Finding Value in Volunteering and Internships for Future Archival Professionals

1. Utah Library Association Conference May 2, 2013 Finding Value in Volunteering and Internshipsfor Future Archival Professionals Panelists: Greg Seppi, Jay Burton, Sarah Langsdon, and Maggie Kopp. Hosted by: Archives Manuscripts and Special Collections Roundtable Moderated by: Kellie M. Johnson

2. Society of American Archivists (SAA) 2011 Annual Meeting • "Wanted, Free Labor: The Impact and Ethics of Unpaid Work" byLance Stuchellhttp://newarchivist.com/2011/11/17/free-labor/ • SAA Students and New Archives Professionals (SNAP) Roundtable Roots of the Conversation

3. SNAP Call for comments “Although I can see the benefits of volunteering to both the student and an organization, I believe that organizations can take advantage of this arrangement and additionally if there are volunteers to "fill in," organizations are less motivated to hire regular employees.” – Name Withheld, BA/MA History, MLIS Candidate

4. Snap call for comments “. . . if a college student is paying a course fee to intern, it is the responsibility of the supervising archivist to prepare a useful internship experience or, if not at the student's institution, to pass on hosting an internship unless they are willing to make it useful.  It's not fair to the student to have them pay for a lousy internship.” – Greg Jackson, Archivist, Bryn Anthyn College

5. Snap call for comments “Volunteering may be a good way to see if you would like different aspects in the field but job seekers need to go beyond the traditional volunteering route.  Volunteering no longer makes candidates stand out.”- Name Withheld, MA Public History

6. Snap call for comments “It is always difficult to say "I would love to volunteer, but I am also in the process of looking for full time work" - so that balance between wanting to help an organization and looking out for oneself is quite hard. I don't want to lose an opportunity to network and get some more experience and I don't want them to think that I will "work for free" forever.”- Shane E. Stephenson, Graduate UW Milwaukee Archival Studies Program

7. Begin a conversation Promote advantages of professional training Provide meaningful ideas for host institutions Goals

8. Greg Seppi– LDS Church History Library Rare Book Acquisition Specialist Jay Burton – LDS Church History Library Digital Records Archivist Sarah Langsdon– Associate Curator of Special Collections at Weber State University Maggie Kopp – Curator of Rare Books at L. Tom Perry Special Collections Panelists

9. Greg Seppi Personal experience in interning LDS Church History Library

10. Jay Burton Personal experience in interning and working with interns LDS Church History Library

12. The Good, The Bad, and The Phils* (names have been changed) Sarah Langsdon Associate Curator of Special Collections Weber State University

14. Internships • Internships have long been an accepted way to learn and enter the archival profession • Internships are • A necessary educational tool • Helps students get jobs • Essential to entering the profession • SAA Guidelines • “In the context of archival education, practical experience is not an exercise to discover theory and methods; rather it is an opportunity for students to verify their understanding of archival principles by applying them to real life situations”

15. Background at WSU • Started as ad-hoc program with the history department • Undergrad history students working 20 hours • 1-3 credit hour interns (Public History Students)

16. Undergraduates Public History Students have to do 6 credit hours of internship Usually have 1-2 a semester working 90-120 hours They must keep track of their hours, create a portfolio A letter is given by library staff to their supervising professor

17. Graduate Students • Practicum • Higher level of expectations • Processing • Helping patrons • Exhibit work • Dealing with donors • Readings • Set learning objectives

18. Volunteers • Former Interns • Interested Community Members • Retired persons

19. Intern Packet • MPLP

20. Processing Manual

21. Sample of Registers Controlled Vocabulary

22. Mock Collection Collection of letters, photographs, printed materials that the students must process

23. Process Collections

24. Projects • Scope • Complexity • Ability

25. Set clear expectations • Address dress code (if necessary) • Food/drink policy • Timeliness • Who to contact if can’t work • Professionalism • Remind them to always ask questions • You don’t expect them to know everything • Remember to be flexible and go with what works

26. Success • Gets our collections processed • Provides work experience to students • Been able to hire some for student and staff positions • Beneficial to both library and history department • Fostered a better relationship with students • Students work on collections that they can then use for senior thesis

27. The Phils • Unreliable Undergraduates • Disappeared • Not interested in the work • Don’t follow directions • Volunteers • Stay on • Graduate Students • Better work ethic • Fewer problems

28. Conclusion • A program requires staff time including training and supervising • On the flip side- able to better use interns • It is all well and good to have theory but unless you have the practice you are useless to an employer

29. Questions?

31. Creating a successful Volunteer/internship program Maggie Kopp Curator of Rare Books, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, BYU

32. ABOUT PERRY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS’ internship Program

33. Some considerations • Why start an internship program?

34. Some considerations • Commitment to mentoring • Supervisor workload • Workspace issues • Breadth and depth of experience being provided • Expectations of academic programs • Legal: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

35. Though taking place in employer’s facilities, training is similar to what would be received in school • Training is primarily for student’s benefit, not employer’s • Student does not displace a regular employee & works under close observation of a regular employee • Employer provides training & derives no immediate advantage from trainee’s activities (training may in fact impede operations) • Trainee is not necessarily entitled to a job at the end of the training period • Employer & trainee understand that the trainee is not entitled to wages during time spent in training FLSA Criteria for differentiating between employees & interns Source: Bastian & Webber, Archival Internships (SAA, 2008)

36. a good experience for interns

37. a good experience for interns • Create a professional environment – allow students to take on professional responsibilities • Choose appropriate projects • Set clear expectations – learning outcomes • Monitor & evaluate • Teach & train • Make realistic time commitments • Communicate regularly with intern & with academic program as needed

38. Internship coordinator handles logistics • Create internships on an ad hoc basis rather than having students compete for fixed positions • Interns must adhere to same work expectations & policies as student employees • Curator/supervisors assign tasks & mentor • No more than 2 interns per supervisor What Works At LTPSC: Coordinating the program

39. Interns receive formal training alongside student employees: training videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/LTomPerrySC) and readings • Hands-on training • Students encouraged to explore other areas of the department • Allow students to produce something they can share with future employers What Works At LTPSC: Working with students

40. Email: maggie_kopp@byu.edu Website: http://lib.byu.edu/sites/sc/policies-services/fellowship-internships/ CONTACTInfo

41. What would you say to MLIS Candidate who stated that “organizations are less motivated to hire regular employees” if they can use volunteers/interns? How much responsibility do you thinking the hosting site has in the way of creating a “professional” experience? discussion

42. discussion An individual noted on the SNAP Listserv that although experience through volunteering has been paid lip service it has not resulted in satisfactory hirings. Another respondent stated “There is no bridge between intern/volunteer work and the skills apparently needed now for a full-time professional position. Institutions make it seem like internships are a gateway to employment, when really they're just cheap labor.” Is there a negative attitude towards volunteer work? And what can we do to change that?

43. Final Thought http://archivingaloud.tumblr.com/post/49238431264/thoughts-on-interns-in-the-archives “We are only as strong a profession as our greenest members. Those most in need of experience and mentoring. Those that are the most open and willing to continue to learn. Are we willing to offer them that service?” - Jan Coco Day, MLS 2013

44. Greg Seppi – gseppi@ldschurch.org Jay Burton – jburton@ldschurch.org Sarah Langsdon – slangsdon@weber.edu Maggie Kopp – maggie_kopp@byu.edu(underscore) Kellie Johnson – kmjohnson.archivist@gmail.com Contact us