Professional Development Internship
This long-standing internship program offers a unique opportunity for aspiring librarians and archivists to work alongside Smithsonian Libraries and Archives staff. Interns in this program acquire crucial skills, knowledge, and experience to prepare them for their future careers. This program is geared towards graduate students in a Master of Information Science program or similar.
In addition to opportunities specific to their project, interns will participate in activities designed to enhance their learning experience, including tours, presentations, and informational interviews. All Smithsonian Libraries and Archives interns prepare a blog post summarizing their work.
For Summer of 2023, we anticipate hosting a part-time, onsite opportunity in the National Museum of Natural History.
Applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointments system (SOLAA). Applicants should select “Smithsonian Libraries and Archives” as the unit and the “Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Professional Development” as the program.
The following items must be included and uploaded into the SOLAA system as part of your application:
-Essay of 500 to 1,000 words describing your learning objectives, qualifications, and career aspirations and how they relate to this internship.
-Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded into SOLAA. Do not mail physical copies.
-CV/Resume
-Contacts for two professional or academic recommendations.The candidate inputs names and emails into the SOLAA application system. References are automatically sent an electronic survey and have an opportunity to upload a traditional reference letter. Candidate should be sure to communicate this process to their references and input email addresses accurately.
For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact: SLAIntern@si.edu