Smithsonian Paid Summer Internships

Not genealogy, but a great opportunity.  I wish I were eligible to apply.

The Smithsonian Institution Field Book Project in Washington, D.C. is accepting applications (deadline April 1, 2012) for two paid internships this summer.

Summer 2012 Internship
The Smithsonian Institution seeks two full-time summer interns for the Field Book Project, a joint initiative by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA).  Internships last 8 weeks and must take place between June 1 and August 31, 2012.  Each Intern will receive a $5,000 stipend.  Interns will catalog field notes, which are original source materials documenting field research in biodiversity.  The materials span two centuries of fieldwork.  Content documents the specimens in the museum’s collections through taxonomic identification, sketches, photographs, maps, correspondence, and other materials that support diverse research needs of scientists and historians.

Duties

• Catalog field books using Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS), Natural Collections Description (NCD), and Encoded Archival Context (EAC).
• Apply basic preservation treatment to items as needed.  Assess and flag items for treatment by the conservation team.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how internship work fits into the project as a whole and share through public forums such as the project blog, Flickr, or poster presentation.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled or enrolled within the last 6 months as a graduate student in Library, Information, or Museum Studies program.
• Completion of coursework in metadata, cataloging, or archival description, and ability to demonstrate understanding of how metadata relate to objects.  Applicant may substitute work experience in cataloging or metadata for the coursework requirement by demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities relating to those subjects and their underlying concepts.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
• Experience with cataloging and metadata for unpublished materials and experience with one or more of the following schemas is highly desirable:  AACR2, DACS, MODS, EAC, MARC, NCD.

Applications
Please send as PDF documents to Sonoe Nakasone at Nakasones@si.edu:  two academic references, work and academic history, an unofficial transcript, and an essay explaining your reason for applying and how it relates to your program and future career.  Deadline to apply is April 1, 2012.

Official site: http://www.mnh.si.edu/rc/fieldbooks