Spring 2027 Voluntary Internship Opportunities

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Cataloging and documentation of artifacts in the collection 
• Condition reporting and assessing object storage conditions
• Research and updating object descriptions in the collections management system
• Object photography and post-processing
• Creating archival storage supports and/or enclosures for objects

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Work directly with artifact staff while learning about the day-to-day operations of managing museum collections such as inventory of the collection, developing cataloging and provenance research skills, learning to work with collections management database systems, and gaining object handling experience with 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional artifacts.
• The intern will learn about a wide variety of materials and how they are stored, handled, and organized in a museum collection.
• Products created during the internship - such as updated descriptions and photographs - will be utilized by the public and National Archives staff to increase access to our holdings and contribute to the preservation of our national history.

Work Environment:

• The intern will work with the museum collections staff in an office setting as well as in artifact processing and storage. 
• Artifact storage spaces are climate controlled and generally cool to cold. 
• Will periodically need to lift heavy boxes or use ladders.
• Interns will be issued a NARA laptop for completing their work.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate students
  • Degree program in museum studies, conservation, public history, history, art history, or related discipline. 
• Qualifications:
  • Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
  • Can work collaboratively as part of a team
  • Attention to detail
  • Strong interest in museum collections management, registration, conservation, and collections care, experience preferred.

Schedule:

• Internship Date Option: 2/18/2027- 5/6/2027 *Please note these dates differ from the regular schedule* 
• Weekly Schedules:
  • 20-29 hours per week
  • 30 hours or more per week

Area(s) of Interest: Conservation/Preservation, Museums Collections & Exhibits Management, Public History

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Conduct in-depth research and share their scholarship through the production of creative digital projects that serve as public educational resources.
• Work with data through its life cycle from creation of data visualization, analysis, crafting a narrative, and designing the final presentation.
• Projects will focus on data analysis and visualization, textual analysis, and digital storytelling with data from and about the Obama Presidential Administration.

Professional Development Opportunities:

• The program involves substantial research, analysis, and writing, allowing interns to deepen their understanding of presidential history and the digital humanities.
• Interns will learn about the work of the National Archives, digital humanities, and public engagement. 

Work Environment:

• Students will work both with in the National Archives building in College Park, MD as well as telework. 
• Interns will have regular access to a shared NARA computer workstation.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former bachelor's degree, or graduate student
• Qualifications:
  • Research capability
  • Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
  • Can work independently and effectively
  • Strong writing ability

Schedule:

• Internship Date Option: 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027 
• Weekly Schedule Option: 10 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Communications, Digitizing Archival Materials, Education & Public Programs, Public History, Social Media

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• The primary task is to write captions for photographs being uploaded to the National Archives Catalog. Details are as follows: 
  • Research the events being captured (minor research) to get information for captions; 
  • Review the metadata embedded in each image; 
  • Follow best practices and department guidelines to write each caption. 
• A closely related, secondary task is to create photo contact sheets, imbed the contact sheets into a finding aid, and make the pdf copy of the finding aid accessible.

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Interns will learn how to create captions that meet the National Archives Catalog standards.
• They will become familiar with key figures and events in the George W. Bush Administration, learn how to create contact sheets, learn about federal accessibility standards, and learn how to use Adobe Accessibility tools.  

Work Environment:

• The work is mostly sedentary and performed while seated in a cubicle environment.
• It requires the ability to view digital photos, operate a computer, write descriptive sentences using college-level English grammar, search for, read, and use information found online and in published books, and use Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets spreadsheets for metadata entry. 
• Interns will have regular access to a shared NARA computer workstation.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
  • Degree program in history, library science, museum studies, or a related field
• Qualifications:
  • Research capability
  • Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
  • Attention to detail
  • Strong writing ability

Schedule:

• Internship Date Options: 
  • 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
• Weekly Schedule: 11-19 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Public History

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Interns’ primary task is to prepare documents for digitization. Details are as follows:
  • Remove fasteners (staples, clips, etc.) and bindings
  • Remove non-scannable items & materials (envelopes, boxes, bags, etc.)
  • Identify and alert PL-GWB (Bush Presidential Library) staff of any non-scannable/textual items or materials (AV, electronic textual, artifact)

