Education: Graduate student or recent graduate preferred. We will consider motivated undergraduates who want to learn more about working in a small, special collections library.
Area of Study: Library and information science or a related field
Purpose: Support the day-to-day operations of the Clarence B. Hanson, Jr. Library at the Birmingham Museum of Art
Responsibilities:
- Provide reference assistance to Museum staff and the public
- Get books shelf-ready
- Manage the Museum’s periodicals
- Assist with marketing and outreach
- Assist with shelving, filing, and general library maintenance
- Weed books as needed
Library interns also work on one major project, which is tailored to meet individual interests. Examples include:
- Processing archival collections
- Creating finding aids for archival collections
- Converting existing finding aids to EAD
- Grant writing
- Creating educational materials such as reading lists to accompany exhibitions
- Outreach projects
- Creating digital content for Museum website, Wikipedia, and other web pages
Library interns also interact with other Museum departments and participate in meetings and events in order to get a better understanding of the role of the library within the Museum.
Special Skills:
- Strong desire to work hard and engage in hands-on learning
- Computer literacy and experience doing research on the Internet
- Some art, art history or library experience is helpful, but not required
Many library interns receive course credit through their MLIS program. If you wish to discuss this option, please contact Librarian Tatum Preston at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
About the Library:
The Clarence B. Hanson, Jr. Library supports scholarly research on the Museum’s permanent collection and changing exhibitions. Holdings include over 30,000 books, 60 periodical subscriptions, artist files, databases, auction catalogs, archival collections, and a rare books collection. Our clientele include Museum curators, docents, students, and the general public. The Library strives to contextualize and strengthen the visitor’s experience and interaction with art.
