Museum Studies

Connecting Experience: Digital Archival Assistant and Archive Liasson

The UT Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Dr. Elon Lang are seeking one BDP Museum Studies student to develop a digital archive and online exhibit of the Center’s 50-year history, using material scanned and researched for physical exhibits for the Center’s landmark anniversary last year. Students would either work with Dr. Lang or a representative from the Center for Teaching Learning throughout the project.

KEY GOALS and RESPONSIBILITIES for the project:

• to build a permanent digital archive of primary sources from the Center’s history stored on-site
• to describe digital archival materials using Dublin-Core on the Omeka archival platform
• to follow up on research done in UT-Austin’s institutional records and publications when necessary
• to author and design online exhibits using the Omeka platform to be transferred to the CTL
• to prepare the physical collection stored on-site at the CTL for transfer to the Dolph Briscoe Center

Candidates should be:

• interested in history and in working with primary source materials
• interested in close looking and writing about/describing items
• familiar working with databases and spreadsheets, and able to quickly learn how to operate new content management systems
• responsible and comfortable working independently
• able to organize and manage detailed information
• available to work 5-10 hours per week through the Fall 2024 semester and/or Spring 2024 in person or remotely
• although training will be provided, some prior experience with museum and archival collections, and performing oral history interviews is helpful

To apply: applicants should submit a letter of interest via email and a resume to Dr. Lang, emlang@austin.utexas.edu.

NOTE: This is an unpaid position but can be used for a BDP Connecting Experience.

Collections Management and Exhibitions Intern, The Briscoe Center for American History

Application deadlines: for the 2024 fall semester, please apply by August 16, 2024.

The Briscoe Center welcomes applications for semester-long Bridging Disciplines internships in exhibitions and collection management. For internships in fall 2024, interns will contribute to the ongoing care and documentation of material culture objects. There may also be an opportunity to assist with preparation for spring exhibitions, and a large collection move of 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 of such objects is wide-ranging depending on the person or organization and their life pursuits. Interns will work with collections prioritized for processing, although there can be a simultaneous opportunity to work with a collection aligned with personal interests.

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 or photographs. Interns will assist staff with cataloging and housing objects as well as managing information about them.

The internship will be based at the Briscoe Center’s Research and Collections Division, for 150 hours per semester. Please note, this position is unpaid.

Example tasks include:

• creating metadata (information about the object)
• photographing objects
• housing items in archival storage containers
• researching and assigning subject terms for objects to promote discovery and research
• writing condition reports
• organizing and maintaining exhibition checklists
• 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
• experience with camera photography is also 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

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/