Internships at Library of Congress

Getty Grant Program/Library of Congress
Internship in Preventive Conservation
Conservation Division, Preservation Directorate
Library of Congress

The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. invites applications for a
one year, paid internship in preventive conservation with the
support of the Getty Grant Program.  The purpose of the internship
is to provide an opportunity for conservators to gain knowledge in
the theory and skills in the practice of preventive conservation in
a large and complex cultural institution and research library.

Interns will be immersed in activities of the Preventive
Conservation Section within the Conservation Division and follow a
comprehensive course of training that includes the core elements of
preventive conservation, including collection needs assessment for
materials in the custodial divisions, emergency preparedness,
response and recovery, staff education and user awareness,
collection re-housing, environmental monitoring and control,
off-site facility planning, exhibition case design and maintenance,
and integrated pest management. Interns will also visit select
cultural institutions to survey and report on the state of
preventive practice in these institutions.  The interns will train
under the direction of one or more senior conservators in the
Conservation Division.  Applicants selected for an internship, will
report back to the Conservation Division one year after their
training at the Library of Congress on how the information they
learned has been used.

The Conservation Division at the Library of Congress is responsible
for the preventive and remedial care of the more than 121 million
items that reside in the Library's general and special collections
in all formats, including books, manuscripts, photographs, sound and
moving image materials, and works of art on paper. The Conservation
Division consists of approximately 30 staff trained in a variety of
conservation areas of specialization. Eight of the Conservation
staff devote their time to preventive conservation activities
including collection rehousings, environmental monitoring and
control, collection needs assessment, exhibition case design and
maintenance, emergency preparedness, response and recovery, staff
education and user awareness, off-site facility planning, and
integrated pest management.

The conservation laboratories at the Library of Congress are fully
equipped to accommodate both preventive and remedial work. A digital
imaging work station and traditional photography laboratory and
studio are available for documentation and reporting. Computer
workstations are also located throughout the laboratory which are
networked to the Library's various information resources. In
addition, the Conservation Division works alongside a Research and
Testing Division which carries out analytical and investigative work
in areas which impact preventive conservation including
quality-control of materials used in re-housing and primary research
into the mechanisms of deterioration of library and archival
materials.

This internship is intended for conservators who wish to immerse
themselves in the theory and practice of preventive conservation.
Candidates will be selected on the basis of conservation knowledge,
skills and abilities, an active commitment to professional ethics
and standards, effective communication skills and an understanding
of library and archival collections.

Candidates with academic training in the technology and chemistry of
library and archival materials and experience in conservation
treatment of paper, books and photography will be given preference.
In addition, first consideration will be given to applicants: a) who
are presently employed in the conservation/preservation field in a
library, archive or museum to which they will return following
completion of the internship, b) from institutions where no training
opportunities in preventive conservation exist, and c) who
demonstrate potential to gain from the experience and who indicate
an interest and possibilities for disseminating the information
gained. Applicants must be proficient in English so that they
understand technical issues as applied to preventive conservation.
English proficiency will be verified through interviews with
application finalists.

The length of the internship is 12 months following the U.S.
academic year (beginning September ending August).  Only one
internship will be offered each year.  Two internships of six months
will also be considered if the strongest applicants can justify such
a schedule based on professional needs.  A stipend at the GS 9 level
($39,597 ) will be provided for the 12 month period.  No funding for
relocation is available with this stipend.

Applicants should submit: a) a resume listing educational and
conservation-related work experience, b) written documentation for
up to three conservation treatments, c) a selection of no more than
20 accompanying slides, d) a brief (up to two pages) cover letter
that describes prior preservation/conservation experience and what
the applicant hopes to gain from the internship, and e) the names of
and contact information for three references.  Whenever possible, a
personal interview will be scheduled to review and discuss the
application.  In the case of foreign applicants, an application may
be submitted by mail and a telephone interview may be conducted as
an alternative.

For the September, 2003 to August, 2004 Fellowship the deadline has
been extended from the date listed at
<URL:http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/int_getty.html>.

Application is due by March, 15, 2003. Announcement of selection
will be made by mid-April, 2003.  Internship will begin September 1,
2003.

Please direct letters of application to:

    Mark S. Roosa
    Director for Preservation, Preservation Directorate
    LMG-21, Library of Congress
    101 Independence Avenue, SE
    Washington DC 20540-4530
    202-707-5213 mroo [at] loc__gov

Please be sure to include your complete mailing address including
your phone and fax numbers, with e-mail, if applicable, with your
application.  You will be e-mailed or sent a form to fill out with
the application.

Mark Roosa
Director for Preservation
Preservation Directorate
Library of Congress


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:47
                 Distributed: Friday, February 7, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-47-022
                                  ***