The Manuscripts Division, a unit of Princeton University Library’s Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, is proud to offer the inaugural Manuscripts Division Archival Fellowship to one graduate student or recent graduate this year. This fellowship provides a summer of work experience for a current or recent graduate student interested in pursuing an archival career. For more information about the Manuscripts Division visit: http://rbsc.princeton.edu/divisions/manuscripts-division

Fellowship Description: The 2017 Fellow will gain experience in technical services, with a focus this year on description and management of born-digital and audiovisual materials. The Fellow will work under the guidance of the of the Manuscripts Division processing team, which includes the Lead Processing Archivist, Latin America Processing Archivist, and General Manuscripts Processor. Projects for 2017 may include:

• Processing one or more paper-based or hybrid format manuscript collections;
• Conducting a survey of legacy audiovisual materials and assisting in the writing of a grant proposal for an audio digitization project;
• Assisting with processing and analysis of born-digital media and implementation of related tools and software (i.e. FRED, ArchivesSpace, BitCurator, KryoFlux); and
• Researching access options and permissions for digitized and born-digital materials.

The Manuscripts Division of Rare Books and Special Collections is located in Firestone Library, Princeton University’s main library, and holds over 14,000 linear feet of materials covering five thousand years of recorded history and all parts of the world, with collecting strengths in Western Europe, the Near East, the United States, and Latin America. The Fellow will primarily work with the Division’s expansive literary collections, including recently-acquired collections of contemporary authors, and collections relating to the history of the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Fellow will have an opportunity to gain considerable experience and aid staff in formalizing comprehensive management of its born-digital and audiovisual materials, including developing methods of providing better access to this content.

The ten- to twelve-week fellowship program, which may be started as early as May, provides a stipend of $950 per week. In addition, travel, registration, and hotel costs to the Society of American Archivists’ annual meeting in July will be reimbursed.

Requirements: This fellowship is open to current graduate students or recent graduates (within one year of graduation). Successful completion of at least twelve graduate semester hours (or the equivalent) applied toward an advanced degree in archives, library or information management, literature, American history/studies, or other humanities discipline, public history, or museum studies; demonstrated interest in the archival profession; and good organizational and communication skills. At least twelve undergraduate semester hours (or the equivalent) in a humanities discipline and/or foreign language skills are preferred.

The Library highly encourages applicants from under-represented communities to apply.

To apply: Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation to: mssdiv@princeton.edu. Applications must be received by Monday, March 6, 2017. Skype interviews will be conducted with the top candidates, and the successful candidate will be notified by April 14.

Please note: University housing will not be available to the successful candidate. Interested applicants should consider their housing options carefully and may wish to consult the online campus bulletin board for more information on this topic.

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.