One Day, One Internship » library

Daughters of the American Revolution

Willy Franzen — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:48:38 +0000

Happy Independence Day! (And Happy Birthday Mom!) Today we’re celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Though I’m sure you’re showing your patriotism, chances are that your celebration includes some combination of barbecuing, beach, beer, baseball, and blowing stuff up. The Daughters of the American Revolution take the Fourth of July a little more seriously. They’re a “non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.” They restrict membership to women “who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution,” so they also happen to be “one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country” with 165,000 members. I’ve seen the DAR march in my town’s Memorial Day parade, but their work goes far beyond making public appearances.

Are You a Daughter of the American Revolution?

The Daughters of the American Revolution is responsible for a ton of volunteer work. They put a big focus on historic preservation, which means that they contribute a lot of money to both the building and restoration of commemoratives and memorials. There’s also a huge focus on patriotic public outreach by doing things like publishing a manual on citizenship, participating in naturalization ceremonies, providing flags and flag codes to organizations and schools, offering services to veterans, and granting patriotic awards like DAR Good Citizenship Medals and the DAR Medal of Honor. The DAR also puts a huge emphasis on promoting and supporting education, while also spending a significant time on genealogy. If you’re impressed by the DAR and want to be a part, you might have to check your bloodlines (and presumably your gender); however, if you want another way in, you could check out internships at Daughters of the American Revolution. Right now they’re looking for an unpaid Development Intern. The position has a more detailed description on the DAR Jobs page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How are you celebrating the Fourth?

Online Computer Library Center

Willy Franzen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:00:11 +0000

Libraries used to be their own little kingdoms of knowledge. If you needed to research something, you’d go to the library and hope that they had what you were looking for. If they didn’t, you were out of luck. The Internet has changed everything. Now we live in a world where our libraries are interconnected and information resources can be shared instantly between institutions. And even there is a resource that can’t be shared electronically, you can track it down instantly. A big reason that this is possible is Dublin, OH based Online Computer Library Center. They started in 1967 as “a regional computer system for 54 Ohio colleges;” however, they have since grown to serving “more than 71,000 libraries of all types in the U.S. and 112 countries and territories around the world.” They’re better known as the OCLC, and they’ve very much an Information Technology focused non-profit.

You Down with OCLC?

OCLC’s vision is very simple: “The world’s libraries. Connected.” They do this through WorldCat (a global network of library content and services), a Membership Association, a wide array of Products and Services, Support and Training, and Programs and Research. Basically anything that helps libraries do their job better by networking with other libraries is OCLC’s realm. If you’re into Information Science, then this is the place to be. That’s also true because OCLC has been named by Computerworld as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT for the past 4 years, which is why you should check out their Careers page and internship postings. Specific opportunities include Harvesting Intern (San Mateo, CA), Technical Intern (Dublin, OH), and Cataloging in Publication Intern (Blackwood, NJ). There’s also a Corporate Library Practicum that isn’t an internship, but it’s kind of internship-like. There’s no mention of whether these positions are paid, and you can apply for any of these positions online, so get to it!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How thankful are you for OCLC?

National Public Radio

Willy Franzen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:42:05 +0000

A child’s first sign of teenage (pre-teenage?) rebellion often begins at the radio dial. The parent’s up-to-this-point unchallenged decision of what to listen to while in the car is called into question, and all hell breaks loose. If there are multiple kids in the family (or even just in the car), the negotiation can quickly becom more heated than a multi-lateral peace process in a war-torn nation. The parent will fight hard to maintain his or her right to National Public Radio, but the kid will persist in his or her challenge to hear something that feeds a suddenly “eclectic” taste in music. Often the parents cede this battle in hopes of winning in the future (bad idea!), which results in the parent’s driving the kids around the mini-van listening to rap music that would be a lot more offensive if the parent knew what some of the words meant. Eventually the rebellious tykes will grow up and realize that they too want to be more cultured, and they slowly, but surely come around to listening to NPR. Or maybe some kids just never speak up. They like NPR from the start. Maybe those are the ones who end up taking internships at NPR.

