Local History Internship, South Hadley Public Library, South Hadley, MA

Posted November 19, 2016

This South Hadley Public Library internship offers students the opportunity to assist and learn about the overall library, as well as work on special projects in our local history room.  Since opening in 2014, our new local history room has added many great local history resources to the collection and staff have begun sorting through them.

The library is working on an inventory of the collection to identify materials in need of classification, cataloging, and preservation measures.  The intern will work with the assistance, and under the supervision, of the Adult Services Librarian and Library Director.

The intern will assist in one or more of the following projects, as time permits:

• Organize the materials in the Local History Room according to existing policy and create appropriate finding aids.
• Search online catalogs and databases to identify existing MARC records for uncatalogued items; prepare the necessary information for original or copy cataloging by the C/W MARS network as needed.
• Determine materials best suited for scanning, rehousing, and/or digitization for access and preservation purposes.
• Identify gaps in the Local History collection and assist in developing strategies to acquire the necessary materials for complete coverage.
• Review the “Report of a Preservation Needs Assessment” created by a 2016 Community Preservation Assessment Grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners; identify and recommend measures to be taken to address the identified Short Term Priorities.

In addition, the intern will learn about public library functions by working at the circulation desk, reshelving materials, and assisting patrons’ technology needs. The number of hours spent each week between tasks will vary. 

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree with a combination of library/museum experience and/or graduate-level course work.

Salary & Schedule: Flexible schedule, 12 hours per week at $13 per hour.

To submit an application please visit the town’s website at www.southhadley.org/jobs

The Town of South Hadley is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.