren Lewis of Stamford for her selection to the Library of Congress’s 2012 Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program. Lewis was one of 38 college students selected from over 600 applicants to spend the summer working under Library curators and specialists to explore and increase access to the institution’s unparalleled collections and resources. Lewis is a Writing Seminars major at Johns Hopkins University and is working in the Hebraic section categorizing thousands of historical documents that span decades, cultures, and topics.

“Congratulations to Caren for being selected for this prestigious program,” said Congressman Himes. “The preservation of our history is one of the most important functions of the Library of Congress – the nation’s library – and I am encouraged to see a student who is so interested in delving into our heritage and that of other nations.”

“Since childhood, books were always just ‘there,’ but I have now seen just a little bit of how much work goes into sorting, cataloging, and displaying them,” said Lewis. “Not only do I get to work in a library, I get to work in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress – in my opinion one of the most beautiful buildings in our nation’s already stunning capital.”

Lewis will select a few of the myriad pieces she helps inventory for a special exhibit at the end of the summer. She will also meet with Himes to discuss her experiences at the Library of Congress.