Silos & Smokestacks Agricultural Heritage Intern, Iowa State University Library, Ames IA
Posted March 31, 2014
Through a generous grant from the Silos & Smokestacks Agricultural Heritage Internship Grant Program, the Special Collections and Preservation Departments of the Iowa State University Library are offering a summer internship. The Silos & Smokestacks Agricultural Heritage Internship is a full-time, 10-week project position to develop the Reflections on ISU Extension digital collection and create content for an interpretive website, based on the archival records of the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension program. In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Smith Lever Act in 1914 establishing Extension at the national level, the digital collection will focus on the early Extension movement at Iowa State.
The Special Collections Department, located in the Iowa State University Library, holds nearly 15,000 linear feet of archival materials documenting agriculture, natural history, statistics, veterinary medicine, and women in science and engineering. Included are manuscript collections reflecting the university’s mission. The Department includes the University Archives, manuscript collections reflecting the university’s mission, and rare books dating back to 1475 with strengths in agriculture and the natural sciences.
The internship will provide the intern with the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge of archives, digitization projects, and description to the development of a digital collection. The intern will work with the Special Collections Department’s Collections Archivist, with guidance from the Conservator and other University librarians, faculty and staff.
The Intern will:
- Review Extension related records, papers, and publications. Identify and select items for the digital collection
- Establish project priorities
- Identify conservation issues and perform basic conservation treatment on selected items under the guidance of the Conservator
- Create basic descriptive metadata for the digital collection
- Research Iowa State’s Extension work and its impact on agricultural development and education
- Develop content for Reflections on ISU Extension interpretive website
- Create promotional materials for social media and University and Library news outlets
Eligibility and Requirements:
- Must be a currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate student
- Applicants must commit to 10 weeks of full-time employment (40 hours per week) between May and August during the summer of 2014. Start and end dates are flexible.
- At the end of the internship, the intern will be required to write a final report on the internship and project
Preferred Qualifications:
- Pursuing a Masters in Archival Studies or Library and Information Science with a specialization in archives
- Candidates should have a strong interest in the archival profession and some background with digitization projects
- Experience working with cultural collections in an archives or special collections
- Familiarity with digital projects, technologies, standards, and best practices
- Familiarity with metadata standards and schema for digitization projects
- Familiarity with proper methods of handling and conserving archival materials in varied formats
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
To apply for the Silos & Smokestacks Agricultural Heritage Internship Grant please submit the following items:
- Cover letter
- Current resume
- Contact information for two professional references (include address, phone number and e-mail address)
- Statement of interest (no more than 300 characters)
Pay will be $10 per hour for the 10 week, full-time summer internship.
Applications must be received by Friday, April 18th.
Send electronic applications to: [email protected]