Ruth Kramer

Education

Simmons University, M.L.I.S.
Williams College, B.A. 

Biography

Ruth Kramer (she/her in workplace) is a doctoral student at the University of Virginia, where she began her course of study in the Fall of 2024. Previously, she obtained her B.A. in History and French at Williams College and her M.L.I.S. from Simmons University in May of 2024. A historian of 20th Century America, her research interests include periodical and magazine cultures, lesbian feminism, and archival formation within marginalized communities. 

In addition to her research, Kramer works at the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, where she currently serves as the graduate supervisor and lead researcher on the project "Contours of Community: Digitally Mapping Brown's Cove." This digital humanities project incorporates archival research, digital mapping techniques, and oral histories to tell in-depth, community-driven stories about this small section of rural Albemarle county. Prior to beginning her studies at UVA, Kramer worked as a Special Collections post-baccalaureate fellow at Williams College, where she worked primarily as a processing and reference archivist. 

Publications

Kramer, R.  “Archival Reflections: Disrupting History, Questioning Form, and Offering Alternative” Ampersand: An American Studies Journal. Vol. 3, Iss. 2. Spring 2025. 

Kramer, R. 2024 Jun 5. The Necessity of Embracing Collection Gaps: Moving Towards Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Collecting. RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage.