Lauren Bradford ‘18 is the current Barbara Holley intern at the library (Photo courtesy of Musselman Library).
By Musselman Library
Musselman Library provides learning experiences that extend far beyond the classroom. Both current students and recent graduates have opportunities to gain valuable work experience through the variety of internships and fellowships offered by the library. Two of these positions are accepting applications this month: the Digital Scholarship Summer Fellowship (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible) and the Barbara Holley Library Internship (graduating seniors are eligible).
The Digital Scholarship Summer Fellows (DSSFs) participate in a paid summer program alongside four other fellows. Fellows learn Digital Humanities tools and methods during a structured, 8-week curriculum and apply them when creating a public-facing, academic, digital project. Applicants propose their research question to explore and may be matched with existing library collections as appropriate.
To hear about a previous DSSFs’ experience, Ivana Lopez Espinosa discusses her work researching diversity at Gettysburg for her project in The Gettysburgian’s podcast from October 29, 2018. For more information about the program and directions for applications (which requires some thoughtful considerations, so check it out earlier rather than later), visit the Musselman Library page (following the headines of About-Employment-Digital Scholarship Summer Fellows) on the Gettysburg College website. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, March 3.
The Barbara Holley Library Internship, named for alumnae Barbara Holley ’54, is a full-time, paid library position for a recent graduate who is considering exploring graduate school for librarianship or archives and records management. Through this position the intern rotates through all of the library’s departments (Special Collections & Archives, Scholarly Communications, Research & Instruction, Technical Services, and User Services) over the course of a year, introducing the intern to various aspects of working in a library.
Here’s what current intern, Lauren Bradford ’18, has to say about her experience as the Holley Intern:
“As the Holley intern I have gained so many valuable skills that will greatly benefit me both in graduate school and in my future, from research methods and instruction to event planning and program coordinating. The position allows you to truly expand on your interests while in a library setting, making it ideal for anyone who has ever thought about pursuing a degree in library sciences. However, that being said it is not just for English majors who want to become librarians. It is a great position for anyone who has a love for libraries or archives and a potential interest in incorporating that into a future degree program or career path. I personally came into the posmanition with a desire to pursue a history PhD program, but have since decided to receive my masters in library sciences with a focus in archival work along the way. My position in the library has also landed me a summer position in Miami, heading a cataloging project.
“During my time as the Holley, I have been most surprised by the wide range of librarians that make up Musselman Library. As a student, you are unable to fully see the “behind the scenes” parts of the library, that are a crucial part of what keeps Musselman moving. With all of the departments and positions, there are so many different areas of focus within the library that one can work in that involve different skills and methods, like teaching in the Research and Instruction department or cataloging in Technical Services. This really allows for the pool of applicants to be as diverse as the librarians themselves, since there are so many different work flows and facets that come with working in the library.
“Potential applicants should know that the position is flexible and can be molded based on the ideas and interests of the intern, whether that be crafty and hands on, technical and creative, or a combination of both. Being able to organize events, such as a film screening and Q&A panel, was something I had never imagined myself doing in this position, but after coming up with the idea I was encouraged to pursue it! The opportunities are endless as the Holley Intern.”
For more information about the Holley Internship, including an application for next year’s intern, visit the Musselman Library page. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, February 24.
