Job Opening Title:
Paid Archives Internship
Name of Employer:
Rochester Public Library
Job Site Location (City AND State) :
Rochester, NY
Application Deadline:
June 15, 2025
Minimum Degree Requirement:
Years of experience required:
Salary Range:
$23.50/hour
Job Opening URL:
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Include instructions for how to apply.:
Archives Intern – Fall 2025
This is a part-time contract position open only to students enrolled in an accredited graduate or undergraduate college program.
Pay rate: $23.50/hour (not to exceed $3,300 total)
The Rochester Public Library and the Office of Rochester & Monroe County History seek a current graduate or undergraduate student intern to arrange, rehouse, and describe portions of the Monroe County Archives.
In 2023, the Rochester Public Library entered into a contract with Monroe County to house, preserve, and provide public access to the Monroe County Archives, previously housed at St. John Fisher College. The collection lacks clear organization and has never been properly accessioned, arranged, or described. Much of the collection needs to be rehoused to ensure that storage conditions are adequate for long-term preservation and ease of access.
The intern will work under the direction of the county historian (Christine L. Ridarsky) and the library’s special collections librarian (Brandon Fess) to inventory, rehouse, accession, arrange, and describe portions of the 1,200-linear-foot county collection.
The intern will receive an orientation to the historian’s office and collections, as well as the library’s Local History & Genealogy Division, and will be trained on the skills necessary to complete the tasks to which they are assigned. This will include an introduction to basic records management tools and protocols, including New York State’s LGS-1 record retention schedule, and archival management theories, tools, and skills, including the library’s ArchivesSpace collections management system.
After the orientation and training period, students will continue to work along the historian and special collections librarian, but they will be expected to work increasingly independently on their assigned tasks. The student will be expected to adhere to an assigned work schedule and maintain a consistent attendance record. Students receiving college credit for the internship may have additional requirements stipulated by their program.
Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate:
• Prior coursework or experience in records management or archives
• Basic knowledge of Monroe County geography and history
The intern will be expected to work 10 hours per week over a 14-week period at a rate of $23.50 per hour, not to exceed $3,300. Start date is flexible; work must be completed by December 31, 2025.
To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Christine.Ridarsky@libraryweb.org.
Deadline: June 15, 2025.
Archives Gig 