Archives Internship 2025
Applications are currently being accepted through January 13, 2025.
The U.S. National Arboretum (USNA) is located in Washington, DC and is part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The mission of the USNA is to enhance the economic, environmental, and aesthetic value of ornamental and landscape plants through long-term, multi-disciplinary research, conservation of genetic resources, and interpretative gardens and exhibits. The intern will help organize historical documents and images related to the Arboretum’s general history and research. An internship project, which is presented to staff, volunteers, and stakeholders at the end of the internship, is required. In addition, interns participate in professional development opportunities and educational field trips
Description
Intern is supervised by the National Arboretum’s museum specialist. The position is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, and will begin in May or June and last three months. Pay is approximately $18-$20 per hour. Housing is not provided.
Qualifications
Applicants need to have either completed course work or have acquired practical experience in archives or a related field. Skill in paying attention to detail, the ability to handle fragile and/or dusty records, and the ability to work independently are essential. An interest in history or plants is a plus.
Duties & Working Conditions
This internship will include archival duties involving reference, arrangement, description, evaluation, and preservation and rehabilitation of historical materials; then, preparation of finding aids which identify and describe series within collections in terms of subject, chronology, volume, and internal arrangement. It will include training on the USNA’s image database and scanners so digital images can be uploaded. Work is performed in an office setting primarily, and in materials storage areas at the National Arboretum’s Washington, DC, campus. Although mostly sedentary, it occasionally requires walking, reaching, and bending, as well as the lifting and carrying of light- to medium-weight items, up to 20 pounds.
How to Apply
Please send a cover letter indicating availability and interest areas, a resume, names of three references, and transcripts, if applicable (unofficial are acceptable), via email to USNA.Internships@usda.gov.
DEADLINE: January 13, 2025
Questions? Contact the internship office at (202) 245-4563 or USNA.Internships@usda.gov.
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