Internships

The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA)offers internships to students interested in gaining experience in archival methods, institutional history, oral history, history of science, and the conservation and perservation of documents.

The Archives Division serves as a repository for documents of historic value about the Smithsonian, as the official memory of the Smithsonian, and as a resource for scholars. In the Division, work is chiefly, but not exclusively, in the arrangement and description of institutional records, personal papers, and photographic and other collections in special media. These internships are considered apprenticeships under the tutelage of an archivist.

The Institutional History Division conducts research on the history of the Smithsonian, prepares scholarly and popular publications, exhibits, lectures, K-12 educational materials, and websites, , and records oral history and video history interviews. The Division hosts predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows conducting research on the history of the Institution, American history, science and culture. Internships provide an overview of the research and dissemination activities of an institutional history program, with intern projects focused on specific topics such as the legal history of the Institution or websites on the history of the Smithsonian. Prior course work in American history is a prerequisite.

The Collections Care Division (CCD) provides preservation of analog records in all formats for SIA and to research centers, museums, education and outreach programs, and administrative staff of the Smithsonian.  Its purview includes concerns for the environment and security of archival collections, proper housing and shelving of records, reformatting of selected materials, and training. A special division within CCD is devoted to the management of the historic photograph negative archives of the Institution, including arranging, describing, making accessible, and preserving the collection.

The Collections Cares Division hosts interns and fellows, works with national and international organizations to advance research in the proper preservation of records in all formats, and conducts workshops and other training opportunities.

The Digital Services Division addresses the Smithsonian Institution Archives’s digital preservation, digital curation, electronic records management and online collection accessibility needs. Concentrations of the division are the Electronic Records Program, the Web and New Media group, and Digitization Services.

Through the Electronic Records Program, the DSD curates born digital records and preserves objects from a wide variety of formats for permanent retention. It contributes to the advancement of digital preservation technology with research projects in file format identification and validation as well as archival preservation of large bodies of email, such as email accounts. It assists in the development of records disposition schedules and records appraisals.

The Web and New Media group works to promote and enhance the Internet-based accessibility of our collections through dynamic websites, blogs, social media and mobile applications. This group works to facilitate both wider and deeper use of our collections by researchers and scholars as well as inspiring new audiences to learn. Staff also provides leadership to pan-Institutional projects seeking to make the treasures of the Institution available to people all over the world.

The Digitization staff provides services to units across the Institution, specializing in still image and video digitization and photographic printing. Services available for still images include digital restoration of photographs.

The DSD hosts interns and works with national and international organizations to advance research and standardization in the proper and sustained preservation and retention of digital records. It works with other units to develop strategies, standards and policies for Smithsonian-wide digitization and digital curation, a necessity for the successful retention of our digital heritage.

More About SIA Internships

Applying for an Internship

Internship applications are accepted for spring (deadline: November 1), summer (deadline: March 15), and fall (deadline: July 1) semesters. Applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment system (SOLAA) https://solaa.si.edu/solaa/SOLAAHome.html and must include the following items. Please note, these must be uploaded into the SOLAA system as part of your application.

1. Completed application form with essay of 500 to 1,000 words
2. Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended
3. Two letters of reference
4. Resume (optional)

Information about other Smithsonian internships is available at the Smithsonian Internships website http://interns.si.edu.

For further informationregarding SIA internships, contact:

Internship Coordinator
Smithsonian Institution Archives
PO Box 37012    MRC 507
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202.633.5906 Telephone
202.633.5928 Fax
ferranter@si.edu Email

Fellowships

Smithsonian Opportunities For Research And Study

The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) is the institutional memory of a unique American cultural resource and a steward of the national collections. In order to ensure institutional accountability and enhance public appreciation of a great national treasure, we are committed to serving the Smithsonian community, scholars, and the general public by: appraising, acquiring, and preserving the records of the institution and related documentary materials; offering a range of reference, research, and records services; and creating products and services which promote understanding of the Smithsonian and its history.

Institutional History Division

The Institutional History Division is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and understanding of the history of the Smithsonian Institution. Division staff conduct research and prepare reports, scholarly and popular publications, website resources, and exhibits on the history of the Institution, its legal history, and its role in American museums and intellectual and social history. The Oral History Program supplements existing documentation in the Archives through audio and videotaped interviews with administrative and scholarly staff. The Oral History and Smithsonian Video History Collections document the history of the Institution and staff research in the history of science and technology.

Institutional History Division staff serve as advisors to scholars interested in the history of the Smithsonian, legal history of the Smithsonian, American social and cultural history, history of science, history of women in science, history of museums and oral history, and to interns interested in public history, and oral history.

Archives Division

As the Smithsonian Institution Archives proper, the Archives Division serves several major functions. As a repository for records and papers of historic value about the Smithsonian and the fields of science, art, history, and the humanities, it serves as the official memory of the Smithsonian and as a resource for scholars. The Archives Division also engages in research and training in the administration of archives and manuscript collections.

