USF Libraries Internships

Project Name:
Collection Database Maintenance using ExLibris’ Alma Inventory “Shelf Report”

Project Description:
Nelson Poynter Memorial Library at the University of South Florida’s St Petersburg campus is looking at a way to make the library catalog and the interlibrary loan system perform at the maximum level of reliability. The recently adopted integrated library system (ILS), ExLibris’ Alma, has tools to synchronize the catalog to agree with the books on the shelf so automated systems work more reliably, but the reports it produces need to be reviewed and decisions to be made about materials.

The Nelson Poynter Memorial Library has gone through renovation, shifting collections, adding to collections, and sometimes materials not being returned, along with a host of other situations which can make it look like we have a book, when viewing the public catalog, but the book may not be on the shelf. Some books need to be researched to gather the full story. The library fieldwork intern would help manage the daily reports derived from the data ingested into Alma’s inventory report and sort through possible situations when the database produces results that items are missing from the shelf or exist as part of the collection yet are not in the library’s catalog.

Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits:
The fieldwork intern will learn database management and cataloging skills using the catalogers’ “toolkit” like the bibliographic utility, OCLC Connexion; the integrated library system, ExLibris’ Alma; the bibliographic, item and holdings records; description standards like Resource Description Access; and bibliographic encoding, MARC21.

The intern will learn collection management, interlibrary loan, and collection development principles through analyzing Alma’s reports and learn approaches to evaluate criteria which make items retain their relevance in libraries’ collections. This person will learn how to delete or update the library’s holdings for interlibrary lending.

The intern will learn to use and interpret cataloging data through analyzing established reports in Alma Analytics as well as learn to generate new reports when more information is needed to make database and collection management decisions.

Special Skill Sets:
n/a

Other Requirements:
This student must be enrolled in the USF Masters in Information Studies fieldwork course during the fieldwork assignment.

This project requires in-person work at the USF St Petersburg campus

Project Name:
Skip Gandy Tampa Photograph Collection Internship

Project Description:
USF Libraries’ Special Collections is digitizing over 100,000 photographs from the Skip Gandy Commercial and Aerial Photography collection, spanning more than 50 years of Tampa Bay history. We are seeking an intern to help research the photographs, their locations, and prepare metadata to help researchers use the collection online. The intern will also assist with photo editing, rescanning, collection organization, GIS mapping, and exhibit creation, as needed.

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:
Seeking a candidate with a background in historical research or library science with a focus on archives and records management or digital libraries.

Other Requirements:
n/a

Project Name:
Using Archival Resources to Contextualize Health and Environmental Data

Project Description:
This project aims to correlate geolocated archival photos, documents, and data against other already published environmental and health databases. Specifically, this internship focuses on using archival data focused on Hillsborough County to contextualize longitudinal environmental and health data within the study area. Historical events and datasets can be contextualized by geolocated archival photos, documents, and resources held in Special Collections (e.g. Tampa through Time, FLENH collections). The goal is to produce correlations and comparisons between archival resources held in Special Collections and public databases on community (Brownfields Atlas) and environmental (Florida Water Atlas) health. This will support the discovery and use of archival documents and resources for use in future research projects and generate case studies showcasing the benefits of archival resources to research. Additionally, it will identify challenges or barriers to using archival resources for environmental or health research. This internship will benefit the student’s professional goals by providing valuable context for thesis projects related to the intersection of water, health, and history. This internship will fulfill degree requirements and support critical thinking and research skills. In turn, this will benefit the library through contributing to ongoing library projects like Tampa through Time, providing case studies and demonstrated novel uses of archival resources as data.

Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits:
Outcomes:
There are two major outcomes of this project. The first outcome will be an assessment of the coverage of geolocated materials from Tampa Through Time and a comparison of the distribution of archival materials with brownsfields (Brownfield Atlas), public health data, and major water resources (e.g. Hillsborough County Water Atlas). Identified materials can potentially be linked back to Special Collections/Digital Commons through these other databases. The second outcome will be an assessment of archival hydrology datasets cataloged in Special Collections. Specifically, the project will identify the chronological scope and completeness of archived datasets. These insights will improve efforts to prioritize materials for cataloging and digitization going forward.

Benefits:
Student thesis projects and individual professional development will benefit directly from this work. The archival materials will provide important context for student projects, either through indirect visual clues about conditions in the past through photos (Tampa Through Time, Skip Gandy), documentary evidence of policy changes and political action (Sally Thompson and Jenn Platt collections), and/or datasets relevant to historic changes in Hillsborough County water resources (Garald Gordon Parker collection). The intern’s contributions to geolocating and quantifying available datasets in Special Collections will help the student develop skills with querying archives and georeferencing these materials as well as quantitative analysis of spatial data.

Special Skill Sets:

• There are no language requirements for this project.
• Applications should possess some training in the R statistical computing platform and be familiar with spatial analysis concepts and Geographic Information Systems, which will be required for this internship.

Equipment and Space Required:

• The intern’s work will take place at the prep tables in Special Collections or the FLENH offices (466B).
• This project will occasionally need to use the document scanner.

Other Requirements:
n/a

Project Name:
Archives Internship

Project Description:
The Archives Intern will review legacy archival collections at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library’s Special Collections & University Archives and make their descriptive information available online. They will review the contents of legacy archival collection finding aids, verify collection documentation and Deeds of Gift, update collection arrangement and description to align with current best practices, and add descriptive information onto ArchivesSpace. Once the student has a grasp of archival arrangement, description, and descriptive standards, they will have the opportunity to perform original processing on an unprocessed collection. If time allows, the student may also have the opportunity to curate a display with materials from a processed collection.

Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits:
The intern will gain hands-on experience working with archival collections and materials in various formats. They will learn first-hand how to perform arrangement and description on archival collections, as well as learn about archival descriptive standards, collection documentation, using archival information management software (ArchivesSpace), and best practices for handling and preserving archival collections. Finally, the Intern will be immersed in the day-to-day operation of a university archive.

Special Skill Sets:
Preference will be given to graduate student in archival studies, library science, history, Florida studies, humanities, or related fields. Advanced undergraduate students will also be considered. Previous experience in archives, libraries, museums and/or cultural heritage institutions is also preferred.

List equipment and space required.
n/a

Other Requirements:
Internship is based at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library on the USF St. Petersburg campus. On-site work is required. The intern must be able to lift heavy boxes (up to 40 lbs.) and climb step ladders. They must have a high level of attention to detail and can work on a single project/task for an extended period of time.