Archives Intern for Reparative Description (2)

Davidson College’s E.H. Little Library seeks two Archives Interns for Reparative Description to assess archival finding aids and inventories for harmful, inappropriate, and dated language using a DEIA audit framework and to update descriptions based on reparative and inclusive frameworks for archival description. These internships will extend departmental efforts to describe materials that speak to Davidson’s complicated history with enslavement, race relations, civil rights, gender and sexuality, accessibility and disability, and other related topics. The interns will collaborate on this work with Davidson’s Archives, Special Collections, and Community team and will also join the Duke Endowment Libraries (TDEL) cohort of researchers at Duke University, Furman University, and Johnson C. Smith University in their third year of exploring inclusive histories of their respective institutions. 

The Archives Interns for Reparative Description will be assigned one of the following projects based on their interests and skills:

1. Conduct a DEIA audit of select Archives and Manuscripts finding aids.

   1. Primary Responsibilities:

      1. Assess the finding aids of several high-use collections using the DEIA audit checklist and framework developed by Furman University.

      2. Research collection creators, contributors, and subjects using resources in the Davidson Archives and beyond to make informed descriptive decisions.

      3. Apply findings by creating new scope and content notes, writing new biographical and historical notes, and adding appropriate subject headings in ArchivesSpace.

      4. Reflect on and summarize work in a blog post published on the Davidson College Archives blog.

      5. Collaborate with the TDEL cohort throughout the semester to obtain and provide feedback on each school’s respective projects.

2. Conduct a DEIA audit of the Davidson College Archives, Special Collections, and Community department’s vertical reference files.

   1. Primary Responsibilities:

      1. Assess the Davidson College Archives vertical reference file collection using the DEIA audit checklist and framework developed by Furman University.

      2. Research the subjects, groups, and persons represented in the reference files using resources in the Davidson Archives and beyond to make informed descriptive decisions.

      3. Apply findings by creating new folder titles and suggesting appropriate subject headings for select folders.

      4. Reflect on and summarize your work in a blog post published on the Davidson College Archives blog.

      5. Collaborate with the TDEL cohort throughout the semester to obtain and provide feedback on each school’s respective projects.

Funded by a grant awarded to the Duke Endowment Libraries (TDEL), these internships each offer a $5,000 stipend. These positions will be completed between January 2024 and April 2024, totaling approximately 150 hours each. The work is hybrid; remote work must be completed in North Carolina or South Carolina and on-campus work must be completed during the regular operating hours of the Davidson College Archives & Special Collections (8:30am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday).  

Minimum qualifications:

• Must be a student in or a recent graduate (within a year) of an Archives, Library Science, Information Science graduate-level program or a graduate-level program in other related areas of study.

• Demonstrated interest in reparative descriptive metadata frameworks and practices.

• Knowledge of or coursework in library or archives cataloging or metadata practices. 

• Familiarity with Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and/or related standards.

• Proficiency in Google Docs and Google Sheets.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Strong communication skills.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Preferred qualifications:

• Internship experience or course experience in archives and special collections or a related field.

• Experience with or coursework in ArchivesSpace.

• Knowledge of African American and Southern history, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Disability Studies, or related disciplines. 

Information about how to submit an application can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu