Preservation Digital Technology Internship

Description

The Preservation Reformatting Division (PRD) provides access to at-risk Library serials, brittle books, newspapers, photographs and manuscripts by converting items to new formats such as microfilm, facsimile copies or digital reproductions. Reformatting is accomplished through programs for microphotography and digital capture.

The goal of the internship is to provide Library Science and Information Technology students, graduates, and post-graduates with the opportunity to study and work with state-of-the-art digital technologies: those used for the digital reformatting of library materials; those used to document and model reformatting and related preservation workflows; and those used to ensure proper workflow execution by enabling statistical process monitoring and control.

Interns have the opportunity to participate in the following key activities to plan, get, describe, sustain, and make accessible reformatted digital and/or microfilm formats for serials, photographs, manuscripts, brittle books, and other items.

Digital Preservation Activities

Plan: Processing management (e.g., assessing materials, processing brittle books, reviewing reformatting policies, etc.) in order to identify the functions and processes to be represented in a fashion comprehensible to library management and IT personnel.

Sustain: Microphotography using two state-of-the-art microfilm digitization workstations (16/35mm roll and fiche), a high-resolution color overhead capture workstation, and an image processing and data storage infrastructure that enables: high-resolution digital image capture/importation and image quality analysis from microform and printed materials; and image inspection/auditing, editing, post processing, image quality measurement, and process control activities, with a focus on digitizing microform materials.

Make Available: Digital imaging production processes of books and serials with open-source and commercial image editing/image processing software (e.g., imaging materials, managing vendor-created images, conducting quality reviews, and preparing files for use in online delivery systems).

Other Activities

Research: Specification development and deployment using computerized modeling/design tools to develop preservation-relevant process models, data models, flowcharts, and other products that represent existing and planned Preservation Directorate operations.

Tours: The Library of Congress has tremendous quantity, quality, and diversity in its holdings. Interns have the opportunity to tour the other Directorate divisions as well as the many custodial divisions in the Library.

Training and Conservation Professional Activities: Participation in outreach activities such as lab tours for visitors and relevant in-house lectures and conferences. Interns meet curators to discuss collections and are expected to give a farewell presentation of work and accomplishments to Library staff.

Application and Selection Procedure

Internships may be on part-time or full-time schedule, but minimum of 200 hours is generally required. The length of the internship generally ranges from 6 weeks to 6 months.

Applicants should complete and submit by email the Preservation Fellowship and Internship Application Form [PDF: 18 KB / 3 p.], plus a résumé, two letters of recommendation, and a formal letter of interest. Please follow the additional instructions on the application form and note that the Preservation Directorate uses this one application form for all of the various internships and fellowships offered. Citizenship requirements: U.S. citizenship not required.

Application Schedule

Applications are accepted at any time.

Stipend/Compensation

None.

To apply, please direct applications to: