Fall 2010 , Claude Pepper Library (Special Collections), Florida State University Libraries
Contact Person/Internship Supervisor: Burt Altman, 645-7962, baltman@fsu.edu
Work hours: Monday-Friday, during the hours of 9am-5pm
Credits: 3 or 6
DESCRIPTION
This internship provides students with an opportunity to develop archival skills in a well-established repository that utilizes current best practices. The intern will work with a professional archivist and a “processing team” on a large collection of FSU faculty papers, using minimal processing practices. The intern will arrange and describe this collection and assist in retrieving materials to be processed and creating an EAD encoded finding aid. Related duties, such as providing reference service, will be included.
SPECIFIC DUTIES
- Learn to access and physically process a manuscript collection. Examine materials in the collection, identifying the types of records and determining if the arrangement of the materials is consistent and logical. If something seems out of place, check with a manuscript supervisor before making any changes in arrangement. Maintain extensive notes of content and organization for use in creating the finding aid.
- Learn basic preservation procedures for manuscript collections. Rehouse materials in archival folders or boxes as needed, maintaining consistent order and labeling. Remove and replace rusty staples and other non-archival fasteners. Do preservation photocopying as needed.
3. Learn to create an electronic finding aid. Research names of individuals, groups, or institutions mentioned in the records using resources at the FSU Libraries, the internet, the State Library, etc. Prepare front matter and a formal container list using the department’s electronic template. Validate the files so they can be uploaded to the Libraries’ server.
QUALIFICATIONS
Must be currently enrolled in a master’s program in library science with at least one year of course work completion toward the MLIS degree. Strong writing and communication skills are desirable. A resume would be greatly appreciated.