National Public Internships

If you don’t know, National Public Radio “is an internationally acclaimed producer and distributor of noncommercial news, talk, and entertainment programming.” They’re non-profit too! Since most people who will end up interning for NPR, probably listen to NPR, we’re going to jump right into their internships—because there are a ton of them. You can find all of the important information on NPR’s Internships page, but here are your options:

All Things Considered Internship

All Things Considered, Opinions – Editor, Internship

All Songs Considered Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Arts & Information Desk Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Audience Insight and Research Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Audio Engineering Internship: (Typically offered in the Summer semester)

Communications/ Marketing and Branding: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Communications/Creative Design Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Communications/Media Relations Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Corporate Business Development: (Typically offered in the Spring and Summer semesters)

Corporate Communications Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Corporate Sponsorship Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Development Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Digital Media, Business Internship: (Typically offered in the Fall and Summer semesters)

Digital Media, Arts & Entertainment Editorial Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Digital Media, Design Group: (Typically offered in all three semesters)

Digital Media, Marketing Internship (Typically offered in the Summer semester only)

Digital Media, Picture and Multimedia Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Digital Media, Technical Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Digital News, Editorial Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Executive Producer, Intern Edition Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Finance Internship – Accounting: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Finance Internship – Treasury: (Typically offered in the Summer semester)

Human Resources Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Information Technology Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Archivist Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Broadcast Library Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Music Library Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Music Archive Project Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Reference Library Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Morning Edition Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Classical Internship: (Typically offered in all three semesters)

General Music: (Typically offered in all three semesters)

National Desk Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

National Desk Economic Training Project Internship: (Fall 2009 and Spring 2010)

News Desk Internship: (Typically offered in all three semesters)

NPR Labs Internship: (Typically offered during the summer semester only)

Office of the General Counsel Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters – multiple positions often available.)

Ombudsman Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Planet Money Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Policy and Representation Internship: (Typically offered in the Fall and Spring semesters)

Product/Project Development Internship (NPR Distribution): (Typically offered all three semesters)

Science Desk Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Social Media Desk Internship (Typically offered in all three semesters)

Talk of the Nation Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters. Mid-semester internships also)

Tell Me More with Michel Martin: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Washington Desk Internship: (Typically offered all three semesters)

Weekend All Things Considered Internships: (Typically offered all three semesters)

I told you that there were a lot of internships! There are in-depth descriptions and specific application information for most of the positions, so head over to NPR’s Internships page to get a full picture of the offerings. The deadline for applying for Fall internships is July 15th, and most of the internships appear to be paid.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you listen to NPR?

New York Public Library

George Tarakhovski — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:00:28 +0000

Finding a quiet place to read or study can be a challenge in New York City – especially if your apartment is the size of a walk-in closet and your roommates derive satisfaction from invading your personal space. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why so many New Yorkers seek refuge in the city’s many public library branches. Aside from students, scholars and frugal intellectuals, the New York library system is also a haven for jobseekers that can access a slew of free computers to send out resumes and research jobs. This is particularly noteworthy considering that many of today’s unemployed don’t have the money to afford a personal computer. What makes the New York Public Library (NYPL) particularly unique is its rich history and sheer volume of information. Founded at the end of the 19th century, NYPL has grown to represent over 80 branches in Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island. Currently, the collections at NYPL rival those at the British Library, the Library of Congress and the Bibliotheque nationale de France. NYPL prides itself “in being historically a privately managed, non-profit corporation with both public and private financing in a century-old, still evolving public-private partnership.”

Bookworms Wanted!

Like any institution that predominantly relies on private funding, NYPL has witnessed its share of financial woes including a surge of layoffs, hour reductions and budget cuts. While entry-level jobs are scarce, there are still a couple of great internships at the organization. Those include Summer Intern in the Registrar’s Office and Public Relations Intern. Both internships are unpaid but provide the prospective intern with useful industry experience. For example, the PR Intern will network with the media, work on PR strategy, and appear at Press events. The Registrar’s intern, on the other hand, is offered to an NYU Museum Studies student who, among various administrative tasks, will “process incoming domestic and foreign loans (art objects, books, manuscripts) for temporary exhibitions at NYPL,” and will learn about the ins and outs of managing the library’s extensive art loan collection. Both positions require strong time-management and computer skills but should be accessible to any humanities major (or recent grad) interested in library work. The NYPL does a good job keeping its careers site updated with new positions, so you may want to stay on the lookout for other internship postings. So, next time you visit the library to check out a book, make sure you drop off a resume too.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you love reading?

