P/T - Archival Internship Opportunities - Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University (Manhattan)

The Burke Library, one of 22 libraries in the Columbia University system, has an exciting internship opportunity available! Gain valuable hands-on experience processing, describing and rehousing archival collections!

Under the supervision of the Archivist for Union Theological Seminary (UTS) and the Burke Library Collections, Ruth Tonkiss Cameron, (rc2179@columbia.edu) interns will have the opportunity to work on unique archival collections ranging from historical to modern.

The Union Archives Group contain over 140 collections of personal papers from Union’s famous faculty and students since 1836, which are in demand by researchers from nation and worldwide, whose interests range through social, political, economic and educational as well as theological issues. The collections cover a wide range from correspondence describing a tour
through China in the early 1900s to a local event in the 1970s which made front page news in the New York Times.

The Archives of Women in Theological Scholarship (AWTS) founded at the turn of this century is a unique and growing group of collections from those extraordinary women who were the ‘firsts’ in modern times to establish roles in the church, in theologically connected educational or scholarly societies. Many of these active collection donors continue to provide further archival
sources.

Tasks:
 Creating contents lists for archival collections.
 Boxing and re-foldering historic papers
 Researching and writing finding aids (guides to archival collections)
 Undertaking basic preservation
 Writing blog entries in the Burke Library blog
 Involvement with implementation of EAD

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Burke Library at
Union Theological Seminary
Columbia University
3041 Broadway New York, NY 10027

Internships are unpaid and may be taken for credit through your school.
Interns are asked to commit for at least 10 hours per week within Monday – Friday, 9am -5pm.

Qualifications and Skills:
 Must be currently enrolled in a master’s program
 Excellent oral and written skills
 No prior specialist archival knowledge needed. Support and training available
 Ability to lift heavy boxes (40lbs) safely and handle weights of 15lbs regularly
 Organizational/office skills and experience. Familiarity with Word and Excel
 Capacity to manage spiral staircase and work with dusty materials.
 Readable, neat handwriting
 Knowledge of other languages including German, French and Chinese a plus

How to Apply:
Please submit the following:
1. Cover letter explaining your career objectives and what you hope to gain from the
internship.
2. Résumé detailing your education and work experiences.

PLEASE send these materials and/or other questions to archivist:
Ruth Tonkiss Cameron, at rc2179@columbia.edu
The Burke Library Blog: https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/burkearchives/

More about the Burke Library can be found through our website: http://library.columbia.edu/indiv/burke.html.

Listings of The Burke Library's Archival Collections linked to a growing number of Finding Aids can be found at http://library.columbia.edu/locations/burke/archives.html