USF Libraries Internships

Project Description:

USF Libraries’ Digital Initiatives hosts a collection developed by Saskia, Limited containing over 3,600 images of Western art and architecture ranging from Ancient Greece to Renoir and the Guggenheim. The Saskia Art History Metadata Intern will support improvement and use of the collection through research of the art and architecture in the collection, the locations or galleries of the subjects, and other contextual metadata to improve the discoverability and relevance to researchers. In addition to providing revisions of the metadata for the 3,600 images in the collection, a final project for the internship may involve developing an assessment to track increased use or a blog post describing the project and its benefits to the USF community.

Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits:

The intern will hone their research skills and learn about the development of digital collections for libraries, including the preparation of metadata. The intern will have the opportunity to work in a collaborative space with many types of librarians and library staff to learn about different units of academic libraries.

Special Skill Sets:

Research will be supported by an existing base knowledge in art history methods to support identifying artists and architects, as well as the period and style of the art or architecture. This internship is best for a graduate student or an upper-level undergraduate student.

Other Requirements:

The intern will be provided with access to a computer station inside the Tampa campus Library where they will work on this project.

Additional Information:

• Interns will be asked to give a short virtual presentation at the end of the semester
• Interns must register for an internship course

Project Description:

USF Libraries’ Special Collections is home to over 100 historical nautical charts covering the coastal and inland waters of Florida. These maps are a pivotal resource in understanding the natural state of Florida’s waterways and how they have changed over time. We are seeking an intern to help digitize this collection and prepare it for use in an interactive web platform. The intern will also assist in scanning, map editing, metadata creation, georeferencing, and collection organization.

Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits:

The intern will further develop and hone GIS skills, with a specific emphasis on raster processing, manipulation, and hosting. In addition, the intern will have the opportunity to work in a collaborative space with many types of librarians and library staff to learn about different units of academic libraries.

Special Skill Sets:

Seeking a candidate with knowledge of GIS software and an interest in historical mapping.

Other Requirements:

Additional Information:

• Interns will be asked to give a short virtual presentation at the end of the semester
• Interns must register for an internship course

Project Description:

The USF St. Petersburg campus has implemented a range of sustainability-focused projects funded by student initiatives over the past several years. Developing an archive that brings together (1) relevant datasets and (2) Associated archives and documentation is essential for assessing the outcomes of these initiatives. However, much of this data is not readily available despite a strong desire to make it openly accessible for integration into USF curricular and research activities across a range of disciplines.

Undergraduate students expressing interest in (1) Digital collections and archiving, or (2) Data collection, will engage in an experiential learning internship designed to develop digital collections relevant to USF St. Petersburg’s distinctive campus priorities.

Interns will develop skills and understanding necessary to successfully identify, compile, organize, and describe datasets and/or digital collections. Interns may choose to focus on developing digital collections comprised of (1) Student and other university publications, and (2) USF St. Petersburg digital archives such as student newspaper articles, or they may choose to focus on (3) Creation of baseline datasets relevant to local St. Petersburg campus initiatives (e.g., water quality datasets, Rec Center bike datasets, composter data, etc.).

Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits:

Upon completion of the fieldwork, the student will be able to:

• Differentiate between archival and non-archival information and datasets for long-term preservation
• Apply best practices for the organization and description of datasets and archives related to sustainability
• Create finding aids, exhibits, or other descriptive metadata for access and discoverability of datasets for the use of the university community

Special Skill Sets:

• Some knowledge of USF St. Petersburg campus sustainability initiatives and/or engagement with student organizations is helpful.
• Familiarity with Excel spreadsheets is preferred.

Other Requirements:

The intern will be provided with access to a computer station inside the Tampa campus Library where they will work on this project.

Additional Information:

• Interns will be asked to give a short virtual presentation at the end of the semester
• Interns must register for an internship course