Description
The Preservation Directorate has available at all times of the year a limited number of volunteer opportunities and/or internships through which individuals may work with the Library's reference and General Collections, focusing on the preservation activities of library binding, collections care, reformatting, and/or mass deacidification. Although these internships carry no stipend, they offer the experience necessary to enter an academic or other program in collections conservation or preservation administration, or to fulfill an internship requirement. Students may arrange with their institutions to obtain academic credit.
Candidates will be selected on the basis of knowledge, skills, and abilities, effective communications skills, and an understanding of library and archival collections -- including experience with packaging design, boxmaking, digital metadata work, web design, bookbinding, or book design.
Interns have the opportunity to assist with a project that will allow them to further develop their knowledge in a particular area of responsibility, e.g., policy development in areas of reformatting (digital, paper, or film surrogates), collections conservation and housing, commercial binding, and/or mass deacidification.
Application and Selection Procedure
Internships can be on a part-time or full-time schedule, but a minimum of 200 hours is generally required.
The length of the internship generally ranges from 6 weeks to 6 months.
Applicants should complete and submit by email the Preservation Fellowship and Internship Application Form [PDF: 176 KB / 3 p.], plus a résumé, two letters of recommendation, and a formal letter of interest. Please follow the additional instructions on the application form and note that the Preservation Directorate uses this one application form for all of the various internships and fellowships offered. Citizenship requirements: U.S. citizenship not required.
Those applicants most qualified will be scheduled for a phone interview.
Application Schedule
Applications are accepted at any time.
Stipend/Compensation
None.
To apply, please direct applications to:
Mary Oey
Preservation Education Specialist
Library of Congress
Telephone: (202) 707-8345
FAX: (202) 707-1525
moey@loc.gov
Because of security measures at the Library, all postal delivery may be delayed. We request that all application materials and inquiries be sent by email.
To view PDFs
