Fall 2024 Internships

Archives - CU Libraries

 The Special Collections, Archives & Preservation department of the CU Libraries is offering an internship position working with archival collections. Tasks will include surveying, organizing, and creating an inventory of an archival collection to improve researcher access to the collection. As an intern you will receive a general introduction to archival collections including their arrangement, description, and preservation. Collections range in topic from history of science, political science, university history, history of the nuclear west including rocky flats, labor history among others. Your final project will be all or portions of an archival finding aid (or context and inventory for a collection). 

Number of Positions: 1

Supervisor: Ashlyn Velte, Senior Processing Archivist

Schedule: 8-10 hours per week during spring semester

Format: In person

Credit: Students may earn 3 internship credits by completing several personal reflections and submiting a final project from their internship. To earn credit, students must enroll in HIST 4930.

How to apply: Submit an internship application and a cover letter to the History Internships Coordinator, Dr. Henry Lovejoy (hlovejoy@colorado.edu). Cover letter should be saved as a PDF and must answer the following questions:

  • What skills do you bring to this internship?
  • How does this internship support your current historical interests & future goals?
  • What do you hope to get out of the internship?

Application deadline: Priority deadline is May 8th; applications accepted until the positions are filled. 

Digital Slavery Research Lab / Walk With Web

The Digital Slavery Research Lab (DSRL) focuses on developing, linking, layering, and archiving open-source data and multimedia related to the global phenomenon of slavery and human trafficking. DSRL's mission is to train students to become interdisciplinary collaborators using historical research on the African Diaspora and digital humanities methods. Through the design of sustainable resources, we aim to enhance mutual understanding and stimulate intercultural dialogues. This interdisciplinary lab has aligned or partnered with various centers and labs in data science at the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as industry leaders in digital humanities, particularly through Walk With Web. Depending on student interests and skills, there is opportunity to work on a variety of digital projects, such as SlaveryImages.orgLiberatedAfricans.org, as well as other projects related to spatial modeling migratory patterns of enslaved people during the era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Number of Positions: 1-2

Supervisor: Professor Henry Lovejoy, CU Boulder History Professor

Schedule: 8-10 hours per week, specifics to be determined with supervisor, during fall semester

Format: Combination of in-person and remote work

Compensation/Credit: This position is unpaid. Students may earn 3 credits towards their HIST major or minor by completing several personal reflections/journal entries and submitting a final product/sample of work from their internship. To earn credit, students must enroll in HIST 4930.

Desired Skills:

  • Interest in digital history & website development
  • Willingness to generate data & synthesize large amounts of information
  • Excellent writing skills for the web & funding opportunities
  • Ability to work independently & take initiative
  • Access to a computer with internet and video call capabilities 

How to apply: Submit an internship application and a cover letter to the History Internships Coordinator, Dr. Henry Lovejoy (hlovejoy@colorado.edu). Cover letter should be saved as a PDF and must answer the following questions:

  • What skills do you bring to this internship?
  • How does this internship support your current historical interests & future goals?
  • What do you hope to get out of the internship?

Application deadline: Priority deadline is May 8th; applications accepted until the positions are filled. 

 

Museum of Boulder - Collections Intern / Costumes

Job Overview:

The Museum of Boulder is seeking up to three interns over the next year to assist with an IMLS grant which will survey 15% or approximately 1,650 peices of the Museum’s costume collection. Designated “An American Treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this collection will be the Museum’s focus in order to create a blueprint for future preservation studies of the full collection. Interns will assist with the inventory and evaluation process of this significant collection by working directly on updating the Museum’s database, conducting condition reports, photographing pieces, and otherwise examining these priceless objects. The paid positions work under the direction of the Museum’s Curator of Collections and Exhibits as well as the Collections Assistant - Costumes. 

About the Museum:

OUR MISSION

History happens here. The Museum of Boulder showcases inclusive community stories, preserves them for the future, and inspires all of us to effect positive change.

OUR VISION

The Museum of Boulder will be a dynamic reflection of our community, a center where history is a resource for understanding our own lives and times.

