Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition Summer 2016 Graduate Internship (Paid)

The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) seeks one graduate intern to work closely with editors and other staff of the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition (CWG-K).

Through this competitive internship opportunity, a successful candidate will be responsible for researching and writing short annotation entries on named persons, places, organizations, and geographical features. This work will be completed and submitted on a weekly basis to the Project Director and Intern Supervisor for evaluation, with all annotations submitted on July 29, 2016, for final review. All research for the entries must be based in primary or secondary sources, and the intern is expected to keep a research file with notes and digital images of documents related to each entry. The intern will also have the opportunity to learn, acquire and exercise additional skills associated with documentary editing including document identification, metadata control, transcription, and XML encoding.

The overall goal of the internship is to provide a high-quality, supervised professional practicum that introduces the intern to the field of documentary editing in order to enhance their education and future employability. This internship will be filled by an American history graduate student in at least the second year of a M.A. program.

To apply, submit a narrative statement—focused on the questions below—of professional ability in the form of a cover letter, a CV, and two letters of recommendation.

Research Experience: Describe your familiarity with research in 19th century U.S. history. Describe some projects you have undertaken. What sources have you used? Have you been published? Have you interpreted historical research in forms other than a scholarly peer-reviewed publication? How does the proposed research project differ from those you have undertaken in the past? Describe your familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of online research databases such as Ancestry.com, Fold3.com, ProQuest, and Google Books.

Project Experience: Describe any work you have done in the editing of historical documents. Discuss how a project such as CWG-K maintains balance between thorough research and production schedules. Have you worked on other collaborative projects in the field of history or otherwise? Describe your ability to meet deadlines and regulate workflow. Describe your understanding of and/or experience with the “Digital Humanities.” From what you understand of the CWG-K project, how does it fit with current trends in the field? What do you hope to gain from working on the CWG-K project?

This paid internship will consist of 250 hours over the course of 10 weeks—starting on June 1, 2016.

This is a temporary position—with a $2,500 stipend—based in Frankfort, Ky. Employee benefits are not available. Housing is not provided.

To apply, e-mail cover letter, internship application and resume to khs.hr@ky.gov. No phone calls please. Application deadline is March 31, 2016. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D.

The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is a state agency and membership organization that is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums.  We educate and engage the public through Kentucky’s history in order to confront the challenges of the future.