Zeeland Historical Museum
Archives Internship
Contact: Audrey Rojo
Interim Director & Curator
audrey@zeelandhistory.org
(616) 772-4079, ex. 3
The Zeeland Historical Society and Dekker Huis Museum considers its collection of archival material as core to its mission to "To link past and present, and foster connections between people and history by collecting, preserving and interpreting the history of Zeeland and its neighboring communities.”
With over 7,000 items, the original documents, photographs, and more offer insight into Zeeland’s history and culture and can serve as a useful tool for researchers.
The Zeeland Historical Society offers internships in archival methodology and practices. The archives intern will implement proper care and practices to ensure accessibility and conservation of the materials.
The intern will work under the supervision of the archivist to rehouse our archival collections using approved materials and proper storage. Furthermore, knowledge and organization of what we have,
beyond individual memory, will allow us to actively use our archival materials in the future; therefore, the intern will make preliminary inventories and indexes of our archival collections to provide us with a comprehensive list of what we have. The intern will help process archival collections and create finding aids that will provide a tool for researchers to access our collections. This work will give the intern hands-on experience in many aspects of the archival field, from processing to preservation methods.
The internship is unpaid; however, the Zeeland Historical Society will work with the student to meet
internship requirements for college credit. We are looking for college interns enrolled in a Public History or related program for the fall or semesters of 2025. Internship hours can be completed during regular museum hours, Tuesday through Friday between 10 am and 5 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm.
We are looking for someone who can put in anywhere from 5-25 hours per week.
Archives Intern Objectives
1. Create an organizational system for storing completed archival collections
2. Process Collections
a. Process archival collections following archival standards and practices
b. Create finding aids and abstracts for archival collections through comprehensive
research
3. Scan delicate archival materials (e.g., newspapers, photographs, etc.)
a. Archive online
b. Create a tool to search and access these for research purposes
4. Preliminary inventories of:
a. Drawers
b. Cabinets c. Books
5. Create indexes for:
a. Vertical files
b. Calling cards
c. Death/funeral announcements
6. Rehousing/refiling using proper archival practice
a. Several archival collections are not stored properly and require rehousing and
implementation of conservation practices
b. Vertical files must be sorted, unapproved materials removed (paperclips, rubber bands,
etc.), and rehoused in archival folders
c. Find and inventory original documents that have been improperly filed
7. Digitizing and filing photographs
a. Scanning and uploading to our database management software
b. Numbering
c. Sleeving
d. Filing
e. Sorting oversized photographs
8. Create an organizational system for filing oversized archival material
9. Properly store and archive digital material (e.g., collection of CD-ROMS, floppy disks, VHS)
To apply, please submit a statement of purpose and resume to the Curator, Audrey Rojo
at audrey@zeelandhistory.org
For questions, call or email Audrey Rojo at 616-772-4079, ex. 3 or audrey@zeelandhistory.org. For more information about the Zeeland Historical Society, visit www.zeelandhistory.org