Archives for October 2022

Collections Management Intern, The Briscoe Center for American History

 

The Briscoe Center welcomes applications for semester-long Bridging Disciplines internships in collection management. For internships in spring 2023, interns will contribute to the ongoing care, documentation, and access of material culture objects.

Material culture objects include the personal and professional belongings of journalists, politicians, photographers, musicians, educators, and activists in the Briscoe Center’s collections. These items could include clothing, special mementos, awards, or artwork, but the variety is wide-ranging depending on the person or organization and their life pursuits. There will be opportunities to work with the quilt and fine arts collections, as well as a collection of custom cowboy boots.

The internship would suit someone interested in museum studies who would like to gain hands-on experience managing 3-D objects not usually processed by archivists, who often handle only paper-based items such as manuscripts and other documents. Interns will assist staff with cataloging and housing objects as well as managing their information in the object database. The internship will be based on a combination of work at the Briscoe Center’s Research and Collections Division and database tasks performed remotely for 160-180 hours per semester.

Example tasks include:

• creating or editing metadata (information about the object) in the object database
• housing items in archival storage containers
• researching and assigning subject terms for objects to promote discovery and research
• writing condition reports
• research using primary source materials

Candidates should be:

• interested in history and in working with primary source materials
• interested in close looking and writing about/describing objects
• familiar working with databases and spreadsheets
• responsible and comfortable working independently
• able to organize and manage detailed information
• available during the center’s working hours: M-F, 9-5
• although training will be provided, some prior experience with museum and archival collections is helpful

To apply: applicants should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Jill Morena, Registrar for Exhibits and Material Culture: jmorena@austin.utexas.edu. Please note this internship is unpaid.

Application deadlines: for the 2023 spring semester, please apply by December 10, 2022.

 

About the Briscoe Center for American History:

Through stewardship, scholarship, and outreach, the Briscoe Center for American History cultivates historical knowledge and fosters exploration of our nation’s past.

As a leading history research center, we collect, preserve, and make available archival evidence that encompasses key themes in Texas and U.S. history. Researchers, students, and the public use our collections for a wide range of academic, professional, and personal uses.

Archival collections also inspire the center’s own projects, including books, exhibits, programs, films, and educational materials. The Briscoe Center is an organized research unit and public service component of The University of Texas at Austin. For more information, see https://briscoecenter.org/.