Library of Congress

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:02:07 +0000

If you haven’t already noticed, we’re running ads for Groupereye this week. They’re a new site that runs case competitions where you can win 100 bucks and consideration for an internship, so check them out.

I love books. I love them so much that I won second place in my college’s book collecting contest. If you feel the same way, then an internship with the Library of Congress might be an awesome way to spend the summer. In case you aren’t aware, the Library of Congress “is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.” Now that we have the Internet that may not impress all of you, but I think it’s pretty cool that they’ve compiled so much information under one roof.

Congress’ Most Useful Asset

I don’t have a very high opinion of Congress these days, and according to recent polls, not many do. I think their library might be the best thing that they have going for them. That thought is reinforced by the blurb that they used to start the press release about their Junior Fellows Summer Internships:

Rare comic books, wax-cylinder recordings, novelty postcards, hand-colored films and a tale told on a hooked rug were among the treasures uncovered by the 2008 class of Junior Fellows Summer Interns, who located them among the copyright deposits and gifts that have come into the nation’s library.

It kind of sounds like the Antiques Road Show, which is awesome. You can find the full details on the program here. The internships last 10 weeks and comes with a $3,000 stipend, which is pretty solid. Applications are due by March 11th, and they do allow you to specify an area of interest. The application process is pretty intensive, so be sure to follow the directions carefully.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been to the Library of Congress?

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Amy Gordon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:14 +0000

Four summers ago I had the pleasure of interning for Jill Weinberg, Midwest Region Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or USHMM for short. Admittedly, my job consisted of a lot of clerical work. I became remarkably familiar with Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and the paper cuts that you get on your tongue from licking envelopes over and over again; however, I also gained unforgettable knowledge and experience relating to crimes against humanity and genocide, both historical and current. The internship opened my eyes to world events, introduced me to compassionate and intelligent people, and gave me an excellent taste of what it is like to work for a non-profit, charitable company.

The following is the mission statement of the USHMM:

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country’s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust.

The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims — six million were murdered; Gypsies, the handicapped and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war and political dissidents, also suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.

The Museum’s primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.

Chartered by a unanimous Act of Congress in 1980 and located adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, DC, the Museum strives to broaden public understanding of the history of the Holocaust through multifaceted programs: exhibitions; research and publication; collecting and preserving material evidence, art and artifacts related to the Holocaust; annual Holocaust commemorations known as Days of Remembrance; distribution of education materials and teacher resources; and a variety of public programming designed to enhance understanding of the Holocaust and related issues, including those of contemporary significance.

We Couldn’t Do It Without You

The USHMM boasts a great website with an entire page dedicated to discussing internship opportunities. Moreover, the museum recognizes how important interns are to its success. It states, “It takes many people to accomplish our mission, including a dedicated team of capable interns.” The museum offers many internships for Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer and Year-round seasons. There are two different types of internships offered:

Internship Type I: Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies

The Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies works together with the Academic Committee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council to support scholarships and publications in the field of Holocaust studies, to promote the growth of Holocaust studies at American universities, and to initiate programs to ensure the ongoing training of future generations of scholars specializing in the Holocaust.

An intern for “The Center” would be responsible for any of the following types of activities:

Preparing material for publication
Making and/or entering editorial changes
Contacting publishers for copies of recently published books related to the Holocaust
Researching information about the Holocaust
Translating documents
Preparing documents for publication
Surveying archival collections
Performing general office duties
Tracking the status of Center projects

Interns need to be familiar with the basic techniques of archival and secondary source research, have basic knowledge of editing and composition, and be able to communicate effectively orally and in writing in English. Currently, the Museum is hiring Academic Publications Interns (year round), University Programs Interns (next Summer), and Senior Historian’s Interns (year round).

