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Preservation Intern, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Posted January 23, 2018

With a generous gift from the Lennox Foundation, the Lennox Foundation Endowment for Preservation Education, Training and Outreach was established to fund graduate level internships in library and archives preservation administration and conservation, and to support the educational outreach activities of the Iowa State University (ISU) preservation staff. The internship is offered by the ISU Library Preservation Department to provide graduate students with practical experience and exposure to preservation in an academic library environment.

This internship is intended to give current graduate students and recent graduates of preservation and conservation programs the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge of care and treatment of library and archives materials in an academic library. Interns will work in the ISU Library Preservation Department with guidance from the Head of Preservation and the Library Conservator.

Interns will learn about the overall functioning and organization of the Preservation Department:

  • Workflow of materials through the various units and tracking of materials
  • Condition assessment and treatment decision-making
  • Inter- and intra-departmental workflows and collaboration
  • Operations in digital and audio visual reformatting

In addition to learning about general operations of the department, interns will undertake and complete projects selected based on their interests and skills, and the needs and capabilities of the Department. Projects may include, but are not limited to, aspects of:

  • Condition survey and assessment of a particular collection
  • Re-housing collection materials
  • Preparation of Special Collections materials for exhibits and digital reformatting projects
  • Conservation treatment (conservator students will have the opportunity to propose treatment options for Special Collections materials, perform agreed upon treatments, and document condition and treatment)
  • Issues in digital collections and digital preservation
  • Survey of audiovisual materials
  • Development of metadata and digital program best practices and workflows
  • Development of preservation education, training and outreach resources
  • Disaster planning and response

Eligibility and Requirements:

  • Applicants must currently be graduate students, in good standing, in a program of library and archives preservation administration or conservation; or a recent graduate of such a program;
  • Applicants must have completed at least four preservation or conservation courses before the anticipated start date of this internship;
  • Applicants must commit to full-time employment as interns for the duration of the internship;
  • Internship must be completed within the calendar year;
  • At the end of the internship, the intern will be required to submit a final report or project;
  • Applicants must have student or working visas if not U.S. citizens.

The duration of the Lennox Foundation Internship is 3 months. The intern will be provided with a stipend of $3,200  and a furnished university apartment.

To apply for the Lennox Foundation Preservation and Conservation Internship 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 (include projects of interest)
  • Graduate program description including requirements and course descriptions. Please include an unofficial transcript indicating the courses you have completed.

The application materials can be emailed to: [email protected]

To guarantee consideration, apply by March 1, 2018

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