Archival Internships

Balancing Business Need with Educational Experience at UNLV

Cyndi SheinUNLV Special CollectionsWestern Roundup May 2015

Special

Collecti

ons

Divisio

nDigital Collections

Public Services

Center for Technical ServicesOral

HistoryGaming Research

Research Center

Balance

Business need Educational goals Outcomes & benefits Intern management tips

Business needUNLV Lied Library

Print Databases Spreadsheets Staff folders/network

Need to centralize information

{ArchivesSpace

Human action and intelligence required

Educational goalsUNLV Lied Library

Campus-wide learning objectives: Inquiry & Critical Thinking Communication

Image from aboutmodafinil.com

Educational goals for internships Practical field experience Course credit for public history Explore career path related to

history

** Financial bridge between spring and fall graduate assistant jobs

UNLV History Department

Educational goals

Campus-wide campaign: Retention, progression, and

completion Success after graduation

Outcomes

UNLV Lied Library

Some of what was once unknown

is now known

During the 10-week internship, over 200 finding aids were created and are now available online

~ Benefits ~

Retention ProgressionCompl

etion

• Improved access to collections

• Implementation of ArchivesSpace

• Build relationships across campus• Alumni/interns

= • Bridge the gap

• Financial support between semesters

• Professional and personal growth

• Course credits in public history

between academia and a profession

InternsInstitution

ambassadors forSpecial Collections

Management tipsUNLV Lied Library

Tip #1: Cohort

Tip #2: Orientation

Tip #3: Training

Hands-on

Structured workshop

Very focused

Collection Series

Subseries File

Item

Fundamental principles

DACSRequired elements: TitleDatesExtentCreatorScope & content noteAccess noteRepository name/locationLanguage of materialReference code

* Bio/historical note

HandlingRehousingMeasuringLabeling

Collections

Create a workflow that is self-directed

Master spreadsheet for tracking progress

Tip #4: Self-directed workflow

Structured & well-defined project with a tangible product

Share supervisory duties

One-on-one review of work

Weekly meetings & mentoring

Tip #5: Oversight

Tip #6: Feeding Our Young

Fieldfare feeding the young, 2010 by Lauri Rantala

Tip #7: High expectationsNational Media Museum “Exercising on the Beach” 1935

Tip # 8: Evaluation

“I learned and experienced much more than I anticipated.”

“I had no intention of becoming a librarian/ archivist until I did this internship, and now I’m seriously

considering it as a career option.”

“I always am excited to come to work here.”

“It vastly improved my writing and editing skills and helped me practice writing concisely under a deadline.”

“This internship… gave me a multitude of practical problem solving skills.”

Questions?cyndi.shein@unlv.edu