Keystone Internship at Pennsylvania State Archives (Digital Outreach) (College)

Are you exploring the field of public history and looking for some real-world experience? The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Keystone Internship Program provides opportunities to pursue your professional growth and contribute to sharing Pennsylvania's rich heritage with the public. Apply now and begin your professional journey on an exciting career path!

The PA State Archives strives to collect, preserve, and make collections of the Archives available, both physical and digital. The Digital Outreach section of the PA State Archives manages digitization projects utilizing both scanning and audiovisual equipment to help preserve archival materials and make them accessible through a digital preservation system. The prospective intern will be engaged with members of the Digital Outreach section to help with these responsibilities.

The intern will work with three professional Archivists throughout the course of the internship, alternating experiences every day. The projects will primarily include alternating between digitization of a variety of formats, the description of digitized files, and work with the digital preservation system used by the State Archives. In one project, the intern will perform scanning of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), American Guide Series collection. With this work, the intern will learn how to manage digitization projects, gain knowledge of archival naming conventions, become versed in digital file formats, obtain proficiency in using digitization equipment and software, and develop skills for quality control. In a second project, the intern will digitize audio cassette tapes from an oral history collection and learn to supplement the digitization with metadata for preservation and discovery. This project will allow the intern to become versed in audio conversion equipment, software, and file formats, as well as descriptive metadata practices. In a third project, the intern will gain an understanding of the digital preservation system used by the State Archives and assist in preservation actions. In this project, the intern will have the opportunity to assist in the ingest, organization, application of metadata, and long-term preservation of files.

Through these three projects, the intern will participate in the full lifecycle of a digital record, completing work from digitization, to description, ingest, preservation, and access.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• 10 week internship, May 2026 through August 2026, approximately 225 to 300 hours
• Work hours are flexible and will be finalized between selected interns and their supervisor.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.
  

QUALIFICATIONS

Internship Requirements:

• All applicants must be enrolled at a college or university in an undergraduate or graduate program at the time of their internship.

Additional Requirements:

• You must be able and willing to report to Harrisburg, PA during the Summer Keystone Internship dates, which will be a 10-week period between May 11, 2026 and August 21, 2026. Lodging and transportation are not provided.
• You must be majoring, minoring or have a concentration in Archival Studies, History, Public History, Library and Information Sciences, or a closely related field.
• You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• This posting requires submission of a copy of your college transcript(s). Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. You may upload your document as an attachment during the application process. You must still complete the application and answer the supplemental questions. All documents MUST be uploaded prior to the submission of your application.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.