We're looking for a summer intern to support the activities and collections archival for the Rush County Historical Society.
Museum Collections Management Internship - Summer 2021
La Crosse, KS
Job Description:
This internship is for a current university student who has career interests in museum studies, history, art, tech studies, or historic preservation. Under the guidance of museum curatorial staff, the intern will gain valuable experience in properly cataloging and archiving museum collections. The intern will also have the opportunity to gain experience interacting with the public by assisting in the day-to-day operations of a local historical museum.
The internship will be with the Rush County Historical Society in La Crosse, Kansas. The Society operates four museums: The Rush County Historical Museum, Post Rock Museum, Nekoma Bank Museum, and Pleasant Point One-Room School Museum. In addition, the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum, operated by the Kansas Barbed Wire Collectors Association is also located on the museum campus. The majority of responsibilities with this internship will involve digitization and cataloging of the Historical Society’s existing photographic and other collections. Intern will be supervised by museum staff.
Responsibilities will include:
Scanning and digitizing photographs and historical documents from the museum’s collections
Organizing and archiving photographs, documents, and other collections according to AAM (American Alliance of Museums) and AASLH (American Association of State & Local History) standards
Cataloging collections and entering data into the museum collections databases
Conducting additional research (if needed) for description and/or provenance
Assisting curatorial staff with written and photographic documentation of artifact collections
Assisting museum staff in the daily operations of the museums including opening and closing of the facilities and conducting tours of the museums.
Providing assistance to patrons with genealogy or other historical research
Assisting with other conservation-related duties as necessary or appropriate
If the internship is for degree credit, responsibilities may be modified to fulfill course requirements
The intern will gain experience in:
The daily operations of a local historical museum
Customer service skills dealing with museum patrons
Use of photo/document scanning equipment and enhancement and correction software
Archiving and conservation procedures for photographic and document collections
Proper use of PastPerfect Museum Software
Researching and establishing provenance for museum collections
Schedule and Compensation:
The intern will work a part-time schedule that may include occasional weekends. Schedules may be flexible to work around class schedules and to minimize travel time. The intern will be expected to work up to 240 hours during the period May 17 through August 20, 2021. The intern will be required to complete selected objectives within responsibilities above. Compensation will be $ 12.00 per hour for a maximum of $ 2,880. Work will require travel to the museum complex in La Crosse, Kansas, 24 miles south of Hays.
Application Procedure:
To apply: complete the on-line application below, submit cover letter, resume, and letters of recommendation
For more information contact: historyintern@rushcounty.org
Applications are due: April 25th.
-[Review of applications begins April 16th]-
Letters of recommendation should be emailed to: historyintern@rushcounty.org
or mailed to:
Rush County Historical Society
202 W. 1st Street - P.O. Box 473
La Crosse, KS 67548