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Physical document processing
• Teamwork
• Time management 

Work Environment:

• The work is mostly sedentary and performed while seated, yet interns must be physically able to perform the duties of this position.
• Physical demands may include climbing ladders, moving carts of records, and handling boxes of archival records.
• Interns will have regular access to a shared NARA computer workstation.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate student
• Qualifications:
  • Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
  • Can work independently and effectively
  • Can work collaboratively as part of a team
  • Attention to detail

Schedule:

• Internship Date Option: 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
• Weekly Schedule Options: 11-19 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, Public History

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• The museum collections intern will work alongside the museum collections team performing tasks such as collection inventory, rehousing, cataloging, processing, and photography.

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Museum collections work is ongoing care and documentation of artifacts.  
• This internship will give the intern an understanding of what museum collection work entails.  
• Groupings of artifacts will be assigned with specific tasks to be completed related to inventory, cataloging, processing, rehousing, and photography.

Work Environment:

• The intern will work with the museum collections staff in artifact processing and artifact storage.  
• Artifact storage spaces are climate controlled and generally cool to cold.  
• An intern will need to be able to climb ladders and carry moderately heavy boxes.
• Interns will have regular access to a shared NARA computer workstation.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate student
  • Degrees in history, museum studies, or related field
• Qualifications:
  • Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
  • Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
  • Can work independently and effectively
  • Attention to detail

Schedule:

• Internship Date Options: 
  • 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
• Weekly Schedule Options: 
  • 10 hours per week
  • 11-19 hours per week
  • 20-29 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Conservation/Preservation, Museums Collections & Exhibits Management, Public History

 

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Check records against SF-135s and other finding aids provided by the court, update listings, make necessary corrections and label boxes with HMS barcode labels. 

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Interns would gain experience processing large volumes of historic records in an archival setting, developing skills and strategies for scaling description for access in voluminous collections.

Work Environment:

• The work is mostly sedentary, yet interns must be physically able to perform the duties of this position.
• Physical demands may include climbing 15 foot ladders, moving heavy carts of records, and handling boxes of records typically weighing up to 50 pounds.
• The work may also demand considerable standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting.
• Interns will be issued a NARA laptop for completing their work.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former bachelor's or graduate degree student
  • Degree program in history, public history, museum studies, library science or related field.
• Qualifications:
  • Coursework or practical experience in archival work including holdings maintenance, processing, or description
  • Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
  • Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
  • Attention to detail

Schedule:

• Internship Date Options: 
  • 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
• Weekly Schedule: 
  • 10 hours per week
  • 11-19 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Public History, Records Management

The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation. 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Archival document arrangement, processing, digitization, and preservation

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Create comprehensive finding aids and indexes.
• Develop intersections between different record groups and how various reference resources work.
• Learn proper archival techniques for rehousing and preserving records, as well as how to digitize records for inclusion in the National Archives Catalog. 

Work Environment:

• Intern will work in the reference room, processing space, and archival stack areas.
• This will include ascending ladders to handle boxes of records stored up to 15 feet above the floor and typically weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Intern will have regular access to a shared NARA computer workstation.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former bachelor's or graduate degree student
  • Degree program in library and information science, archives and records management, public history, or museum studies
• Qualifications:
  • Coursework or practical experience in archives administration, information, and/or library sciences
  • Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
  • Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
  • Can work collaboratively as part of a team

Schedule:

• Internship Date Options: 
  • 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
• Weekly Schedule: 
  • 10 hours per week
  • 11-19 hours per week
  • 20-29 hours per week
  • 30 hours or more per week

Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, Public History, Reference Services

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Serve as an Architectural Engineering Technician (Drafter) for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Projects, Space Planning and Real Property Division (BP) in which they develop and support the electronic documents used in design, construction, and facility management at NARA.
• Support documentation of space requirements and specifications.
• Convert various engineering and technical data and measurements into forms usable by engineers through the use of computer-aided design and Drafting (CADD).
• Assist Project Engineers in the development of project scopes of work, government estimates, and schedule management. 
• Assist an experienced drafter by creating basic technical drawings using CAD software
• Using office automation software, assist in the preparation of support documents relating to technical studies or specification and design submissions using drafts of preliminary designs.

