Parent Institution Name
Address
Boston Public Library – Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Interns may also accompany Archives Department staff to our off-site storage facility at the City of Boston Archival Center in West Roxbury.
Supervisor Email
Project Details
The BPL Archives Internship is an opportunity for graduate students in library, archival science, and public history graduate programs to gain hands-on experience working with BPL’s vast archival collections. Interns will contribute to ongoing collection management and descriptive work and help BPL improve access to materials stewarded by the Archives Team in BPL’s Special Collections Department.
The primary goal of the internship is to give interns meaningful experience working with archival collections and exposure to various Special Collections tasks that facilitate access to our collections. Interns may work with a range of formats and collection types, including organizational records, personal and professional papers, architectural plans and records, individual manuscripts, and photographic material. Interns may focus on a single project or a few smaller projects but will gain exposure to varied work of the department through a variety of tasks. Projects will vary based on the interests and skills of each intern, and the current needs and priorities of the Archives Department. Though interns may contribute a piece of a larger or ongoing collection project, each intern will finish the semester with concrete, evidentiary products to demonstrate their contributions.
Projects and tasks may include, but are not limited to: Surveying, verifying, and inventorying unprocessed collections; Helping to prepare collections for access in the reading room; Stabilizing and rehousing collections to improve storage conditions; Helping to prepare collection materials for digitization; Selecting archival materials for outreach and public programing, like the monthly Special Collections samplers and open houses; Improving finding aid notes and description to bring finding aids up to compliancy with DACS
Interns will be paired with a BPL archivist who will serve as the primary internship supervisor and advisor. Interns will meet regularly with the intern supervisor to learn new skills, discuss project progress, and address questions and concerns as they arise. Interns will also have the chance to meet with other BPL archivists and Special Collections staff, join team meetings, and help page collections.
Learning outcomes: Learn and apply archival professional standards and best practices for description and access; Gain hands on skills working with archival materials by assisting in the physical review and stabilization of unprocessed archival collections for long-term storage and access; Gain familiarity with commonly used collection management and tracking systems, ArchivesSpace and Aeon, through concrete tasks and shadowing; Gain exposure to archives and special collections administration in a public library environment; Practice communication and public speaking skills through team communication, participation in group meetings, and a final presentation to Special Collections staff on internship projects.
Boston Public Library is committed to racial equity and to becoming an anti-racist organization and formed an action plan in 2020 in response to systemic racism, inequity, and injustice prevalent in our society. You can read more about the action plan and the steps BPL is taking to address diversity, equity, and inclusion here.
The primary goal of the internship is to give interns meaningful experience working with archival collections and exposure to various Special Collections tasks that facilitate access to our collections. Interns may work with a range of formats and collection types, including organizational records, personal and professional papers, architectural plans and records, individual manuscripts, and photographic material. Interns may focus on a single project or a few smaller projects but will gain exposure to varied work of the department through a variety of tasks. Projects will vary based on the interests and skills of each intern, and the current needs and priorities of the Archives Department. Though interns may contribute a piece of a larger or ongoing collection project, each intern will finish the semester with concrete, evidentiary products to demonstrate their contributions.
Projects and tasks may include, but are not limited to: Surveying, verifying, and inventorying unprocessed collections; Helping to prepare collections for access in the reading room; Stabilizing and rehousing collections to improve storage conditions; Helping to prepare collection materials for digitization; Selecting archival materials for outreach and public programing, like the monthly Special Collections samplers and open houses; Improving finding aid notes and description to bring finding aids up to compliancy with DACS
Interns will be paired with a BPL archivist who will serve as the primary internship supervisor and advisor. Interns will meet regularly with the intern supervisor to learn new skills, discuss project progress, and address questions and concerns as they arise. Interns will also have the chance to meet with other BPL archivists and Special Collections staff, join team meetings, and help page collections.
Learning outcomes: Learn and apply archival professional standards and best practices for description and access; Gain hands on skills working with archival materials by assisting in the physical review and stabilization of unprocessed archival collections for long-term storage and access; Gain familiarity with commonly used collection management and tracking systems, ArchivesSpace and Aeon, through concrete tasks and shadowing; Gain exposure to archives and special collections administration in a public library environment; Practice communication and public speaking skills through team communication, participation in group meetings, and a final presentation to Special Collections staff on internship projects.
Boston Public Library is committed to racial equity and to becoming an anti-racist organization and formed an action plan in 2020 in response to systemic racism, inequity, and injustice prevalent in our society. You can read more about the action plan and the steps BPL is taking to address diversity, equity, and inclusion here.
Are you willing to complete two evaluations of your students progress through out the course of the semester?
Yes
Requirements
To apply, please submit a CV or resume and a cover letter stating your interest.
Required qualifications: Education – Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university; In-process Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science/Public History (or equivalent), with preference given to students who have completed at least half of their program requirements; Interest in archival processing and description in libraries, museums, historical societies, or other similar cultural heritage institutions; CORI – Must successfully clear a Criminal Offenders Record Information check with the City of Boston. Required for all staff working in secure spaces with rare materials.
Boston Public Library aims to help diversify the libraries, archives, and museums field by providing guided learning opportunities to individuals from varied economic, ethnic, cultural, social, and educational backgrounds. All individuals are welcome to apply.
Hours: Internship should be completed over 10 to 12-week span, with 10-12 hours per week, during the spring semester. Weekly schedule to be determined pending a conversation with the intern supervisor. Available internship hours are Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm only.
Work environment: Most duties are performed in the Archives Department processing room and/or various stacks environments with artificial light and a variety of temperature and humidity controls. The noise level is low. The intern may be exposed to dust, mold, and/or other organic material or other irritants inherent to historic collections.
Compensation: This internship includes a $2,860 stipend provided by the Associates of Boston Public Library.
Required qualifications: Education – Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university; In-process Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science/Public History (or equivalent), with preference given to students who have completed at least half of their program requirements; Interest in archival processing and description in libraries, museums, historical societies, or other similar cultural heritage institutions; CORI – Must successfully clear a Criminal Offenders Record Information check with the City of Boston. Required for all staff working in secure spaces with rare materials.
Boston Public Library aims to help diversify the libraries, archives, and museums field by providing guided learning opportunities to individuals from varied economic, ethnic, cultural, social, and educational backgrounds. All individuals are welcome to apply.
Hours: Internship should be completed over 10 to 12-week span, with 10-12 hours per week, during the spring semester. Weekly schedule to be determined pending a conversation with the intern supervisor. Available internship hours are Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm only.
Work environment: Most duties are performed in the Archives Department processing room and/or various stacks environments with artificial light and a variety of temperature and humidity controls. The noise level is low. The intern may be exposed to dust, mold, and/or other organic material or other irritants inherent to historic collections.
Compensation: This internship includes a $2,860 stipend provided by the Associates of Boston Public Library.
Supervisor Phone
6178592369
How many positions do you have available?
1
Supervisor Name
Eve Neiger
Course Option
LIS 512
Semester
Spring 2025
Department
Archives Department
State
MA