Monday, May 4, 2026

Reviving a Legend: Circus Route Books & Entertainment History

(This is a personal story by Josh Jenkins.)

One of my best memories from my teenage years is eating dinner while watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on a small TV in the kitchen. My mom did not like the show, but my dad and I watched it every week. I grew up with Star Wars, but Star Trek showed me a hopeful future. The crew of the Enterprise could ask their computer anything. The computer had so much information about space and Earth.

This show made me love science fiction and learning. It made me want to read more books and travel. I became a librarian because I love helping people find information. I studied digital curation and management at the University of North Carolina. I learned how to use technology to make information available to everyone.

Now, I work with circus route books to create digital records. This work helps people learn about circus history. I want to make sure that amazing stories about circus performers are not forgotten.

Josh Jenkins is studying library science at the University of North Carolina.

Vocabulary List:
6 words · tap to reveal
ON

Accent

Curate/ˈkjʊə.reɪt/verb
To select organize and look after the items in a collection or exhibition.

Information/ˌɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/noun
Data or knowledge communicated or received.

Circus/ˈsɜːr.kəs/noun
A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats clowns trained animals trapeze acts tightrope walkers jugglers musicians and other object acts.

Management/ˈmæn.ɪdʒ.mənt/noun
The process of dealing with or controlling things or people.

Digital/ˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.təl/adjective
Relating to or using signals or information represented by a series of the digits 0 and 1.

Hopeful/ˈhoʊp.fəl/adjective
Feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event.
Vocabulary List:
6 words · tap to reveal
ON
Accent
Curate/ˈkjʊə.reɪt/verb
To select organize and look after the items in a collection or exhibition.
Information/ˌɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/noun
Data or knowledge communicated or received.
Circus/ˈsɜːr.kəs/noun
A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats clowns trained animals trapeze acts tightrope walkers jugglers musicians and other object acts.
Management/ˈmæn.ɪdʒ.mənt/noun
The process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
Digital/ˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.təl/adjective
Relating to or using signals or information represented by a series of the digits 0 and 1.
Hopeful/ˈhoʊp.fəl/adjective
Feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event.

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