Internship Program

The University of Nebraska at Omaha Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections (ASC) is responsible for collecting, preserving, and making available to the university community and public our unique archival collections and rare books. Under the general guidance of the Director of Archives and Special Collections and the specific direction of the Hagel and Technical Services Archivist, Digital Initiatives Archivist, or the Outreach Archivist, interns and practicum students will focus on a specific area of interest while gaining experience in a broad range of archival skills.

Eligibility:

Internships and practicums are open to undergraduate and graduate students at UNO and other academic institutions. These are not paid positions; for ethical reasons, students must be enrolled in a library science, history, or discipline-adjacent program.

If students are pursuing this opportunity for credit, we ask that they provide the course or program requirements and learning outcomes/plans from their academic institution. If students are not pursuing this opportunity for credit, they will complete a learning plan created by ASC with their supervisor at the beginning of the internship or practicum. We prefer students to complete the internship for course credit, but we will consider those who are not taking it for credit on a case-by-case basis

Background check and housing:

All non-UNO and on-site interns and practicum students offered a position will undergo a university background check and complete additional documentation as required by Human Resources.

Please be aware that the UNO Libraries does not offer housing or relocation funds for interns, practicum students, fieldwork students, or volunteers.

Fill Out the Application.

Academic Program Requirements: If you are taking this internship or practicum for credit, please upload the requirements from your academic institution's course or program.

Cover Letter: explain your reasons for interest in both our department and the primary area(s) of focus you selected.

• How to write a cover letter
• About us

Resume: must include your year/progression in your academic program and coursework relevant to libraries, archives, and history (for example, a research methods class in humanities or the social sciences).

• How to write a resume

Optional writing sample: If you decide to include a writing sample, it should be from a relevant course or publication (blog, newsletter, or presentation).

Application Dates:

*If the number of hours needed is less than 40, please contact us separately via email.

*If your program is on the quarter or trimester system, please contact us for dates.

Start dates are negotiable and dependent on the applicant and archivist.

Elements of the Internship:

Learning Plan: Prior to the start of the internship, the supervisor and the intern will complete a learning plan from the intern’s academic program or one provided by ASC.

Orientation, including required readings (2-4 hours)

Informational interviews with faculty and staff across all Library departments. Following discussion with the supervisor, the student will arrange interviews (30-60 minutes interview, 30-60 minutes preparation). If the internship is under 60 hours, the intern should complete one interview. If the internship is over 60 hours, the intern should complete a minimum of two interviews.

Primary project(s) (60-75% of internship hours): Applicants will select one area of focus for their primary project(s) within the department. Three areas are available: Digital Collections, Outreach, and Processing. Examples of work and skills gained through each area of focus are listed below; they are representative and not exhaustive of the tasks a student can expect. Students will report to the archivist supervising their primary projects who will oversee all internship or practicum components.

Secondary project(s): Interns may request secondary projects in Cataloging, Digital Initiatives, Outreach, and Processing. These projects would be approximately four to twenty hours, depending on repository needs, the capacity of the ASC staff, and the length of the internship. Internships of over 60 hours may include one secondary project; internships over 100 hours may include one or two secondary projects. Secondary projects will be included in the learning plan and arranged at the discretion of the primary supervisor.

End-of-internship or practicum talk on projects and skills learned, delivered in-person or virtual to either ASC faculty/staff or library-wide (15-20 minutes presentation with Q&A, 3 hours preparation).

Exit interview with supervisor (30-60 minutes)

Areas of Focus:

1. Digital Collections projects supervisor: Wendy Guerra, Digital Initiatives Archivist

• Scanning (flatbed, sheetfed, overhead)
• Editing (Photoshop and Bridge)
• Embedding metadata (Bridge and Acrobat)
• Creating MODs records (Oxygen or Sublime)
• Collection evaluation and risk assessment
• Collection care and maintenance related to digital projects
• Islandora metadata entry and collection ingest

2. Outreach projects supervisor: Claire Du Laney, Outreach Archivist

• Physical exhibits
• Instruction
• Teaching pedagogy
• Social media programming
• Collections promotion and engagement

3. Processing projects supervisor: Lori Schwartz, Hagel and Technical Services Archivist

• Arrangement of a series or collection
• Description of a series or collection, including an introduction to ArchivesSpace
• Description and housing of artifacts
• Inventory and minimal arrangement and/or description of the collection

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University of Nebraska at Omaha Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. Learn more about Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion: https://www.unomaha.edu/office-of-equity-access-and-diversity/index.php