Though the qualifications specify that these internships are reserved for graduate level students, the fine print stipulates that “senior level” undergraduates could qualify.

Internship Type II: Inside the Museum — The Volunteer Internship

The Museum also has an extensive volunteer internship program that provides an environment for qualified candidates to learn about the Holocaust and about Museum operations. Museum interns can expect to work on hands-on projects and opportunities to work with Holocaust scholars and Museum professionals to learn about their roles, responsibilities, and backgrounds.

Most internships are unpaid and last one semester. Although the deadline for the Fall internship has passed, the deadline for the Winter/Spring session is October 15. Additionally, if you are an international student, feel free to apply, as the website stipulates that United States citizenship is not required.

The site outlines 17 divisions that have taken interns in the past, ranging from the Architecture Division to the Photo Archives Division.

Most internships are offered at the USHMM headquarters in Washington DC. To apply for an internship, click a link provided on either of the internship pages that reads “Apply Online”.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you been appreciated as an intern in the past? Leave a comment, let us know.

Smithsonian Institution

Willy Franzen — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:01:07 +0000

We don’t even know where to get started, for we’re a bit overwhelmed. The Smithsonian Institution has the most comprehensive internships website that we have ever come across. If you don’t already know, the Smithsonian is an institution that was founded by a gift from a British Scientist named James Smithson.

I then bequeath the whole of my property…to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge…

He had never been to America, so it’s quite puzzling that he made such a gift. Some people say it was his final swipe at the rigidities of British society. Since the gift was made to our federal government, the Smithsonian is a government institution (not a non-profit organization, like you might have thought it was). You will find the Smithsonian working in a wide variety of areas to increase the knowledge of the American people, and this means that they have internships in a jaw dropping number of fields.

Smithson’s Gift = Lots of Internships

The Smithsonian’s Internships site is nearly perfect. The only flaw is that it may give you a case of information overload. Instead of providing commentary, we’re going to highlight the important areas and let you do the exploring for yourselves. The Smithsonian allows students to browse all internships, paid internships, or internships by subject. The lists are long, so you may want to spend a few hours looking over all of the possibilities.

You’ll also want to take some time to look at the materials that the Smithsonian offers on housing and the Smithsonian experience (aka perks). If you really want to get a good look at what you’ll be doing at the Smithsonian and what life will be like, you can read over their Intern Orientation Guide. Once you find an internship you like, you probably should take a look at the Smithsonian’s guide on how to apply for internships with them. The Smithsonian also has a guidebook of Opportunities for Research and Study. This includes what seems to be the same information as the internships site, along with info on Fellowship Opportunities. We think this guide is just the web version of a printed book, but we’re not quite sure.

Didn’t we tell you the site was comprehensive? The links above (and below) should answer just about any question that you could have about interning at the Smithsonian. The general Smithsonian application deadlines are: February 15 for Summer Internships, July 15 for Fall Internships, and October 15 for Spring Internships. Some departments also take interns year round.

Where You Can Intern at the Smithsonian

We wanted to provide you a little more guidance, so here is a list of areas that you can intern in at the Smithsonian. The process for applying and internship requirements may vary slightly by department, so be sure to look carefully at the individual internship descriptions.

Anacostia Community Museum
Architectural History and Historic Preservation
Archives of American Art
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum – New York City
Facilities Management and Reliability
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Horticulture Services Division
International Center
Museum Conservation Institute
National Air and Space Museum
National Museum of African Art
National Museum of American History
National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of Natural History
National Portrait Gallery
National Postal Museum
National Zoological Park
Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs
Office of Exhibits Central
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Office of Policy and Analysis
Office of Public Affairs
Office of Sponsored Projects
Administrative or Accounting/Financial Internships in Grant/Contract Administration
Smithsonian Affiliations Office
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian Associates
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Smithsonian Institution Retail
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
Smithsonian Photographic Services
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Overwhelmed yet? Take your time and enjoy perusing the Smithsonian’s internship offerings.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have anything to add about interning at the Smithsonian?