Apply to be a Paid BHL Intern!

We are pleased to announce that the Smithsonian Libraries will be hosting a BHL intern this summer as part of its 2015 Professional Development Internship Program.

These paid summer internships are six week-long opportunities for students in MLS or related graduate programs to gain valuable knowledge while working in the worlds’ largest museum library system! Solid research, analytical, computer and writing skills are desired.

All applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian’s Online Academic Appointment system. Applications are due March 1st, 2015.

A second internship, not specific to BHL but focused on copyright research for digitization and open access projects, is also open for applications. View more information on this page.

See details about the BHL internship below. Please note the geographic location requirement. Please see this webpage for additional information.

BHL Outreach Impact Strategy Internship 

Dates preferred: Any six weeks, June-July 2015

Location of internship: 50% on-site at National Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC) with opportunities for 50% virtual work (contingent upon access to videoconferencing software such as Skype™).

This project is ideal for a candidate with the following characteristics: Students pursuing a Masters in Library & Information Science with strong research and writing skills. Preference will be granted to candidates with marketing experience and/or experience using social media platforms such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. Students with a demonstrated interest in the natural sciences and/or library marketing are strongly encouraged to apply.

Brief description of project: The Biodiversity Heritage Library is the world’s largest open access digital library of natural history literature (http://biodiversitylibrary.org/). Its mission is to work collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.

As a free digital library, the BHL relies on its ability to measure impact and demonstrate its value through a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods. BHL has a robust and proactive outreach and communication program that interacts with the public on a regular basis and consistently seeks new ways to engage with existing communities and reach new audiences. An Outreach Impact Strategy Intern is needed to analyze the BHL’s existing outreach strategies using social media platforms in order to increase traffic to the BHL website.

Interns will have the opportunity to learn about BHL’s Strategies for interacting with its user communities and understand in practice how marketing plays a critical role in demonstrating the impact and vision of a virtual library where there are no physical collections or infrastructure that users can visit or see for themselves.