Job Opening Title:
Collections Digitization Internship (in-person)
Name of Employer:
Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance
Job Site Location (City AND State):
Havertown, PA
Application Deadline:
Rolling
Minimum Degree Requirement:
N/A
Years of experience required:
Salary Range:
$19.20/hr
Job Opening URL:
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Include instructions for how to apply:
Project: “Who’s In Control?”: An Archive of Self-Determination, Disability Justice, and Deinstitutionalization
Location: Havertown, PA (on-site)
Compensation: $19.20/hour, up to 12 hours/week
Term: 3-month with potential for renewal
Funded by: Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices Grant
About PMPA
The Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance (PMPA) is a nonprofit organization and designated International Site of Conscience dedicated to preserving the history of the disability rights movement. Our Community Archives and Special Collections houses critical materials documenting the closure of Pennhurst State School and Hospital, the self-advocacy movement, and the fight for deinstitutionalization in the United States.
Our archives center the voices of formerly institutionalized individuals and disability rights activists, including materials from Speaking for Ourselves—one of the nation’s first self-advocacy organizations run by people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Position Overview
The Collections Digitization Intern will work alongside our archival team on a CLIR-funded project to digitize and create public access to historically significant materials from the disability rights and self-advocacy movements. This position offers hands-on experience in community-centered archival practice while contributing to the preservation of underrepresented histories.
Interns will have the opportunity to engage with historic leaders of the disability rights movement and work intergenerationally with community members whose stories are represented in our collections.
Key Responsibilities
-Digitize collection materials including photographs, documents, microfilm slides, audio/visual recordings, and ephemera using flatbed scanners, overhead scanners, microfilm readers, and digital converters
-Create descriptive metadata for digitized items using Dublin Core standards
-Generate image descriptions and transcriptions to ensure accessibility of digital materials
-Contextualize materials within the broader disability rights movement and Pennsylvania history
-Support the development of accessible digital exhibits using ArchivesSpace
-Assist with quality control and file management for digitized materials in the interest of sustained preservation
-Participate in access consulting sessions with disability community members to ensure user-friendly design across multiple disabilities
What You’ll Learn
-Practical digitization techniques for diverse archival formats (photographs, documents, microfilm, audio/visual materials, 3D artifacts)
-Metadata creation using Dublin Core and archival description standards
-Accessibility practices in digital archives, including captioning, transcription, and alt-text creation
-Community-centered archival methods that prioritize self-determination and authentic partnership
-Use of ArchivesSpace for archival management
-Adobe Creative Cloud tools for image editing and accessibility features
Qualifications
Required:
-Interest in disability history, social justice, human rights, or archival studies
-Attention to detail and ability to work independently
-Comfort working with historical materials, including content related to institutionalization
-Strong organizational skills
-Ability to commute to Havertown, PA
Preferred:
-Coursework or experience in Library and Information Science, Disability Studies, History, Museum Studies, or related fields
-Familiarity with digitization equipment or metadata standards
-Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud applications
-Knowledge of accessibility practices and assistive technologies
Note: We welcome applicants who may not be currently enrolled in a degree program. As Disability Justice practitioners, we understand that traditional academic and professional timelines are not realistic for everyone, and we value relevant experience and lived expertise.
We Especially Encourage Applications From:
-Members of the disability community
-People with lived experience of institutionalization or the disability rights movement
-LGBTQIA+ individuals
-Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
-First-generation college students
-Anyone passionate about preserving underrepresented histories
Supervision & Mentorship
Interns will be supervised by the project’s Principal Investigators and Onboarding Trainer:
-Jess Petrazzuoli-Gallagher, Director of Archival Preservation
-Ashten Vassar-Cain, Assistant Director of Archival Preservation
-Dr. Diana Katovitch, Onboarding Trainer
Interns will participate in weekly check-ins with supervisors and have opportunities for professional development through the Society of American Archivists course catalog.
Accessibility Note: The PMPA Archives are located on the 2nd floor of our office space, unfortunately we do not have an elevator in our building but we will make any change we can to create an accessible workspace on the first floor if needed.
To Apply, please submit the following materials to pmpa.archives@gmail.com
-Resume or CV highlighting relevant experience, coursework, or skills
-Brief statement of interest (~500 words) addressing:
Why you are interested in this position
Any relevant experience or connection to disability history, archives, or social justice work
What you hope to learn or contribute
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
PMPA is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive workplace. If you require accommodations during the application process or in the position, please let us know. We have budgeted accessibility support for interns as part of this grant project.
About the Project
This internship is part of a 24-month initiative funded by CLIR’s “Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices” program. The project will digitize approximately 4,000 photographs, 1,000 microfilm slides, handwritten narratives, audio/visual recordings, and other materials from our Speaking for Ourselves and Gregory Pirmann collections—preserving the legacy of self-advocates who fought for the right to live in the community.
The project honors the work of Roland Johnson, a Black, Disabled man who survived institutionalization at Pennhurst and became a pioneer of the self-advocacy movement. The project title comes from his famous speech, “Who’s In Control?”
This project is supported by a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from the Mellon Foundation.
Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance
Havertown, PA 19083
www.preservepennhurst.org
PMPA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or national origin.