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/