  • We will safeguard artifacts that transport visitors to the past and materials that

preserve unwritten histories

  • We will balance curiosity about the essential themes of Boulder’s past with attention to untold and underrepresented stories
  • We will encourage community creation and engagement, while offering inspiring space and historical context to reach a broad audience across generation, origin, identity, and creed.

Skills and Abilities:

Under the direction of collections assistant and curator the candidate will:

  • Work with the collections team to inventory and house costume pieces including conducting condition reports, taking digital images and entering data into the Museum’s Past Perfect database
  • Ability to create and maintain accurate, well-researched and precise records
  • Handle and move objects for inventory and exhibition, this could include improving storage, and updating conservation and condition reports
  • Assist with quality control of data entered into Past Perfect and digital image management, including confirming copyright status for project images as requested
  • Assist collections assistant and curator as needed
  • All other duties as assigned

Minimum requirements:

  • Working toward a Bachelor's or Master's degree from an accredited institution with a focus on fashion, textiles, museum studies, anthropology, history, or related field
  • Broad interest in fashion and fashion history. A specialized knowledge working with 19th and 20th century costume history is a plus
  • Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of best practices for museum and collection standards
  • Ability to lift 30-50 pounds
  • Ability to use ladders and work safely and comfortably at elevated heights
  • Ability to work safely and comfortably in dusty and/or dirty working environments
  • Flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of humor

Other desired skills:

  • Experience working with the Past Perfect database
  • Excellent organization skills, follow-through, and attention to detail
  • Excellent research, writing and editing skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to manage multiple projects to successful completion on time
  • Team player able to work collaboratively with other departments within the museum
  • Ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities Stipend (includes taxes, no benefits): $1200 per semester

TYPICAL EQUIPMENT USED: Computer, printer, scanner, copier, digital camera

How to apply: Submit an internship application and a cover letter to the History Internships Coordinator, Dr. Henry Lovejoy (hlovejoy@colorado.edu). Cover letter should be saved as a PDF and must answer the following questions:

  • What skills do you bring to this internship?
  • How does this internship support your current historical interests & future goals?
  • What do you hope to get out of the internship?

Application deadline: Priority deadline is May 8th; applications accepted until the positions are filled. 

CU Heritage Center 

The Heritage Center is offering two internship positions to assist with researching people, topics, and events of CU's past for the university's upcoming 150th anniversary in 2026. While the museum is temporarily closed as Old Main gets a much-needed restoration, we plan to create and install small physical exhibits in strategic locations around campus and develop online content for the anniversary year.

Our collection includes archival material and thousands of photographs, publications, artifacts, memorabilia, scrapbooks, and textiles covering many aspects of CU history from the 1870s through the present. Depending on your research interests, you can choose from many people and topics and have the opportunity to learn about museum exhibit content development.

The Heritage Center is devoted to preserving CU Boulder's extraordinary 150-year past and truthfully representing the history and people of Colorado's flagship university. We value diverse experiences and are committed to fostering a sense of belonging for all members of the CU community.

Number of Positions: 1-2

Supervisor: Mona Lambrecht, Interim Director and Curator of History and Collections

Schedule: 8-10 hours per week during the fall semester

Format: In person. Potential research at other local libraries. The museum is temporarily located on East Campus at 30th and Marine streets.

Credit: This position is unpaid. Students may earn 3 internship credits towards their HIST major or minor by completing several personal reflections/journal entries and submitting a final project/sample of work from their internship. To earn credit, students must enroll in HIST 4930 (syllabus).

Desired skills:

  • Interest in local history and/or museum exhibition development
  • Experience with various primary source materials
  • Excellent research, documenting, and writing skills
  • Detail-oriented and organized
  • Ability to read script/cursive handwriting helpful
  • Familiarity with CU Boulder campus, Boulder, or Colorado history helpful
  • Experience with genealogical research helpful
  • Comfortable working independently and willing to ask questions when needed
  • Flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of humor

How to apply: Submit an internship application and a cover letter to the History Internships Coordinator, Dr. Henry Lovejoy (hlovejoy@colorado.edu). Cover letter should be saved as a PDF and must answer the following questions:

  • What skills do you bring to this internship?
  • How does this internship support your current historical interests & future goals?
  • What do you hope to get out of the internship?

Application deadline: Priority deadline is August 1, 2024; applications accepted until the positions are filled.