Petra Clark is an Instruction Librarian for Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library, Museums & Press. Since starting this role in 2023, her work has largely encompassed teaching and outreach using the collections, curating exhibitions in the library, and providing reference and research support. She is one of the curators of the exhibition What They Saved: Souvenirs and Mementos in Special Collections, on view in the Special Collections Gallery for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Before becoming a library professional, Petra earned an MA and a PhD in English from the University of Delaware, with a focus on Victorian print, visual, and material culture. From 2011-2021, she taught undergraduate courses in composition, literature, and the liberal arts at UD, Rowan University, and the Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD). Her scholarship has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Victorian Periodicals Review and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and most recently, in the edited collection Fashioning the Self: Identity and Style in British Culture (2023). As a graduate student, Petra was awarded DELPHI and Friends of Rockwood fellowships through CMCS and is delighted to now contribute to the Center’s work as a member of the advisory committee.