Internship in Rare Book and Library Materials Conservation

With generous funding from the Mellon Foundation, the University of Washington Libraries is pleased to offer a 10-week summer internship open to qualified applicants. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply and affiliation with the University of Washington is not required.

Application deadline is Monday, February 5, 2024.

Overview and application deadlines

The University of Washington Libraries is offering an internship for an individual with a demonstrated interest in conservation. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop their conservation treatment skills and portfolio using diverse special collections from the UW Libraries.  Applicants are expected to be preparing for or enrolled in a graduate level conservation program.

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) summer program. The duration is 10 weeks, with exact dates to be arranged between June and September 2024. To ensure consideration, applications should be received no later than 5:00 pm (PST), Monday, February 5th, 2024.

Activities and instruction

Working under the supervision of the Senior Conservator of Books and Paper and the Associate Conservator of Paper and Photographs, the intern will have the opportunity to perform a range of conservation treatments on rare books, manuscripts, and other unbound archival and special collections materials on paper.  The intern will also have some exposure to paper and photograph conservation and an orientation to conservation work in a museum setting under the supervision of the Associate Conservator for Paper and Photographs.

The intern will develop skills in treatment decision making, prepare condition and treatment reports with appropriate photo documentation, and gain additional experience in conservation treatment. While the focus will be on the practical application of conservation techniques, staff will also work with the applicant to develop future success in the field. Through selected readings, guided treatment and general discussion, the applicant will develop a more in-depth understanding of the complex issues associated with library and museum materials conservation and preservation.

The internship will be for a 10-week term and will be 75% treatment and 25% administrative (documentation and preventive conservation). The intern will also be required to give a final presentation on completed work.

Benefits and stipend

The Conservation Intern will have the opportunity to strengthen an application to graduate-level conservation programs or, if already enrolled in a program, the internship will broaden and deepen skills in library materials conservation to better prepare them for future work in the conservation field.  Additionally, this internship provides for a $7,500 stipend.

The University of Washington’s Preservation Department is located in Seattle, Washington.  Interns will also have the opportunity to visit other conservators and collection managers in nearby conservation labs and museums.  For more information on Seattle, see Visit Seattle.

Application process

Interested applicants should submit the following as part of their application:

• a cover letter outlining how the internship will help them meet their future goals
• a current resume including contact information for two appropriate references

Upload your application in PDF file format via Google forms; for security reasons a Google account is required (create one).

Applicants will also be asked to submit a digital portfolio and short Equity Diversity Inclusion (EDI) Statement at a later date.

Additional information

Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States, and the UW Libraries is unable to sponsor a visa. Completion of the internship does not lead to or entitle the applicant to a job with the University of Washington.

For additional information about this opportunity, please contact Leith Calcote (Senior Conservator) at calcotel@uw.edu.