2025 Junior Fellows Program (Onsite Internship)
The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program (JFP) is a paid, 10-week summer internship program that enables undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates to gain career experience by working with analog and digital collections and supporting the services of the world's largest, all-inclusive library.
The Summer 2025 session of the Junior Fellows Program includes options for both onsite and remote project work. This posting is for the onsite project track. Interns hired under this announcement will be expected to commute to a Library of Congress facility in Washington, DC or Culpeper, VA to conduct work duties.
This program offers undergraduate, graduate students and recent graduates insights into the environment and culture of the world's largest and most comprehensive repository of human knowledge. Interns will be exposed to a broad spectrum of library work: copyright, preservation, reference, access standards, and information management. Interns inventory, catalog, arrange, preserve, and research a backlog of copyright or special collections in many different formats in various divisions, and assist with digital preservation outreach activities throughout the Library. Working with curators and specialists in various divisions, interns explore collections, resources, and initiatives and produce products that position the Library of Congress as a dynamic center for fostering innovation, sparking creativity, and building lifelong connections.
Near the end of their appointment at the Library, the interns join together to present a display of historically significant Library collections and information discovered through research conducted in the course of their work.
Program Focus
The focus of the Junior Fellows Program is to increase access to Library collections and to promote awareness and appreciation of the Library's services to Congressional members, scholars, students, teachers, and the general public. Junior Fellows encourage the use of collections and services − ensuring that the Library of Congress is known as a living, dynamic center for scholarly work and meaningful connections.
Program participants inventory, catalog, arrange, preserve, and research collections in varied formats, as well as assist in digital library initiatives. Upon completion of their assignments, Junior Fellows work closely with Library curators and specialists to plan and present a display of their most significant discoveries and accomplishments.
In 2021, JFP became a component of the multiyear Of the People: Widening the Path initiative, funded by the Mellon Foundation, to connect more deeply with Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other minority communities by expanding Library of Congress collections, using technology to enable storytelling, and offering more internship and fellowship opportunities. Of the People aligns with a larger vision at the Library to connect with all Americans by inviting new generations to participate in creating, preserving, and sharing the nation’s cultural treasures and building on the Library’s commitment to collect and preserve more underrepresented perspectives and experiences.
The Junior Fellows Program, a signature initiative of the Library of Congress since 1991, is made possible by a gift from the late James Madison Council member Nancy Glanville Jewell through the Glanville Family Foundation and the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund and by a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.
- Literary Programming at the Library of Congress (Onsite)
- Sharing the Work of Conservation at the Library (Onsite)
- Late Cold War Era Open-Source Intelligence Russian Cataloging (Onsite)
- From Stacks to Metaverse: Documenting Digital Odysseys (Onsite)
- Ascending from Valley Depths: Enriching Access to Chinese Gazetteers (Onsite)
- Marie Tharp, Mapmaking Pioneer- Diving into Unprocessed Collection Material (Onsite)
- Online Inventory of Hispanic Reading Room Pamphlet Collections (Onsite)
- A Nation Changed: Preserving the 9/11 Newspaper Collection (Onsite)
- Elizabeth Brown Pryor Internship, Manuscript Reading Room (Onsite)
- Mary Wolfskill Internship, Manuscript Reading Room (Onsite)
- Office of War Information Collection Lacquer Processing (Onsite – Culpeper, VA)
- Universal Music Group Collection Lacquer Processing (Onsite – Culpeper, VA)
- Mapping The Collections-Title Collection Map Project (Onsite)
- Examining and Contextualizing the ‘Indian Ocean World’ Collections (Onsite)
- Video Preservation from Shelf to Video Lab and Beyond (Onsite – Culpeper, VA)
- Providing Access to American History and Culture (Onsite)
- Cataloging the Deinard Collection (Onsite)
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
All projects require basic knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
MUST be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents are ineligible for consideration.
MUST be a U.S. Citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
MUST be a first- time participant in the Junior Fellows Program.
MUST be able to commute to a Library of Congress facility in Washington, DC or Culpeper, VA (Projects 11, 12, and 15) to conduct work duties for the duration of the internship.
MUST be available to attend mandatory orientation on Monday, May 19, 2025. NO EXCEPTIONS.
