Archival Processing Internship, Dan Talbot Papers
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University
Fall 2013
The Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library's internship project is designed to give current graduate students pursuing a career in the archives profession hands-on experience in archival processing. This opportunity is designed for an intern to work with an experienced archivist to acquire core skills essential for establishing a career as an archivist.
Project Scope
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library is searching for a student intern to help process the Dan Talbot Papers. Dan Talbot founded New Yorker Films in 1965, which for four decades brought an astonishment of films to American screens, from Jean-Luc Godard, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Ousmane Sembène, among many others. The Talbot collection is over 500 linear feet and composed of correspondence files that span more than 30 years, more than two decades of producer reports, contract files, files related to New Yorker Films, financial records, guest books dating back to 1960, and production related ephemera. There is also a large selection of film posters. The collection is an outstanding record of independent film exhibition and distribution.
Under supervision, the intern will arrange and describe portions of the Talbot Papers, note conservation issues (folded documents, extreme acidification, et. al.), re-house (if indicated), re-label (if indicated), and learn how to assign Library of Congress subject heading and AAT genre terns. Interns will assist in writing the finding aid and will participate in the EAD encoding process.
Skills Development The intern will use theories of appraisal, arrangement, and description and apply them to the processing of the Dan Talbot Papers. This includes researching people or events covered by the collection, sorting, cleaning, arranging, boxing, and creating a finding aid.
Professional Interactions/Development
Interns will be encouraged to attend bi-weekly meetings of the RBML staff where broader issues of importance to library professionals are discussed as well as participate in project discussions with supervisors. Additionally, a range of professional development events hosted by the larger Columbia Libraries are open for attendance by the interns. Tours of the RBML will be provided as well as opportunities to discuss the curatorial stewardship of archival collections.
Hours Requirements
Timeframe: 120 hours over 12 weeks
Schedule: 10 hours per week (All interns must commit to schedule at least four hours on one day; otherwise hours are flexible).
Working hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm.
This is an unpaid internship that may be used for credit toward a Master's Degree in a Library Science program. Internships need not be taken for credit. All students must be currently enrolled.
To Apply
Please send a current resume and cover letter (with Dan Talbot Papers Internship in the subject line) to Carrie Hintz at ceh2148@columbia.edu
