Intern Archives - THF100 Oral History & Memoir Project

Colonial Group; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship program

Professional development

On-site internship

Job summary

Colonial Group seeks an Archives Intern for the Oral History and Memoir Project at The Henry Ford’s Dearborn campus. Work includes descriptive writing, content review, and file management under mentorship from a project lead.

Internship runs 15 weeks (Jan 25–May 7, 2027) with mandatory orientation and opportunities for professional development. Weekly review meetings help track progress and learning.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in or recently graduated from History, English, Information Science, Museum Studies or related field.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Ability to learn DALNET DSpace and Axiell EMu.
• Availability on Wednesdays for internship programming.

Responsibilities

• Review content and write concise biographical and descriptive summaries.
• Organize and upload digital files to archival repository.
• Create and update catalog records in EMu.
• Follow project guidelines for file naming, description, and record keeping.
• Meet regularly with project lead to review work and track progress.
• Participate in orientation and professional development activities.

Skills

Microsoft Office

DALNET DSpace

Axiell EMu

Attention to detail

Summarization

File organization

Independence

Education

History/InfoSci degree

Tools

Axiell EMu

DALNET DSpace

Job description

The 15-week Winter 2027 internship runs January 25–May 7, 2027. Attendance at orientation on January 25 is mandatory.

The Archives Intern – Oral History and Memoir Project will collaborate with the Reference Services team on an institutional oral history and memoir project celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Edison Institute. Projects will include descriptive work, content review, and file management. The intern will work under the mentorship and guidance of a project lead throughout the internship.

Essential Responsibilities

• Review existing content and write concise biographical and descriptive summaries based on source materials
• Organize and upload digital files to the archival repository
• Create and update catalog records in Axiell EMu, the collections management system
• Follow project guidelines for file naming, description, and record keeping
• Meet regularly with the project lead to review work, ask questions, and track progress
• Participate in required internship orientation and professional development activities

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a college or university program in History, English, Information Science, Museum Studies, or a related field
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite
• Ability to learn and navigate DALNET DSpace and Axiell EMu
• Availability on Wednesdays for required internship programming

Special Skills

• Careful attention to detail when reviewing source materials and entering information
• Ability to write clear summaries of source materials
• Ability to organize digital files and manage information consistently
• Ability to manage assigned work independently and seek guidance when needed
• Interest in oral history, archives, collections, or institutional history
• Familiarity with DALNET DSpace or Axiell EMu is helpful but not required

Physical/Mental/Environmental

• Physical: Work is primarily performed at a computer and involves reading, typing, and organizing digital files. Other physical requirements are minimal or not applicable
• Mental: Requires sustained reading, writing, attention to detail, organization, and the ability to interpret and summarize historical source materials
• Environment: Work is primarily performed in an office or archival setting on The Henry Ford’s Dearborn campus

Internship Program Compensation

• First year intern in school (undergraduate or trade): $17.00
• First year intern with completed degree (undergraduate or trade): $18.00
• Graduate school and postgraduates: $20.00

Applications will be accepted through November 5th, 2026.