MUST be available to work Monday – Friday during the Junior Fellow Program’s core business hours 6:30 am – 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.
Notice: Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.
Qualifications
Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.
- Must be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents are ineligible for consideration.
- MUST be a U.S. Citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
- MUST BE AVAILABLE TO REPORT TO WORK ONSITE FOR FULL TEN WEEK PERIOD from May 19 through July 25. MUST be available to attend mandatory orientation on Monday, May 19, 2025. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Must be available to work a full-time schedule, Monday – Friday during the Junior Fellow Program’s core business hours: 6:30 am – 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.
- MUST be able to commute to the Library of Congress main campus in Washington, DC or Culpeper, VA (Projects 11, 12, and 15) to conduct work duties for the duration of the internship.
- Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of a personnel security/suitability investigation. Note: If selected, you must assist us to expedite processing of your application by responding quickly (within one week) to the Personnel Security Department. It is your responsibility to meet the concrete deadlines set forth under this announcement. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you respond and complete the necessary components of the background investigation within the given timeframe.
- Resume (either uploaded or created using the Resume Builder).
- Responses to all Vacancy Questions.
- Latest transcript from the current or most recently attended college or university OR official registrar documentation certifying enrollment in Fall 2024.** Unofficial copies of transcripts are acceptable at time of application.
If you are freshman at your institution and do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal OR your unofficial transcript does not display enrollment in the Fall 2024 semester, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment.
A legible copy of your latest college/university transcripts is required with your online application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Your transcript will be used to certify your eligibility for the program. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Transcripts must be issued by the college or university, and must include your name, the name of the institution, and the courses and course dates. Screenshots, JPEGS, Word or other text documents, and stand-alone course lists are not acceptable. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification.
If you do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Certifications via National Student Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment.
- Two (2) references (name, email and phone) that can attest to the applicant's proficiency, skills, work ethic, reliability, quality of work, and capacity to work on teams. PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR REFERENCE NAMES, AND CONTACT INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF YOUR INTERVIEW. DO NOT ATTACH REFERENCE INFORMATION TO YOUR APPLICATION.
Letters of Recommendation are NOT required for the application.
For all documents except professional references, you should follow the steps for submitting documents found below in step 5 of the "How to Apply" section.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once selected and hired for the internship, every effort will be made to accommodate project selections. Due to the popularity of some areas of interest, preferred project placement cannot be guaranteed. All project areas may not be available at the time applicants are selected and others may be added. Applicants should be sure to indicate three project areas of interest within their applications. Please refer to the “How You Will be Evaluated” section for more information.
Education
MUST be a U.S. Citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
NOTE: Your transcripts and/or registrar certification of enrollment documents are required in order to verify your eligibility for consideration. Failure to provide this documentation in your application will result in disqualification. Certifications via National Student Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment.
REQUIRED: A legible copy of your latest college/university transcripts OR official registrar documentation certifying enrollment in Fall 2024.** Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Transcripts must be issued by the college or university, and must include your name, the name of the institution, and the courses and course dates. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification. All transcripts and/or registrar documents must be in PDF file format. Image files, Word documents, etc. are not acceptable.
** - If you are freshman at your institution and do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal OR your unofficial transcript does not display enrollment in the Fall 2024 semester, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Certifications via National Student Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment. Failure to provide any proof of enrollment will result in disqualification from consideration.
Foreign Education – Education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed equivalent to conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. If your college/university is outside the U.S., your transcripts must be accompanied by a report from a credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE). Failure to submit a foreign education evaluation report will result in disqualification of your application.
Additional information
Selections for all 2025 Fellows are projected to be complete by late March 2025. Notices of selection or non-selection will be sent out in the first week of April 2025. If you have any questions regarding this vacancy announcement or the status of your application, please contact jobhelp@loc.gov.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, or national origin. All candidates from Black, Indigenous, and other underrepresented communities of color including Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, etc. are encouraged to apply.
Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify ADA@loc.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The date of certification must be within one year of the vacancy closing date. For more information contact the selective placement program coordinator at 202-707-6362 or email spp@loc.gov.
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.
Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
A “Not to Exceed “(NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints.
Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.