Caroline Dwight Brain Archival Fellowship, Massachusetts Historical Society, (Boston, MA)

Posted March 25, 2025

Description

The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) in Boston, Mass. is now accepting applications for
the Caroline Dwight Bain Archival Fellowship. The Bain fellowship provides a stipend of $4000
for 210 hours of work during the summer of 2025.

The MHS is an independent, scholarly research library founded in 1791 for the threefold purpose
of collecting, preserving, and disseminating sources for the study of American history. The MHS
holds more than 3,700 manuscript collections dating from the 17th century to the present, as well
as extensive collections of early American imprints, newspapers, maps, printed ephemera,
photographs, engravings, and other research materials.

Now in its second year, the 2025 Caroline Dwight Bain Archival Fellowship will provide a
current student or recent graduate of a conservation or bookbinding program with an immersive
learning and work experience at one of the nation’s most important research libraries. The
fellowship recipient’s work will focus primarily on hands-on preservation and conservation of
books and bound manuscripts in the MHS collections.

Duties

Specific duties may include:

Creation of cases for rare books
Environmental monitoring
Stacks cleaning
Surface cleaning
Red rot consolidation
Re-casing
Binding repair
Paper mending

Hours and Compensation

The Bain fellowship provides a stipend of $4000 for 210 hours of work during the summer of 2025. The fellowship recipient may choose a full-time schedule of six weeks (210 hours) or a part-time equivalent in the summer of 2025. All work must take place at the Society’s building at 1154 Boylston St., Boston during regular business hours (Monday–Friday).

Qualifications

Enrollment or recent completion of one of the following degrees:
- Master’s degree in conservation
- Master’s or diploma in a bookbinding program with conservation coursework
- Master’s in an MLS program at an ALA-accredited program in library science, with a demonstrated ability to perform basic collection maintenance

Ability to lift, up to 50 lbs.; and to transport materials on and off carts and shelves
Excellent hand skills
Superb attention to detail
Ability to work independently and in a team environment

How to Apply

Please send by email a single PDF that includes a cover letter, résumé, two written
recommendations, and photographs of hands-on work documenting up to 5 items to
[email protected]. Priority will be given to applicants who apply by April 4, 2025. The
fellowship is available in May or June of 2025.