Litchfield Historical Society Internships 2016
ARE YOU ENTHUSIASTIC and interested in history? Do you have good communication skills? We may be
looking for you to intern with us during the summer of 2016! The Litchfield Historical Society operates
The Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library and two museums: the Litchfield History Museum and the
Tapping Reeve House and Law School.
Please choose to focus your internship on one (or two) of the following three areas:
Collections Interns
Collections interns work with either the Curator of Collections on projects related to the Historical
Society’s museum collection and exhibitions or the Curator of Library & Archives on projects related to
the holdings of the Helga J. Ingraham Library.
Interns working with the Curator of Collections will become familiar with conducting inventories, basic
object handling, and object numbering through hands-on projects. Interns will also gain experience in
cataloging practices, conducting research, and entering data into the museum’s collection management
system, CollectionSpace. Interns interested in exhibitions will have the opportunity to assist the Curator
of Collections in creating research notebooks that identify potential objects, documents, and ephemera
for upcoming exhibits as well as research notes compiled from secondary and primary sources.
Previous curatorial interns have:
 Assisted with object re-housing and inventorying
 Conducted primary research for major exhibitions
 Cataloged unprocessed collections
 Helped with exhibition installation
 Input object records and images into our online searchable database

Interns working with the Curator of Library & Archives will arrange and describe collections of papers.
They will gain experience working with the archives management system ArchivesSpace. They will
conduct research, write elements of finding aids, and digitize documents and photographs. They may
also assist in creating public programs and exhibitions.
Previous archives interns have:
 Created finding aids
 Cataloged books
 Digitized collections
 Created exhibits
 Created Web pages
Education Interns
Education interns work with the Curator of Education and the Education Assistant on projects relating
to the Historical Society's education programming. This internship will be tailored to your particular
interest, with a focus on public programming, school curriculum development, or both. During your
internship, you will work towards a final project: for example, developing, researching, and
implementing a program for children or adults, or creating a lesson plan or pre-and post-visit materials
for school groups. Whatever the focus of the project, interns are expected to participate in all of the
education activities of the institution.
Additionally, interns in education have the option to give tours to groups, help at programs for children
and adults, assist with publicity for events and programs, and gain hands-on experience with historical
research while working with primary sources.
Previous education intern projects include:
 Researching and conducting a walking tour for visitors
 Creating a spy program for Adventures in Early America, a week-long summer program for kids
 Conducting research on Litchfield's Civil War history for A Civil War Experience
 A World War II oral history project
 Assisting the creation of a hands-on area in an exhibit on 18th-century life
Marketing Interns
Marketing interns work with the Education Assistant on projects related to the promotion and
publication of the Historical Society’s events and programs. Tasks can be tailored to individual interests
and include posting to online calendars, assist in website management, distribute marketing materials,
research additional marketing opportunities, manage event publicity, and aid in creating a marketing
plan for the organization. Other opportunities include drafting press releases and organizing press
events.
Practical Information
 Internships are available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
 The internship length is flexible.
 We will go on occasional field trips to other local museums and history organizations throughout
the summer
 Internships can be tailored to fit college or university requirements.
 Interns may count this internship for college credit (if the intern gets permission from their
university)
 The internship is unpaid.
 Please submit your application materials by May 1, 2016.
Internship Requirements
 A minimum commitment of 20 hours a week for four weeks
 A focused project for the internship--the intern and staff work together to select the project
 A presentation, newsletter article, or series of blog posts about your internship
Characteristics of a Successful Intern
 Enthusiasm
 Flexibility
 Good communication skills
 Attention to detail
 An interest in history
 The ability to work both independently and with others
Application Materials
 Letter of Interest (please include area of interest in your letter)
 Resume
 Writing Sample
 Internship application (PDF)
 Two letters of recommendation
Additionally, you will be required to conduct an in-person or phone interview. You may email or mail
your application materials to the following addresses:
Mail:
Litchfield Historical Society
P.O. Box 385
Litchfield, CT 06759
Fax: 860-567-3565
Email: education@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org
For more information call 860-567-4501 or email: education@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org