Professional Development Opportunities:

• This internship provides exceptional professional development through hands-on experience with industry-standard drafting tools and real construction documentation.
• You'll gain valuable exposure to both space planning concepts and building renovation processes while developing technical drafting and document management skills.
• Throughout the program, you'll receive professional mentorship and feedback from experienced drafters and project managers, allowing you to build a robust portfolio with practical project work.
• Comprehensive experience offers valuable industry credentials for your resume, enhancing your marketability, with potential pathways to future employment opportunities within our organization.

Work Environment:

• This position operates primarily in a professional office setting with standard business hours. The intern should be prepared for occasional field work, conducting space planning surveys that involve walking through various building areas.
• Physical demands include the ability to lift and handle construction drawing packages, which can sometimes be bulky.
• A comfortable work environment is provided with appropriate drafting equipment and computer workstations, though adaptability to both desk work and on-site documentation activities is necessary for success in this role.
• Interns will have regular access to a shared NARA computer workstation.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former high school student (must be at least 18 years old), associate's degree student, or bachelor's degree student
  • Currently pursuing a degree in drafting, architecture, engineering, or related field. Proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, or similar drafting software
• Qualifications:
  • Can work independently and effectively
  • Can work collaboratively as part of a team
  • Attention to detail
  • Strong organizational skills

Schedule:

• Internship Dates: 
  • 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
• Weekly Schedule Options: 
  • 10 hours per week
  • 11-19 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Facility Operations & Logistics

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• The intent of this internship is to provide an opportunity to obtain applied experience in motion picture preservation and digitization processes. The intern will be assisting in routine inspection work of the collections, cleaning, digitization, and quality control of files generated in the Motion Picture Preservation Lab. By the end of the internship the individual will be able to work independently with some guidance and work toward completing projects within the lab. Primarily, interns will be trained by the supervisor, but will also work with specialists for additional guidance and instruction. 
• Current Proposed Rotation: 
  • Week 1: Film inspection and repair
  • Week 2: Reference Inspection
  • Week3: Reference Request Scanning
  • Week 4: Processing
  • Weeks 5-12: Independent project work incorporating aforementioned activities and an overview of digital preservation

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Learn about motion picture preservation treatment, technical processing, and digitization.  
• Directly contribute to enabling access to records through digitization and enabling the archival unit to add records to the catalog.

Work Environment:

• Work setting will include work in both an office setting and archival stacks.
• Participants must be able to lift boxes of records weighing on average 25-30 pounds, up to 50 pounds.
• Interns will be issued a NARA laptop for completing their work.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
  • Degree program in history, information science, or library science
• Qualifications:
  • Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
  • Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
  • Can work independently and effectively
  • Can work collaboratively as part of a team

Schedule:

• Internship Date Options: 
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
  • 3/1/2027 through 5/21/2027 *Please note these dates differ from the regular schedule*
• Weekly Schedules: 
  • 10 hours per week
  • 11-19 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Conservation/Preservation, Digitizing Archival Materials, Reference Services

 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Review and organize facility floorplans
• Assist with facility support service request
• Provide quality assurance follow-up for facility service request
• Review Standard Operating Procedures for updates
• Assist Facility Operations Specialist and Quality Assurance Specialist when needed.

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Improve customer service skills
• Learn basic facility operations
• Archive floorplans by location/service
• Quality Assurance
• Facility Support Service Data Analyst
• Professional communication and leadership

Work Environment:

• Office setting mainly but will include daily inspections and/or facility support services.
• Interns will be issued a NARA laptop for completing their work.

Education & Qualifications Requirements:

• Educational Level/Program:
  • Current or former high school student, associate's degree student, or bachelor's degree student
  • Degrees in engineering, facility management, real estate, management
• Qualifications:
  • Can work independently and effectively
  • Can work collaboratively as part of a team
  • Attention to detail
  • Excellent verbal communication skills

Schedule:

• Internship Dates:  
  • 1/26/2027 through 4/15/2027
  • 2/1/2027 through 4/22/2027
• Weekly Schedule Option: 11-19 hours per week

Area(s) of Interest: Facility Operations & Logistics