Internship Announcement:
Collection Management Internship at the John J. Johnson Archives Center
Fredericksburg United Methodist Church
Fall 2014
The John J. Johnson Archives Center of the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church consists of official documents, papers, photographs, recordings, books and artifacts. The church, founded in 1802, is located at 308 Hanover Street in Fredericksburg’s Historic District. The mission of the Center is to catalog and index this collection. The Center will make these items accessible to church members, scholars, educational institutions and the general public for study and research. The Center’s dedicated, climate controlled work area comprises a work room with a scanner, printers and computer equipment, as well as a storage closet with approximately 30 cardboard boxes of papers, photographs, artifacts, etc.
Intern Duties:
The intern will begin the process of indexing the collection’s documents and objects using PastPerfect 5.0 software. PastPerfect is a leader in collection and contact management software. Several local museums use PastPerfect, including the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center, the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, and the James Monroe Museum (operated by the University of Mary Washington). Training CDs will be available for learning how to use the software. Opportunities exist for collaboration with other local museums familiar with PastPefect.
Learning Outcomes for the Intern:
- Understand the importance of preserving documents and objects and making them accessible to the public.
- Become familiar with PastPerfect software and learn how to attach images, keep data safe, focus on efficiency, and maintain consistent collections data entry.
- Understand the role of technology and reformatting collections in modern archival management.
The intern should have keyboarding and computer skills, with a demonstrated ability to perform detailed work.
A member of the church’s Heritage Committee will be available to supervise the intern during the fall semester. Internships for 1 credit require 42 hours’ work; 2 credits require 84 hours; 3 credits require 126 hours. Academic credit is available through the History and Historic Preservation departments. Academic credit is not available through the Museum Studies program.
To apply for the internship, send a cover letter and resume to Margaret Mock, Co-Director, John J. Johnson Archives Center, mmock@umw.edu.
Deadline for the 2014 fall session is September 12.
