Internship Opportunities

FIT Library Special Collections & College Archives Internship and Volunteer Program

FIT Library - Special Collections and College Archives (SPARC) of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)/SUNY has opportunities for internships and volunteer positions for spring, summer, and fall terms for undergraduate or graduate students or new professionals. Internships and volunteer posts encourage students and new professionals to explore careers and tasks related to library science, archives, information management, curatorial, or fine and applied art history fields.

Internships and volunteer posts are structured around unit projects and include (but are not limited to) the preparation of subject guides/finding aids, exhibitions (real and virtual), archives processing/preservation, biographies/unit or office histories, Web development, digitization projects, database management, etc. Interns/volunteers work under the supervision and guidance of professional FIT Library SPARC staff and interns and/or volunteers must schedule their work when accompanied by a SPARC staff member. Innovative project proposals from applicants may be considered.

General Internships or Volunteer Positions

General internships are for undergraduate or graduate students. A background in fine and/or applied art history, costume history, materials preservation (especially paper and associated media), or library and/or archives studies is desirable. Solid research, analytical, computer, and writing skills are essential. Interns usually work 12-15 weeks, approximately 10-12 hours per week.

Intern/Volunteer projects could include:

  • Transcribing oral histories and conducting background research on relevant personalities
  • Exhibition research and planning, label and text preparation, exhibit installations
  • Web tools enhancement projects, such as online exhibitions, document scanning, eNewsletter production, digital database management
  • Processing and preserving archives or manuscript collections

Advanced Internships or Volunteer Positions

Advanced internships are for new professionals or graduate students in archival tracks and programs in library science or in fashion and textile studies; other disciplines may be considered. Depending upon the individual needs of the unit and the intern or volunteer, a professional and focused experience in archives work may be structured around processing and preservation, descriptive practices and standards, collections management surveys, or digital collections. Solid research, analytical, computer, and writing skills are essential.

Advanced interns/volunteers usually work 12-15 weeks, approximately 10-12 hours per week; however, if an incumbent’s school has specific internship requirements, we will work with the program and comply with requirements as much as possible. Interns/volunteers work under the supervision and guidance of professional FIT Library SPARC staff and interns/volunteers must schedule their work when accompanied by a SPARC staff member. Course credit may be given with the approval of the intern’s academic institution – credit is not determined by nor awarded from FIT.

Our facilities and offices are housed on the fourth floor of the Goodman Resource Center on the FIT campus, located in Manhattan in the Chelsea neighborhood. We are easily accessible by train, bus, or subway.

DEFINITIONS

  • Intern – An unpaid, part-time staff member who is earning academic credit from an institution of higher education for the internship experience
  • Volunteer – An unpaid, part-time staff member who is seeking experience as highlighted above

TERMS & DURATION

  • Interns and Volunteers usually work 12-15 weeks on a part-time basis, approximately 10-12 hours per week.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted throughout the year and are encouraged to be submitted as soon as possible. Decisions on candidates are made on a rolling basis.

Your complete application package may be submitted via the online application form, including most of the requested documents:

  1. Cover letter
  2. Application form
  3. Résumé detailing your education, experience, and professional accomplishments 
  4. Essay detailing why you are a good match for us and us for you (circa one page)
  5. All academic transcripts (unofficial copies are fine)
  6. Two (2) letters of recommendation (to be emailed directly from your references to [email protected])

Inquiries about internships and/or volunteer positions should be directed to (no telephone calls please):

Prof. Karen J. Trivette, MLS
Head of Special Collections and College Archives
FIT Library, Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY
227 West 27th Street
New York City, NY 10001
USA
[email protected]