Internships

Archives Internship
Ideal start date: August 20, 2024 (approx.)
End date: December 31, 2024 (approx.)
Schedule: 10 hours a week for 16 weeks
Duration: 16 weeks
Total Stipend: $2,926.40
Housing: Interns are responsible for finding and securing their housing
Application Deadline: Friday, July 19, 5 p.m.

The Archives Department preserves the institution’s historic records, dating back over a century to the Museum’s founding years. Together these collections provide a valuable resource to researchers around the world. The image archives collection of more than 700,000 images covers a broad range of people, places, and events. Highlights include historic images of the Museum building, and iconic fieldwork—from the Dent Site discovery of the 1930s to the Snowmastodon Project discovery in 2010. The film archive has over 2,000 titles covering the museum’s expeditions throughout the 20th century. Document collections include over 33,000 files of correspondence, research data, field notes, and administrative records. Highlights include several decades’ worth of journals from the Museum’s second director, Alfred M. Bailey, documenting his fieldwork around the world, and the papers of pioneering anthropologist Ruth Underhill.

The Intern will assist with two transformative projects to make Archives collections more discoverable and accessible. The first half of the internship will be devoted to transferring, creating, and revising metadata for digital assets in NetX, the Science Division’s new Digital Asset Management System (DAMS). During the second half of the internship, the intern will create collection or series-level records for DMNS image collections. This position reports to the Digital Archivist, Laura Uglean Jackson.

The Archives Intern will participate in and learn the following activities:

• Learn and follow established workflow procedures and guidelines for reparative and inclusive description in transferring, creating, and updating descriptions for both individual assets and whole collections or series
• Obtain working knowledge of NetX, including batch editing and bulk importing metadata
• Search, navigate, and update metadata in the Museum’s collections management database, EMu
• Learn and apply concepts and guidelines of Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) to collection/series level records
• Assess collection materials and prioritize collections for future, more detailed processing
• Organize digital assets, rehouse materials, and label boxes as necessary
• Work with and learn from the entire Archives team (3 people total)

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently enrolled or recently graduated (within the last 2 years) graduate students, library science or related discipline preferred
• Strong interest in archival collections management, digital archives, digital asset management, archival processing, and/or image archives
• Adept with using a computer and operating in a Microsoft computing environment
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality and accuracy
• Works well with others and independently
• Ability to understand archival standards, concepts, and best practices
• Takes direction well and can follow established workflows and procedures
• Work schedule to fall within Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Working Conditions

• Office: Moderate noise (business office with computers and printers, light traffic)
• Sit or stand: Must be able to remain in a stationary position 80% of the time
• Lifting requirements: Moves boxes, carts, and ladders weighing up to 40 pounds for retrieving and shelving materials
• Working machinery: ladders, confined spaces
• Museum collections: maintenance of collection items

Mentor 
Laura Uglean Jackson
Digital Archivist

Stipend
$2,926.40 for 160 Hours

Schedule
10 hours a week, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Thursday for 16 weeks

Application Deadline
Friday, July 19, 5 p.m.

Application Instructions 
If you have not previously applied to, interned at, or volunteered at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, click on the blue box below titled Internship Application to create an account and complete the steps below.

1. Create an account
2. Update Your Profile
3. Select the Archives Metadata and Archival Internship
4. Review the position description
5. Navigate to the Prerequisites section at the bottom of the form
6. Within the Prerequisites section, click on Archives Metadata and Archival Internship
7. Upload your cover letter and resume/CV specifically for this internship
8. Last Step! Apply for the internship by selecting the position once more using the bottom Apply Now blue button located on the bottom of the form

If you have previously applied, interned, or volunteered at DMNS please contact [email protected] to have your account reset. Please do not create another account.

If you are a current volunteer and want to apply, complete the steps below.

1. Log into your account on the Volunteer Portal
2. At the top menu, click on Resources
3. Select Current Internships
4. Follow steps 3 to 8 above

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science hosts a rigorous field paleontology program that supports national and international curatorial research. Dinosaurs comprise nearly 80% of the fossils collected and prepared in the Earth Sciences Preparation Labs; however, crocodilians, turtles, mammals, and paleobotanical specimens are also integrated into the workflow. The Department of Earth Sciences (DES) oversees three preparation labs, two behind-the-scenes and one visible to museum guests as part of the Museum’s permanent Prehistoric Journey exhibit. Each lab specializes in specific preparation activities, including mechanical preparation, micro-preparation, molding and casting, air abrasion, archival cradle construction, preparation of exceptionally large vertebrate fossils, and rock billet cutting and embedding. 

Interns will learn and participate in the following activities:

• Prepare and stabilize vertebrate fossils using specialized tools, equipment, and chemicals
• Build archival cradles for oversize specimens to be used for long-term storage in the collection
• Assist with the management of supplies and equipment for the Earth Science Department
• Collaborate with other interns, lab volunteers, and Museum staff on special projects
• Support fieldwork logistics; participate in regional fieldwork
• Provide direct assistance to DES collections staff, curators, and preparators when necessary.
• Participate in public outreach programs such as Science on the Spot, summer camp experiences, Museum Member Open House, Behind-the-Scenes, etc.

Qualifications 

• Must have a passion for the natural sciences and an interest in pursuing a career in museums
• Applicants must be at least an undergraduate and have completed at least two semesters by the start of the internship
• Strong attention to detail, patience, and fine motor skills; excellent hand-eye coordination.
• Positive attitude and flexibility
• Ability to work collaboratively with Museum staff and volunteers
• Organized; ability to self-start and maintain a balance between several projects
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
  Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite products

Mentors

Natalie Toth
Chief Fossil Preparator

Salvador Bastien 
Fossil Preparator

Sadie Sherman
K-Pg Boundary Project Preparator

Evan Tamez-Galvan 
Jurassic Giants Preparator

Application Instructions 
If you have not previously applied, interned, or volunteered at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, click on the blue box below-titled Internships for School Credit Application to create an account and complete the steps below.

If you have previously applied, interned, or volunteered at DMNS please contact [email protected] to have your account reset.