Winterthur Library Graduate Intern

About the Role

The Winterthur Library Graduate Internship supports emerging library professionals with an interest in special collections librarianship, particularly in the areas of art, design, history, and material culture. This semester-based internship will last approximately 15 weeks, with the possibility to work consecutive semesters.

Key Responsibilities

• Gain hands-on experience cataloging for distinctive collections, enhancing description and access for materials across a range of formats, languages, and eras.
• Catalog a variety of objects including rare books, bound manuscripts, trade catalogs, realia, and unique bound formats such as swatch and sample books.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• B.A. in a humanities discipline, preferably American studies, art history, history, literature, or a related field of study.
• Must be currently enrolled in a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program, or an equivalent degree program with relevant experience and/or training.
• Excellent communication, organization, time management, problem-solving, and research skills.
• Experience with or strong interest in cataloging, particularly for rare materials and special collections.
• Experience with or strong interest in librarianship in an academic, research, museum, or other special library setting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of cataloging as an area of practice.
• Familiarity with content and data structure standards: MARC, DACS, EAD.
• Familiarity with descriptive standards: RDA, AACR2, DCRM suite.
• Familiarity with controlled vocabularies: Library of Congress Subject Headings, RBMS Controlled Vocabulary, Art & Architecture Thesaurus.
• Familiarity with Library of Congress Classification.
• Familiarity with authority control principles.
• Experience with an automated or integrated library system (e.g., FOLIO, Koha, SirsiDynix Symphony, Ex Libris Alma).
• Experience with ArchivesSpace or similar archival management platform.
• Experience with digital content management systems (e.g., AM Quartex, Terentia, Islandora).
• Familiarity with principles of critical cataloging and reparative description.
• Familiarity with metadata-focused equity initiatives and resources.
• Reading knowledge of one or more languages other than English, preferably French, Dutch, German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish.
• Familiarity with data mapping, querying, and transformation, via tools such as MarcEdit and OpenRefine or programming languages such as Python and SQL.

Preferred Experience

• Coursework or interest in cataloging and metadata, archives management, digital humanities, special collections librarianship, and/or museum studies.

Key Details

• Compensation: $20/hour
• Duration: 15 weeks (Spring 2027)
• Schedule: 20 hours/week
• Deadline: ASAP (Posted October 16, 2026)