Intern, The Trustees of Reservations, Archives & Research Center, Sharon, MA

Posted August 23, 2017

The goal of this internship is to create a study guide for the Charles Eliot Scrapbook. This is an album of newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other ephemera from the 1890s and 1900s. It was compiled by the founder of The Trustees of Reservations, Charles Eliot, as he worked to establish this 126-year-old organization, and gives us insight into the beginnings of the land conservation movement – a very forward-thinking proposition at the time. The scrapbook is one of the most frequently requested items in our collections, as well as one of our most important institutional records. The album was digitized in 2014 so that it could be more widely and safely used. To help facilitate its use, the Archives & Research Center (ARC) began creating companion materials, such as citations and keywords for the 140 pages of articles.

The intern will be responsible for assembling the companion materials into an organized study guide for the Charles Eliot scrapbook.

The intern will:

• Create an index for the scrapbook keywords;
• Review the format and content of existing companion materials;
• Make recommendations for ways in which companion materials can be enhanced for usability;
• Edit companion materials and create supplemental items as needed;
• Write study guide instructions.

There is also the opportunity for the intern to help enhance the study guide for the web and/or develop a digital exhibit for the scrapbook that would be available through The Trustees online collections catalog.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an Archives, Library Science, or Public History program;
• Demonstrated experience with primary source research;
• Coursework and/or demonstrated experience with indexing, subject organization, thesaurus construction;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• Strong writing and editing skills;
• Knowledge of or interest in usability and user experience;
• Ability to work independently and a willingness to ask questions;
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel;
• Interest in Massachusetts history and culture preferred;
• Interest in the land conservation movement recommended.

This position requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time. It also requires the ability to look at a computer screen for extended periods of time.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Sarah Hayes ([email protected]).

Organizational Overview

Founded in 1891, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and work to protect special places across the state. We have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 25,000+ acres on more than 100 reservations that are all open to the public. We are a nonprofit conservation organization funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers and more than 40,000 members.

The Trustees’ curatorial resources include archives, buildings, landscapes, ruins and artifacts covering hundreds of years of human history. In the historic houses, at the Archives & Research Center, and in the land itself, The Trustees preserves the landscapes and material culture of Massachusetts people. Objects and archives enrich a wide range of programs and activities.

Archives & Research Center (ARC) and the Collections

The Archives & Research Center (ARC) is the hub of The Trustees of Reservations’ curatorial stewardship. Located in Sharon, Massachusetts, the ARC provides outside researchers, Trustees staff, and volunteers access to thousands of historical documents, objects, and artifacts related to The Trustees’ properties. The ARC, an energy-efficient, climate-controlled building, opened in 2008 and houses 1,500 linear feet of archival materials which document The Trustees’ founding role in the land trust movement, the stories of Trustees properties across the Commonwealth, and the lives of American families from the 1600s to the present. The Trustees’ collections represent domestic furnishings, outdoor sculptures, fine and decorative arts from pre-contact to the 20th century. They include more than 30 private collections featuring exceptional pieces from indigenous Massachusetts peoples to mid-century Modern. Archival collections include works of art on paper, photographs, maps, architectural plans, garden designs, botanical specimens, manuscripts, letters, diaries, books, business ledgers, legal documents and deeds linked to specific properties and to the organization’s history.

There are 1-2 slots for internship openings. 

For more information, see here.