Internships Project Spring 2021: Archive Stewardship
Project Abstract
The aim of this internship project will be to assign Caleb Hendrix with routine archival experiences in the service of the collections of the Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society. This hybrid internship will consist of a part in facility experiential learning and part distance engagement with materials in a content management system.
This project will create an arranged and described digital collection on the Center’s Omeka that will provide a cross-listed and indexed repository of the correspondence collection to supplement and enhance an exhibition of the NYSJM Theme-Issues. A collection description and analysis penned by Dr. Lippton and oral history interviews with Dr. Blum on the correspondence collection will further augment the presentation.
Methodology
The intern will use the Omeka browser-based content management system to enter metadata for given collections to be determined by the Collection Manager.
Arrangement:
The Center’s collections while arranged have yet to be effectively described. The intern and the collection manager will collaborate on describing select material in the archives. Critical analysis and input from the intern and the collection manager will decide the best methods for achieving the desired outcome.
Description
Metadata Entry – The intern will be responsible for entering corresponding metadata to the entries in the collection. The required fields will be as follows.
- Title – The most appropriate title or subject line of the item.
- Type – Generic type descriptor, i.e. brochure, magazine, article, letter, etc.
- Creator – The entity or organization responsible for creating the resource. i.e. Alan Blum, MD, University of Alabama, Philip Morris Inc.
- Publication – If applicable the published source of the record, typically a Newspaper, Magazine, or Report, typically italicized when mandated by Chicago Style citation. i.e. The New York Times, Scientific American, Philip Morris Annual Report 1998
- Date – Month DD, YYYY
- Identifier – There is a particular format for this that we prefer for posting these to our exhibitions. An example is below and a more detailed tutorial will follow later on this page.
“Associate Research Scientist – Philip Morris USA”
Job Listing
American Anthropological Association
July 7, 2002
More instruction on this will follow as the Center continues to firm up its policy on finding aid creation.
Work Product
- Arranged, described materials assigned by the collection manager
- Uploaded, indexed and searchable collections at csts.omeka.net.
- An exit interview on the intern’s experience conducted with the Collection Manager
- Other tasks as assigned and subsequently noted by the Collection Manager
Evaluation
Successful completion or significant contribution to the project, with timely and accurate completion of assigned tasks, will merit satisfactory marks from the Center in regards to the Intern’s performance.
Resources
Shared resources for the project will be posted here for the intern to access, in addition to a courtesy form for the intern to track their hours for completion of the assignment if desired.