History of Medicine
NLM History of Medicine Volunteer Internship Program
The National Library of Medicine’s History of Medicine Division welcomes applications for its volunteer internship program, from:
- undergraduate students in any discipline
- current graduate students in library science or information studies, archival studies, cultural studies, film studies, history of medicine and science, museum studies, preservation, public heath, or related programs
- other qualified individuals of any age and background who would wish to offer their experiences and skills
The HMD volunteer internship program offers practical, hands-on and results-oriented experience in the largest medical library in the world with one of the finest history of medicine collections. Individuals who participate in this program can expect an invaluable introduction to a unique part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, which in 2010 was rated in the top-20 in The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.
Under the direct supervision of permanent library staff, selected interns will undertake projects, or a combination of projects based on their interests, skills, and the needs of the History of Medicine Division.
The History of Medicine Division offers internships in the following programmatic areas:
- Archival Arrangement and Description
- Cataloging and Bibliography
- Collection Management
- Digitization initiatives
- Exhibitions, Public Programs, and Outreach
- Preservation
- Web Development
Eligibility:
Volunteer services may be accepted from individuals who are:
- Donating their services as members of volunteer or charitable organizations
- Offering their services on their own time
- Receiving fellowship or stipend support from outside organizations with whom they have non-employment relationships
- Employees of outside organizations on sabbaticals or leaves of absences
- Federal employee volunteering services unrelated to their official duties and responsibilities, outside of their normal work hours
Unfortunately, due to regulations, volunteer services may not be accepted from individuals who are:
- Commissioned Officers in the U.S. Public Health Service or members of other uniformed services
- Paid employees of outside organizations who are not on sabbaticals or leaves of absence, unless their volunteer service is on their own time
Requirements:
- All interns must carry their own health insurance and submit proof of coverage.
- Permanent residents must be cleared by the Division of International Services (DIS), Office of Research Services (ORS), NIH.
- Special requirements for Non-immigrant Foreign Nationals: Must have appropriate visas that support activities at NIH and must have, at a minimum, a master’s degree or equivalent.
- We encourage applicants of all ages, however, applicants must be at least 16 years old. Applicants under 18 years of age must meet Federal government employment standards for minors or provide a State issued work permit. The agreement of a parent or guardian is also required before the volunteer services of minors can be accepted.
Compensation: Unpaid
Learning credit: We welcome working with students who are interested in obtaining course credit for our internships.
Time commitment: Depending on needs of the HMD programmatic area, commensurate with candidate availability, and always within normal business hours.
NLM/HMD is an Official Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Awards, an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Interested individuals should send the following materials via email to the Office of the Chief, NLM History of Medicine Division:
- a cover letter detailing:
- interests, skills, and expertise and the NLM/HMD programmatic area(s) of specific interest, including how the individual’s background would benefit the programmatic area(s) of specific interest
- availability for the internship, including how many hours per week could be offered, and for what duration (eg. 3 months, 6 months, etc.)
- current resume and academic transcript
The NLM highly encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
Please note that NLM/HMD internships do not result in employment with the NLM.
We Welcome You:
A Profile of the NLM History of Medicine Volunteer Internship Program
Each section of the NLM/History of Medicine Division has hosted interns with diverse academic and individual backgrounds.
The NLM/HMD Exhibition Program has hosted interns from the fields of anthropology, education, history, library sciences, and museum studies. Their contributions have been as varied as their interests, ranging from researching exhibition materials and fact checking, drafting education materials, conducting market research for an outreach, and providing guided exhibition tours.
The NLM/HMD Rare Books and Early Manuscripts Section has hosted library school students, graduate students, and retired medical professionals. These individuals have joined the section with a variety of interests, including digitization, preservation, and rare book cataloging. Projects undertaken by these individuals have included book plating and property stamping recent acquisitions, performing conservation reviews of materials to be digitized, and cataloging rare materials.
Interns who have joined the NLM/HMD Images and Archives Section have been equally diverse in their backgrounds and interests. Projects undertaken by these individuals have included developing recommendations for managing born-digital archives; preliminary processing of collections of personal papers; digitizing historical documents for online display; creating and editing transcripts of handwritten or otherwise difficult-to-read items for increased search ability and accessibility; art of digital collections; and hands-on learning of collection management practices for special collections in manuscripts, prints, photographs, films, and videos.
