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Library Internship Program

This guide introduces the internship program in the University Libraries
Internship Program at the University Libraries internship Icon 1996776
Archives and Special Collections Department

Here are listed tasks that can be undertaken by interns in the Library Internship Program at the Archives and Special Collections Department. Please note that interns can select one of the listed modules for a semester long internship.

Orientation

As an introduction, the intern will have an orientation tour with the Head of the Department and will pass by staff members to have an overview of the work done at the Department and the policies and procedures of the Archives Department. A mentor is assigned to the intern who will be responsible for guiding the latter and following up on his/her work.

The Head of the Department assigns a project to the intern and a work plan is prepared by the Head of the Department, mentor, in coordination with intern to match his/her capabilities and interests.

ARCHIVAL PROCESSING


The mentor will explain thoroughly the policies and procedures and will be responsible to follow up on the work of the intern.

The mentor will guide the intern to the main research resources available at the Department, with some focus on the collection that will be processed. 

Bi-weekly meetings with the Head of the Department are set to overcome any challenges, assess the work of the intern, and apply any necessary modifications to the work plan, when necessary.

Learning Outcome

By the end of the internship, the intern will attain the following:

  • Learn the best practices guideline and standards, for handling primary sources.
  • Learn how to organize archival material: by subject, date and importance.
  • Learn how to house archives in acid free enclosures.
  • Identify documents that need repair and conservation.
  • Arrange the archival collection for cataloging and compiling finding aids.

The following collections can be considered for processing by interns:

  1. Chafiq Wazan Collection (former Lebanese Prime Minister)
  2. Saeb Salam Collection (former Lebanese Prime Minister)
  3. Abdul Munim Talhouk Collection (AUB professor and a world reference in entomology)
  4. Middle East Ephemera Collection (the collection documents political and social history of the region)
  5. Anisa Najjar Collection (Lebanese social activist)
CATALOGING


The mentor will explain thoroughly the policies and procedures for cataloging archival collections and will be responsible to follow up on the work of the intern. The intern will be assigned a collection that has been processed but not catalogued. The intern has to prepare a bibliographic record and a finding aid for the collection.

Bi-weekly meetings with the Head of the Department are set to overcome any challenges, assess the work of the intern, and apply any necessary modifications to the work plan, when necessary.

Learning Outcome

  • Learn the cataloging rules for describing or handling primary sources.
  • Learn how to prepare a bib record for the processed collection.
  • Learn how to do research using different online and print resources.
  • Prepare a finding aid for the collection.

The following collections can be considered for cataloging by interns:

  1. Issa Ma’luf Postcard Collection (1920s-1940s)
  2. May Habib Postcard Collection (1960s-1970s)
  3. Chafic Wazan Photo Collection (former Lebanese Prime Minister)
  4. Arab presses catalogues (20th Century catalogues)
CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION


The mentor will explain thoroughly the policies and procedures of conservation and preservation and will be responsible to follow up on the work of the intern. The internship will entail observation of the work done at the Conservation lab, at a later stage the intern will be taught how to prepare simple enclosures and do some paper restoration.

Bi-weekly meetings with the Head of the Department are set to overcome any challenges and assess the work of the intern and apply any necessary modifications to the work plan if necessary.

Learning outcomes:

  • Basic knowledge of different conservation and preservation policies and standards.
  • Recognize the Conservation section’s workflow, and the procedures covering items receipt and dispatch.
  • Knowledge of basic physical assessment techniques.
  • Knowledge of different tools, equipment, and materials used in restoration.
  • Knowledge of basic book binding and sewing techniques.
  • Knowledge and application of basic paper mending techniques.
  • Successful manufacture of simple archival enclosures.