Description

The General Collections Care Section (GCCS) provides treatment and housing of general and reference collections, which are defined as items created after 1801. Treatment activities focus primarily on general and reference collections, where damage to items has been identified through use. Housing is provided through the use of an automated box-making system and is done for collections both new and old that require special housing and which are held by custodial units throughout the Library.

GCCS is dedicated to providing training in the care and conservation of general and reference collections within the library community. The goal of this internship is to provide Library and Information Science graduate students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in general collections conservation treatments, work on larger preservation issues such as surveying general and reference collections, or work on projects that integrate various aspects of treatment and surrogate workflows.

Activities

• Production treatment of general and reference collections. This can include treatments such as various re-casing techniques, re-backing and spine repairs, paper mending, and board slotting.
• Rush treatment for items for inter-library loan and Congressional use.
• Housing for brittle items that can’t be digitized.
• Assess collection items for condition issues and preservation needs.
• Learn about other aspects in preservation such as collection emergency management and copy replacement workflow.
• Introduction to Conservation Division workflows for rare materials digitization and exhibition.

Application Instructions and Process

This internship is for graduate students in Library and Information Science programs who are looking for an internship between the two academic years or the summer following graduation. This is a 10 week, full time (40 hours) internship.

The internship runs from June through August and concludes with the publication of a project of choice on the Conservation Division website, and a final presentation by the intern to the lab on the summer’s accomplishments.

Applicants should complete and submit by email the Preservation Application Form [PDF: 174 KB / 4 pp.] and a résumé. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Please follow the additional instructions on the application form and note that the Preservation Directorate uses this one application form for all of the various internships and fellowships offered.

Include the name of the internship in the subject line. If desired, letters writers may email letters directly; include the name of the applicant in the subject line. If it is not possible to submit the requested materials by email, contact us and an alternative arrangement can be made.

Application Schedule

Deadline for application process is January 15.

Stipend/Compensation

The Library determines on a yearly basis whether this internship can be supported with a small stipend (~$5,000). Such stipend can only be extended to US Citizens.

To apply, please direct applications to:

Carrie Beyer
Head, General Collections Conservation Section
Library of Congress
cabe@loc.gov

Because of security measures at the Library, all postal delivery may be delayed. We request that all application materials and inquiries be sent by email.