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2024 Unpaid Internship
Records Processing Intern

Background

The Maryland State Archives serves as the central depository for government records of permanent value. Its holdings date from Maryland's founding in 1634, and include colonial and state executive, legislative, and judicial records; county probate, land, and court records; church records; business records; state publications and reports; and special collections of private papers, maps, photographs, and newspapers.The records of all state agencies, boards, and commissions that were abolished or have concluded their work must be transferred to the Archives.

The Archives has long made online access to records a core mission. For example, our Guide to Government Records has 3,358,887 images (852 GB) of record material online. Our MDLandRec and Plats websites have a combined 275,167,990 images (62.7 TB) from our collections online. In total, we currently have 321 million files online (169 TB ).

However, image counts are only part of the story, because making records truly accessible involves more than just creating and uploading digital images. Archives’ staff are dedicated to providing the information needed to make sense of the records as an authoritative source, as well as the tools needed to locate any specific record among hundreds of millions. The Archives’ staff inventory records in order to provide detailed listings of documents within record series

Goal

The goal of this project is to process Maryland State Archives collections to make them more discoverable and accessible to the general public through in person visits or online.

Objectives

  • Assist with the processing of government records for public access
  • Assist with creation of record inventory
  • Assist with preparing records to be digitized


Duties

  • Read records (including handwritten material) in order to identify by type
  • Organize records by content, date, alphabetically, etc.
  • Remove fasteners, including staples, grommets, paperclips
  • Unfold documents
  • Create written and/or typed inventories
  • Folder and/or box records
  • Label folders and/or boxes
  • Review documents and report any conservation concerns. Introductory handling and preservation training will be provided.


Requirements

  • Word processing and spreadsheet capability (Google Docs and Google Sheets are preferred for this project)
  • Ability to read print or handwritten text. Ability to read cursive writing as well is preferred.
  • Ability to organize items in chronological or alphabetical order.
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Ability to work independently and report on work performed
  • Working knowledge of spreadsheets (Google Sheets or Excel), database systems, word processing and basic html.
  • Basic familiarity with archival theory and principles is preferred.


Schedule/Hours Requirement

  • Total Hours: 4 hrs weekly minimum TBD
  • Onsite locations:
    • TBD


Professional Development Opportunities

  • Field study/volunteer personnel have the opportunity to meet staff across departments at the Maryland State Archives, learning about various operations. Public outreach events are also open to the intern/volunteer, to further learning and professional development.


For more information, contact:


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© Copyright April 22, 2024 Maryland State Archives