Sanford-Springvale Historical Society

505 Main Street

Springvale, ME  04083

207-490-1028

Join the team as an intern! You will discover the secret, fast-paced, behind-the scenes workings of a historical society and museum by assisting in the daily duties of curation and archival research.  This is the internship for you if you would like real-world experience in curatorial studies.

You will assist in the preparation of documentation for changing exhibitions, outgoing loans and the permanent collections documentation, analyze collection records, data entry into Past Perfect database of object and accession records, archive files, including surveying and organizing  under the instruction of the Executive Director and Curator, learning to work with committees, research projects pertaining to donors, loans and object records as they arise, train in object handling, and learn how to maintain the collection.

Internship Qualifications: College student with knowledge of and an appreciation for history and a demonstrated ability in paying attention to details. The ability to work well with staff throughout the organization is essential.

Duties/Responsibilities:

The Collections Intern is responsible for supporting the Executive Director and Curator through research, correspondence, and administrative assistance related to the Collection.

The intern will also:

•          Assist with the building and organization of collection files, provenance research, and the organization of collection image files

•          Compile and update biographical information for all files

•          Possibly conduct an oral history project

•          Input relevant information within Past Perfect database

•          Assist with all collection and archival correspondence

•    Go on a field trip to examine the archives/collections of another historical site or museum

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS

•          History or museum studies candidate with a demonstrated familiarity with small community relations

•          Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is essential

•          Cataloguing and database experience (Past Perfect) is preferred but training is provided

•          Individuals should have excellent verbal and written communication skills, must be organized, flexible, detail oriented, and able to work independently and collaboratively on multiple projects

Undergraduate students are expected to put in a normal semester of 14 weeks; Graduate students are expected to put in a normal semester of 12 weeks

Stipend:  $2,000 per semester per internship.

Interested students should email their resume and cover letter to Patricia Violette-Adams at: pviolette@sanfordhistory.org. Please put COLLECTIONS INTERNSHIP in the subject line. All materials are due by September 1, 2026.