The summer internship at the Mercantile Library in St. Louis offers an opportunity to work in the oldest library west of the Mississippi River. The Library’s diverse collections focus on: American transportation history, especially river and rail; Westward expansion and frontier life; St. Louis and Missouri history, art, and culture; St. Louis publications and newspapers; and American Presidential campaign materials. These collections include rare books, early prints and photographs, unique manuscripts and archival documents, paintings and sculpture, scarce historical newspapers, engravings and original drawings, maps, political campaign artifacts, and historical objects.
This is a ten-week, 20-hour-a-week unpaid internship, coinciding with the University’s ten-week summer session. Students can earn four credit hours. All students representing Truman in this internship program will enroll for academic credit through the History Department.
After being selected, interns can work in a variety of areas at the Library, including but not limited to:
- processing, organization and scanning of historic artifacts
- digitization for on-line access to collections
- research for educational programming or exhibition installation
- event planning and support
Assignment will be based on each intern’s abilities and interests as well as the Library’s needs.
Applicants for this internship should possess strong written and verbal communication skills, excellent organizational skills, and basic computer skills, as well as an ability to work independently on multiple tasks. The successful applicants will be dependable, motivated, and resourceful.
To find out more about what the internship entails and how to apply, direct your enquiries to:
Dr. Jason McDonald
Baldwin Hall 226
(660) 785-7575
jasonmcd@truman.edu
All students currently enrolled at Truman pursuing any major can apply for the St. Louis Mercantile Library Internship
Application for Truman Students