Notice - April 7, 2009
Thank you for your interest in the Library of Congress 2009 Junior Fellows Summer Intern Program. The application period has closed. Due to the high volume of applications we are unable to confirm receipt of individual submissions or respond to queries regarding the stages of the selection process.
We hope to notify all applicants of their status by the end of April.
Program Profile
The focus of the Library’s Summer Intern Program is on unprocessed collections (either copyright deposits or gifts) and the provision of description and access to the Library’s collections. Interns will help the Library expose the collections, provide additional services, or link our collections more immediately to scholars. The Library of Congress is once again appreciative for its Summer Intern Program, made possible through the generosity of the late Mrs. Jefferson Patterson. College students from across the nation are invited to apply for consideration as Junior Fellows. Upon completion of their research assignments, the interns will work closely with Library staff and curators to plan a display and discussion in the historic Thomas Jefferson Building of their most significant discoveries.
Program Overview
This program offers undergraduate and graduate students insights into the environment and culture of the world’s largest and most comprehensive repository of human knowledge. Working with the staff, curators, and the incomparable collections of the Library of Congress, interns will be exposed to a broad spectrum of library work: preservation, reference, access standards, information management, the U. S. copyright system and gift collections. No previous experience is necessary, but internships are competitive and special relevant skills are desirable. Selection will be based on academic achievement, letters of recommendation, and in most cases an interview with a selection official.
Eligibility
Applicants must be U. S. citizens currently enrolled in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate (college, university, or Tribal College) or graduate levels, or have graduated since August 2008 from an undergraduate or graduate program.
Terms
Summer internships will begin June 1, 2009, and run through August 7, 2009. The comprehensive orientation program scheduled during the first week includes training in conservation techniques and instructions for the safe handling of rare materials, many of which date back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Interns will work full-time (40 hours per week), Monday through Friday, and will receive a taxable income of $300.00 per week.
Interns are temporary employees of the Library of Congress and are not eligible for Federal Employee benefits and privileges. However, they are protected by worker's compensation laws and eligible for Metrochek, a transit subsidy program for qualified individuals who use the Metro System, Virginia Rail Express, MARC commuter trains, and county and commercial buses and qualified commercial van pools to commute to their jobs at the Library.
Application Process
The application package must include the following materials:
A detailed cover letter indicating at least three (3) subject area(s) in which the applicant is interested, language abilities if relevant, and statement of professional objectives.
Subject Areas of Interest:
- American History, including Veterans and Military History
- American Popular Culture
- Archival Management (Mary Wolfskill Trust Fund Intern)
- Area Studies (African and Middle Eastern)
- Area Studies (Asian)
- Area Studies (European)
- Area Studies (Hispanic)
- Bibliographic Description and Access
- Film, Television, and Radio
- Folklife
- Geography and Map
- History of Photography
- History of Popular and Applied Graphic Arts, Architecture, and Design
- Manuscript Collections Processing
- Music
- Preservation and Conservation
- Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Science, Technology, and Business
- Serials and Government Publications/Newspapers
- Sound Recordings
Completed Forms OF612 (Application for Federal Employment) and OF 306 (Declaration for Federal Employment). PDF or Word Versions of both forms are available at this link for download. To expedite the application and selection process, please include email address on all forms and correspondence. The Background Survey Questionnaire is optional.
- Application for Federal Employment OF612
Word version - Declaration for Federal Employment OF306 Word version
- Background Survey Questionnaire Word version
Two (2) letters of recommendation from an appropriate professor or employer attesting to the applicant's proficiency, reliability and the feasibility of his/her carrying out assignments. These may be sent by the authors directly to interns09@loc.gov. Be sure to include applicant's name in subject line.
Transcript(s) from the current or most recently attended university or college. Unofficial photocopies will be accepted. Applications will be accepted only online and should be sent to:
- 2009 Summer Intern Program Coordinating Committee at interns09@loc.gov.
- Questions about the program can be emailed to: questions09@loc.gov.
- Applicants are responsible to ensure their applications and supporting materials are received by the application deadline.
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT
- Ensure that your application package is complete.
- Ensure that each document is in a separate file.
- Incomplete applications will not be processed.
- Is your cover letter complete and provide 3 areas of interest?
- Is your cover letter included?
- Is your Application for Federal Employment OF612 included?
- Is the Declaration for Federal Employment OF306 included?
- Is the Background Survey Questionnaire included?
- Are the 2 letters of recommendation included?
- Are recent transcripts included?
- Are the documents in separate files?
Note: You may send the document files in separate emails, if you experience problems sending everything in one email. Please label your documents.
The inbound maximum message size is 10MB. If you sent multiple emails please label them with applicant's name + 1 of x, 2 of x, 3 of x.
Application Deadline
All applications (and supporting materials) must be received by the Intern Selection Coordinating Committee by midnight EDT Wednesday, March 11, 2009.
Selection Process
Applications will be forwarded to selecting officials in the Library who will arrange telephone interviews with promising applicants, based on materials submitted. Those selected will be provided with detailed information on reporting for their internship on June 1.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.