Also included in the archives are the student papers of future directors of major art museums.

“We have been a base for the training of museum professionals since the 1920s,” Cohn says. “The papers in our possession reflect the growth in art museums around the country and around the world.”

A familiar face in Radcliffe Yard, Salis has worked in the Schlesinger Library for the past sixteen years. She says she “stumbled upon” the opportunity to apply for the new curator position last September.

“I literally hadn’t looked at a job posting in eight years,” she says. “I knew it was a golden opportunity for me. I’m hoping to contribute to the museums—I know I’ll be able to.”

Cohn, a member of the curator search committee, cited Salis’ personality, experience working with archives in Schlesinger, and involvement with professional archivists associations as traits that persuaded the committee to recommend her.

Salis is enjoying work in her coveted corner office in the Fogg.

“It’s a pleasant work environment,” she says.

And the piles of paper stacked around her haven’t deterred Harvard’s first art museum curator. “There’s a whole realm of things for me to sink my teeth into,” she says. “It really energizes me.”

—Staff writer Kristi L. Jobson can be reached at jobson@fas.harvard.edu.