The Newberry offers internships in most of its departments. Newberry interns benefit professionally and intellectually from challenging work assignments as well as participation in the library’s lively community of scholars. Interns are supervised individually by Newberry staff members, who serve as mentors and insure that the internship has a robust educational component. In addition to their individual assignments, interns learn about other dimensions of the Newberry through group presentations, tours, and events such as the weekly colloquium. At the colloquium, the Newberry community gathers to hear an informal talk, usually focused on the collections or a current research project within the Newberry, followed by discussion and accompanied by refreshments.
Internships may last from one month to one year, and require from seven to 35 hours per week. In most cases, hours can be arranged flexibly. Although these opportunities are unpaid (unless stated otherwise), many previous interns have earned academic credit for their Newberry experience. Undergraduates and graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, library and information science, performing arts, journalism, communications, marketing, graphic design, and museum studies, as well as postgraduates with backgrounds in these fields, may apply for available internships. Please refer to the individual internship descriptions for the specific qualifications for each position.
If you would like to be considered for more than one internship, you only need to submit one application. In your cover letter, please specify the internship(s) for which you are applying, in order of preference.
Send résumé and cover letter combined in one PDF or word document.
Please submit your application by email to internships@newberry.org, addressed to:
Internship Director
The Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610-7324
No phone calls please.
The application deadlines for internships are as follows:
February 21 – for summer internships (May-August)
June 1 – for fall internships (September-December)
December 1 – for winter/spring internships (January-April)
Current Opportunities
- Children’s Literature Internship
- Communications Internship
- Conservation Internship
- Digital Imaging Services Internship
- Digital Imaging Services Metadata Internship
- Maps Internship
- Smith Center Internship
Children’s Literature Internship
Department: Collection Development
Summary: Working with the Collection Development Assistant, the intern will help review areas of the Newberry’s collections in this field, developing specialized projects that promote these collections and raise the general public and scholarly awareness of the Newberry’s holdings.
Qualifications: BA or MLS degree completed or in progress is preferable but not required. Academic knowledge of children’s literature desirable. Some expertise in foreign languages preferred.
Schedule: Minimum of 8 hours per week, September – December (exact schedule to be arranged).
Communications Internship
Department: Marketing and Communications
Summary: Under the direction of the Director of Marketing and Communications, the intern will assist with a variety of communications tools and initiatives, including the website, social marketing, publications and media relations. The student will perform various duties to promote and coordinate all of our summer events and programs, including the Newberry’s Annual Book Fair.
Responsibilities:
- Write and distribute press releases
- Write and post material on website
- Post on social marketing pages
- Write copy for external and internal newsletters
- Assist with coordination of media interviews
- Compile and maintain clipping files
- Research stories
- Assist with production schedules and management
- Assist Director and Designer as needed
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in progress. Extremely strong writing skills, ability to work as part of a team as well as independently, and organizational skills. Experience with e-media, including web and social media, highly preferred.
Schedule: 10–20 hours per week, September - December (exact schedule to be arranged).
Salary: This is a credit/experience internship and is unpaid.
Conservation Internship
Department: Conservation
Summary: The Conservation Internship at the Newberry Library will introduce conservation theories and practices to the intern. Under the guidance of a conservator, the intern will survey, consult, and treat Newberry materials from General or Special Collections. Treatments may include paper mending, leather and cloth spine repair, rebacking, board re-hinging of leather volumes, pamphlet binding, and creating enclosures. Depending on time and skill level, the intern may disbind, wash, deacidify, encapsulate, and create new bindings. The intern will also document some treatments with MS Access accompanied by digital photography. The intern will participate in some preservation activities, such as pest or environmental monitoring and inspection of incoming materials.
Qualifications:
Please send in with this application the following:
- A list of relevant course work you will have completed prior to beginning this internship.
- A description of any job experiences, additional course work outside of current program work, degrees, etc., relevant to this internship.
- A statement of your career goals and explanation of how this internship will help you reach those goals. Be specific as to the experiences you want to gain through this internship and why you believe the Newberry Library can provide such an experience.
- Name and contact information of two references.
Please note: Qualified candidates will be interviewed in person, if possible, or over the telephone prior to final selection for the internship. Candidates interviewing in person should be prepared to submit a portfolio representative of their work.
Schedule: 8 hours (1 day) per week, September - December (exact schedule to be arranged).
Salary: This is a credit/experience internship and is unpaid.
Digital Imaging Services Internship
Department: Digital Initiatives and Services
Summary: The intern will work under the direction of the Digital Imaging Services Manager and the Photographer to assist with various aspects of the department’s ongoing work.
Responsibilities:
- Tasks using various image management databases, especially ContentDm
- Work in Adobe Photoshop
- Copy stand photography
- Administrative duties
Qualifications: Experience with photography and basic familiarity with Adobe Photoshop required.
Schedule: 14–21 hours per week, September - December (exact schedule to be arranged).
Digital Imaging Services Metadata Internship
Department: Digital Initiatives and Services
Summary: The intern’s primary responsibility will be the creation of metadata for images that will be uploaded into the Newberry’s digital image library. Tutorials on basic metadata creation, Dublin Core, and library standards for the creation of metadata will be provided.
Responsibilities:
- Various tasks using ContentDm image management software
- Various tasks in Adobe Photoshop
- Copy stand photography
- Administrative tasks
Qualifications: MLS student with cataloging coursework completed preferred. Some familiarity with image management databases—especially ContentDm—desirable, but not required.
Schedule: 14–21 hours per week for at least 8 weeks; 12 weeks preferred. Please note that preference will be given to candidates who are able to work 21 hours per week September - December (exact schedule to be arranged).
Maps Internship
Department: Map Cataloging
Summary: Interns will work with the library’s collection of antiquarian maps to create original records for the Newberry Library Cartographic Catalog (NLCC).
Qualifications: MLS degree completed or in progress is highly desirable. Interest in history, geography and maps, and familiarity with spreadsheet or bibliographic programs desirable, but not required.
Schedule: Minimum of 8 hours per week.
Department: Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography
Summary: Under the direction of the Director of the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography, the intern will assist with either or both of two research projects: (1) Mapping Movement in American History and Culture and (2) Make Big Plans: Daniel Burnham’s Vision of an American Metropolis. In each case, the intern will help the center staff conduct and write up research, develop bibliographies, and investigate images for these web-based research resources. Work may also include archiving, photocopying, mailing, graphic design, and other tasks as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in progress
- Strong research, writing, computer, and organizational skills
- Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently.
Schedule: 10 – 35 hours a week, September - December.
Salary: This is a credit / experience internship and is unpaid.