Collections and Conservation Intern

IMPORTANT!!

This internship is part of the 2024 Humanities for Life (HFL) Summer Internship Program. This premier opportunity allows UR students to access traditionally unpaid opportunities that highlight the value of the humanities in the workplace. If selected, students will receive a $5,000 stipend over a minimum 270-hour period in a non-for-profit organization in the Rochester, NY region. 

To learn more and view additional HFL internships, visit: https://careereducation.rochester.edu/experiences/humanities-for-life-internship-program/

Summary:

The Strong owns and cares for the world’s most comprehensive collection of toys, dolls, board games, video games, books, documents, and other historical materials related to play, and offers programs for individuals of all ages to learn about the power and importance of play in their lives. The museum’s internship program provides opportunities for participating in all aspects of museum work within dynamic teams and interacting with staff across the institution and the public. The program offers an educational and operational experience, as well as the opportunity to build a network of professional contacts.

All museum staff and interns are expected to cooperate with one another in furthering the museum’s general objectives and in completing museum projects. Similarly, all staff and interns consistently maintain a positive and enthusiastic attitude, act with integrity and in accordance with the highest ethical standards, and demonstrate a loyalty to the museum in all public contacts. Guests and colleagues deserve our best efforts every day.

Essential Duties:

The specifications described here are representative of those that must be met by the intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Learn the procedures for the use and maintenance of the museum’s collection database system.
• Assist the curators with data entry, photography, and inventory control.
• Participate in ongoing collection management projects, including cataloging new acquisitions, correcting existing records, researching items in the collection, and writing customized content for the Web Essay field, while following the appropriate museum standards and processes.
• Assist the collections team with routine group tasks, including general gallery maintenance and installations.
• Handle and move artifacts within the collection.
• Under the supervision of the conservator, learn the procedures for and participate in preventive care including environmental monitoring and pest management, processing incoming and outgoing loans, digitization, data entry, object storage, and maintaining exhibit spaces including lighting and cases.
• Write condition and treatment reports and record work in the maintenance and conservation logs.
• Transcribe audio/video recordings to produce an edited draft transcript for proofreading and/or a final transcript. Proofread draft transcripts to ensure accuracy by searching for any errors in grammar, terminology, content, and punctuation of the verbatim record.
• Perform work in accordance with best practices and standards, particularly the AIC’s Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice and AAM’s Code of Ethics for Museums.
• Attend collections team and related meetings, as appropriate.
• Attend all required museum trainings.
• Other related duties, as assigned.

Pre-Internship Requirements:

Must consent to and pass a drug screen and criminal background check as conditions of employment.