Folklife Internships

For graduate and undergraduate students in the disciplines of Folklife Studies, Public History, Anthropology, Archives, Library Science, American Studies, Historic Preservation, Museum Studies.

The Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library has available at all times of the year a limited number of volunteer internships. Although these internships carry no stipend, persons have found them useful in planning a career, or in obtaining the experience necessary to enter an academic, or other profession.  In addition, student interns usually arrange to receive scholastic credit from their institutions.

Interns and Folklife Center staff work together to structure an internship based on the student's strengths and interests, and the particular needs of the Folklife Center.  Student interns may choose the archival activities of the Center:  acquisitions and processing of historic and ethnographic collections, developing finding aids to describe specific materials (including photographic collections, historic manuscripts, business records and personal papers), and reference work with patrons using these collections. Student interns may also choose to assist in the Center's current research and documentation, and/or in the public programs and educational services (including concerts, lectures, workshops, school programs, and other activities). 

The period of internship is usually equivalent to a single course during an academic semester.  Flexible scheduling is possible. The requirements are minimal:

• an interest in the subject,
• a willingness to work in a library/archive situation,
• a commitment to the 200-hour minimum, and
• some prior experience with special collections and/or in a public institution is helpful, but not always necessary.

Persons interested in this volunteer intern program should contact Todd DeGarmo, Director of the Folklife Center. Please include contact information where you can be reached, a resume or list of interests and experience, a time when you can be interviewed, and an indication when you would like to schedule your internship.