Internship focus: Ensure representation in community digital archives
The Coralville Public Library is a community center serving a diverse population as a resource for leisure, knowledge and learning. Library programs and services are provided equitably in an atmosphere that is friendly, responsive, comfortable and accessible. The Coralville Public Library champions every person’s right to information and resources.
About the internship:
The Coralville Digital History Library is a small online archive that strives to reflect the 150-year history of the City of Coralville. The early history of Coralville has been well documented. However, the archive lacks diversity in representation of current residents of Coralville, which has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse over the past few decades. The city is celebrating its sesquicentennial (150 years) in 2023, and the goal is for the Digital History Library to reflect the life stories of Coralville’s current residents.
The intern will actively collect photos and interviews that better reflect Coralville’s growing diversity. The work would involve identifying ways to reach and engage new contributors, as well as collect photos and perform interviews for our digital library. It would be a part of our 150th celebration, but also establish a practice to engage citizens to share their stories. Our hope is this would grow our collection and make it more visible and relevant for browsing and education about our community.
Intern’s work responsibilities:
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Identify equipment and establish best practices for collecting oral histories
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Do outreach to connect with potential subjects/donors
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Perform interviews, both audio only and video
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Assist with promotion of the Coralville Digital History Library
Qualifications & skills:
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Interest in history and personal stories
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Experience with audio and video production or the willingness to learn
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Strong communication and community building skills
Supervisor: Wendy Stevenson, Coralville Digital History Librarian, and Ellen Alexander, Assistant Director, Coralville Public Library
Work will generally take place during normal business hours, with some outreach and events on evenings or weekends.