Archival Processing Intern

Program Summary 

Based in Villanova, Pennsylvania, applicants to the Organ Historical Society Library and Archives (OHSLA) Internship Program will be expected to work onsite for at least 10 to 20 hours a week for the duration of 3 to 6 months depending on the availability, outside school and/or work schedule, and outstanding personal time commitments of prospective candidates. Designed with the intention of providing applicants with first-hand experience working in a special collection library and archive, the OHSLA Internship Program will set out to provide potential applicants with the opportunity to develop and refine their skills in the following areas: 

• Processing archival collections.  
• Writing and encoding finding aids into EAD using ArchivesSpace. 
• Digitizing archival materials. 
• Assisting in the daily operational tasks of the OHSLA. 

Due to current budgetary constraints within the Organ Historical Society (OHS) at an administrative level, all potential applicants should understand that the internship program is an unpaid position with no expectation of monetary compensation or entitlement to the offer of a paid position upon completion of the program. 

Background 

Originally founded by an ad-hoc group of young organists in 1956, the OHS has grown over its six decades to become an international society that includes musicians, organ builders, historians, scholars, and music enthusiasts. Initially seeking to provide a comprehensive list with specifications for pipe organs originally built and installed in public and private institutions across the greater continental United States, the mission of the OHS has since expanded in its operational scope. As more American pipe organ companies have shuttered their doors and donated their institutional records and archives to the OHS, the organization has become a primary home for the preservation of these historical documents and materials. In short, the OHS seeks to provide the space and resources necessary to ensure that the history of the pipe organ and the companies that designed and built those instruments is maintained and made accessible for current and future generations. 

Internship Timeline 

The OHSLA Internship Program can be completed within 3 to 6 months onsite in coordination with prospective candidates. 

Internship Academic Accommodation & Development

Applicants to the OHSLA Internship Program have the option of completing the program for school credit with the cooperation and coordination of an American Library Association (ALA) accredited library science program in which they are currently enrolled.

The OHSLA Internship Program is an unpaid position to be completed onsite and designed to supplement academic and professional growth in its applicants. All potential applicants should understand that an offer into the program does not extend or guarantee current or future employment with the OHS.

Application Requirements

Applicants to the OHSLA Internship Program should be currently enrolled in or have recently graduated from an ALA accredited library and information science program and provide the following supporting documents: 

• Cover letter. 
• Resume/CV. 
• A list of at least 3 professional references. 

Supporting documents should be sent via email to archives@organhistoricalsociety.org with “OHSLA Internship Program [Insert Last Name of Applicant]” in the subject line. 

Deadline 

Applications to the OHSLA Internship Program will be accepted and reviewed until the position has been filled.  

Required Qualifications 

• Enrollment in or recent graduate from an ALA accredited library science program. 
• Experience working in a library, archive, or special collection. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience processing archival collections. 
• Experience writing and encoding finding aids into EAD using ArchivesSpace. 
• Experience digitizing archival and library materials.