Description
The Preservation Services Division (PSD) is responsible for services that prepare and process materials for preservation and for the management information systems required to enact preservation services at scale. The Division provides after-market binding for library materials; business support services for contracted preservation services; and development and maintenance of the management information systems and technologies required for effective operations of preservation activities across all Preservation Divisions.
The goal of the internship is to provide Library Science and Information students and graduates with the opportunity to study and work with major Library business operations and binding services in the Preservation Directorate. Internship activities can include some of the activities listed below:
Preservation Business Operations Activities
- Provides assistance in major external service contracts and management information systems. The intern will be involved in management, technology and contracting workflows.
- Assistance with the Mass Deacidification Program: Quality Control (QC) of the ILS component and of material re-shelving component. The intern will perform Master Microfilm reels Inventory, prior for the reels going into long term cold storage and will conduct Inspection of reformatted microfilm reels returned from vendor. The intern will also perform Microfilm to Digital Reel identification and requests; work on Label and Ribbon order fulfilment and Preservation Directorate Databases identification and consolidation.
Preservation Binding Activities
- Provides assistance in the sorting of newly acquired monographs from the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate (ABA). The process involves identification of item leaf attachments in order to group in bind-able styles.
- Assistance in the preparation of monographs and multivolume serials for commercial binding.
- Perform binding preparation using the Automated Bindery Library Exchange system, a web-based application for the preparation of library materials for commercial binding. The intern will also examine newly bound items to ensure fidelity to contractual requirements.
Other Activities
- Research: Specification development and deployment using modeling/design tools to develop preservation-relevant process and data models, flowcharts, and other products that represent existing and planned Preservation Directorate operations and activities.
- Tours: The Library of Congress has tremendous quantity, quality, and diversity in its holdings. Interns have the opportunity to tour the other Directorate divisions as well as the many custodial divisions in the Library.
- Training and Preservation Professional Activities: Participation in outreach activities such as lab tours for visitors and relevant in-house lectures and conferences. Interns meet curators to discuss collections and are expected to give a farewell presentation of work and accomplishments to Library staff. Interns participate in high-profile opportunities for public engagement in preservation (put a favorite internship project online; volunteer at the National Book Festival; give a lecture for Preservation Week; and more).
Application Instructions and Process
Internships may be on part-time or full-time schedule, but minimum of 200 hours is generally required. The length of the internship generally ranges from 6 weeks to 6 months.
Citizenship requirements: U.S. citizenship not required. International MSLIS students must have English fluency, evidence of sufficient financial support for living in the Washington, D.C. area for the internship term, health insurance coverage valid in the U.S., and be eligible for a U.S. J-1 visa.
Applicants should complete and submit by email the Preservation Application Form [PDF: 174 KB / 4 pp.], plus a résumé, two letters of recommendation, and a formal letter of interest. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Please follow the additional instructions on the application form and note that the Preservation Directorate uses this one application form for all of the various internships and fellowships offered.
Include the name of the internship in the subject line. Please follow the instructions at the top of the application form. The entire application package should be submitted by email.
Application Schedule
Applications are accepted at any time and internships offered to qualified applicants based on availability.
To apply, please direct applications to:
Adrija Henley
Preservation Services Division
Preservation Directorate
Library of Congress
[email protected]
