FELLOWSHIP OVERVIEW
The HistoryMakers is pleased to offer a year-long fellowship (June 6, 2011 through June 1, 2012) working in African American archives. This fellowship is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The purpose of this fellowship program is to provide training for African American archivists and other archivists interested in working with African American archival collections. The year will include a 3-month immersion training program at The HistoryMakers Chicago location (June 6 – August 26, 2010) and an on-site residency (September 6, 2010 – June 1, 2012) at one of the following host institutions:
§ Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, AL
§ Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
§ Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
§ Franklin Library at Fisk University, Nashville, TN
§ The HistoryMakers, Chicago, IL
§ Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD
§ Mayme Clayton Library and Museum, Culver City, CA
§ Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
FELLOWSHIP ELIGIBILITY
All applicants must:
§ Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
§ Hold a recent graduate degree in library science from an ALA accredited school (current graduate students are encouraged to apply if their degrees will be completed prior to beginning the fellowship).
§ Have a demonstrated interest in archives administration and management. Applicants must have taken at least two courses related to archival information and practice.
§ Have a demonstrated interest in African American history. This interest can be demonstrated through academic coursework, volunteer or work experience, and/or through a personal statement in application essay.
§ Have a GPA of 3.50 or higher.
FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION
During the immersion training program, fellows will receive training in arrangement, description, preservation, reference, and outreach for collections of African American archival materials. Fellows will process collections and create EAD and EAC-CPF finding aids and will learn to appropriately utilize Brown’s Subject Headings in addition to Library of Congress Subject Headings to provide access points to African American materials in print, video, and electronic resources. Fellows will attend lectures presented by African American scholars and representatives from other African American archival repositories. The purpose of these lectures is for fellows to gain a deeper understanding of African American history. Fellows will also take field trips to Chicago-area African American collections.
During the on-site residency period, fellows will utilize knowledge and skills gained during their immersion training to process African American collections. Fellows will be required to organize a public program/community outreach event(lecture, exhibit, etc.) while in residency at their host institution. They will also be expected to give presentations on their education and career choice to other students at the high school and undergraduate levels. Fellows will also be required to keep a log of their experiences and progress throughout the fellowship. Fellows will also be strongly encouraged to submit papers for presentation at professional conferences such as ALA, SAA, MAC etc.
STIPEND
$37,000.00
LODGING
Lodging arrangements during the training institute and during residency at host institution are the responsibility of the fellow. Applicants will be provided with information on local housing options upon acceptance to the program.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
All applicants should submit the following:
§ Cover letter stating their interest in the internship and future career goals (please include an email address and a daytime telephone number). They should also rank their choicef of host institution placement from 1 through 8 (one being the first choice). They may also explain their choices, if they wish.
§ Essay or written statement (2,000 words or less) addressing one or all of the following:
§ their interest in African American history and archival collections;
§ their view on the importance of increasing diversity in the archival profession; and/or,
§ the importance of this fellowship to their future career.
§ Resume or CV indicating their academic background, work experience, and volunteer service.
§ Undergraduate and graduate transcript. They should also include a printout of classes in which they are currently enrolled, if applicable.
§ Three letters of recommendation.
Emily Martorano
2011-2012 Archive Fellowship Program
The HistoryMakers
1900 S. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
em@thehistorymakers.com
It was a complete privilege to work with such smart, passionate and fun people; to be able to participate in important debates with several organizations, and to do research with full academic freedom. I am proud of being a Google Policy Fellow.” — Marcel Leonardi (EFF)