The Smithsonian Archives was organized in 1965 to collect, preserve, and make accessible the official records of the Smithsonian. The archival collections document the full range of Smithsonian activities, including American history, art history, science and art related exhibitions, astrophysics, botany, ecology, tropical biology and zoology, but are particularly strong in nineteenth-century American science. The Archives contains a diverse collection of papers which include Robert Goddard's papers on his early work in rocketry and the papers of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, founder of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, as well as the papers of the Institution's secretaries, with significant collections for Joseph Henry, Spencer F. Baird, Charles D. Walcott, and Alexander Wetmore, representing such scientific fields as physics, meteorology, ornithology, and paleontology.

The Archives has a number of collections that complement the official records of the Smithsonian concerning expeditions, international expositions, scientists, collectors, professional societies, projects and institutions. Additionally it contains a substantial collection of photographs and small collections of architectural drawings, scientific illustrations, moving images, and sound recordings.

The Archives sponsors students interested in gaining experience in archival administration. Staff provide guidance and supervision in the full range of archival practices, including accessioning and appraisal, arrangement and description, preservation, and reference services. The Archives also supports research associates, fellows, and interns interested in scholarly research in its holdings in such areas as the history of science, cultural history, the history of art, and museology.

The Smithsonian Archives is open to all researchers. The holdings of the Archives described in online finding aids and in SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information System). The staff offers research assistance and refers scholars to relevant sources of information elsewhere in the Smithsonian and Washington, D.C.

Collections Care Division

The Collections Care Division (CCD) provides preservation of analog records in all formats for SIA and to research centers, museums, education and outreach programs, and administrative staff of the Smithsonian. Its purview includes concerns for the environment and security of archival collections, proper housing and shelving of records, reformatting of selected materials, and training. A special division within CCD is devoted to the management of the historic photograph negative archives of the Institution, including arranging, describing, making accessible, and preserving the collection.

Through the Smithsonian Center for Archives Conservation, CCD offers a full range of conservation survey and treatment services to the Smithsonian archival community, including preservation planning for collections, examination, documentation, and treatment actions such as de-acidification, mending and repair and other stabilization efforts. In recent years, CCD has teamed with the Museum Conservation Institute to provide post-graduate fellowships http://www.si.edu/ofg/Applications/CFELL/CFELLapp.htm

Digital Services Division

The Digital Services Division addresses the Smithsonian Institution Archives’s digital preservation, digital curation, electronic records management and online collection accessibility needs. Concentrations of the division are the Electronic Records Program, the Web and New Media group, and Digitization Services.

Through the Electronic Records Program, the DSD curates born digital records and preserves objects from a wide variety of formats for permanent retention. It contributes to the advancement of digital preservation technology with research projects in file format identification and validation as well as archival preservation of large bodies of email, such as email accounts. It assists in the development of records disposition schedules and records appraisals.

The Web and New Media group works to promote and enhance the Internet-based accessibility of our collections through dynamic websites, blogs, social media and mobile applications. This group works to facilitate both wider and deeper use of our collections by researchers and scholars as well as inspiring new audiences to learn. Staff also provides leadership to pan-Institutional projects seeking to make the treasures of the Institution available to people all over the world.

The Digitization staff provides services to units across the Institution, specializing in still image and video digitization and photographic printing. Services available for still images include digital restoration of photographs.

The DSD hosts interns and works with national and international organizations to advance research and standardization in the proper preservation and retention of digital records. It works with other units to develop strategies, standards and policies for Smithsonian-wide digitization and digital curation, a necessity for the successful retention of our digital heritage.

ALERS, Ellen, Assistant Archivist. B.A. (1982) St. John's College; M.A. (2006) Johns Hopkins University. Research specialties: Smithsonian history.

FERRANTE, Riccardo A., IT Archivist. B.S. Northwestern University. Research specialties: Software development; client server applications; electronic records preservation and management; automated information management systems; information standards.

HENSON, Pamela M., Historian. B.A. (1971); M.A. (1975) George Washington University; Ph.D. (1990) University of Maryland. Research specialties: history of the Smithsonian; history of science, especially natural history and women in science; American studies; oral history.

LOCKSHIN, Nora, Paper Conservator. B.F.A.(1992) Rhode Island School of Design; M.L.I.S., with Advanced Certificate in Conservation Studies (2002) University of Texas, Austin. Research specialties: Archive and library preservation and conservation, including: books, paper, photographic and recording media.

PETERS, Tammy L., Supervisory Archivist. B.A. (1990) Bethel College; M.A. (1994) Purdue University. Research specialties: museum archives; records management; Smithsonian Institution history.

STAUDERMAN, Sarah, Collections Care Manager. B.A. (1986) Amherst College; M.A. and certificate in art conservation (1997) State University College, Buffalo. Research specialties: Non-aqueous deacidificants; magnetic media preservation; preservation managment; disaster preparedness and response for cultural institutions.

TODA, Mitch, Assistant Archivist. B.A. (1999) University of California, Irvine; M.A. (2004) University of California, Los Angeles. Research specialities: records management, acquisitions/accessioning, cataloging.

WRIGHT, Jennifer, Assistant Archivist. B.A. (1999) Susquehanna University; M.L.S. (2001) University of Maryland. Research specialities: audio-visual research and processing; records management, acquisitions/accessioning.