Loyola University Chicago

Women and Leadership Archives

Student Assistants, Interns, and Volunteers

Last updated June 1, 2023

Graduate Assistantships: Academic Year
The WLA typically employs two graduate assistants during the academic year, one second-year (returning) student and one first-year (new) student. Assistantships are open to Loyola students in a MA program, who are eligible to work the given hours a week, through the entire academic year. Priority is given to applicants who are able to work 19.5 hours a week. Priority is given to students in public history, history, digital humanities, and WSGS, however, those studying other disciplines are welcome to apply.

Duties may include:

  • Assistance with reference inquiries, including research and digitization
  • Stacks maintenance, including paging requested materials 
  • Rehousing and inventories of collections 
  • Transcription of text and audio files
  • Work on special projects relating to oral histories, social media, access, and research
  • Regular attendance at Team meetings and check-in with supervisor
  • Occasional assistance with special events, class visits, and exhibits

Project positions are also available on occasion. Information about these positions are posted to the WLA's webpage and social media. For more information, please contact us at: WLArchives@LUC.edu.

Graduate Assistantships: Summer
The WLA rarely accepts new applicants for summer-only work. Summer positions are not guaranteed and are only offered as funding is available. Summer work is first offered to current academic year workers, and then those who have been employed by the WLA in the past (ie. for a project/grant). The duration of summer work is typically four weeks - the week of commencement through early June. For more information, please contact us at: WLArchives@LUC.edu.

Undergraduate Internships
The WLA welcomes the opportunity to work in structured and supervised internships with undergraduate students from Loyola. The internships are based in the archives, typically working with original primary sources material in small-to-moderately sized processing projects. However, we also have several ongoing special projects that the intern is encouraged and welcomed to assist with.

Each internship can be catered to meet the needs of the student's educational and experiential goals/skills. Additionally, each intern can receive on-the-job training in archival best practices related to appraisal, collection management, legal issues, preservation, arrangement and description, reference, and outreach.

Typically, one intern is accepted per semester (Fall/Spring). The WLA does not offer summer internships. We especially encourage students majoring in history, anthropology, political science, and women studies & gender studies, but all applicants are welcome. The length of each internship varies, though a minimum one semester commitment is strongly preferred. All internships are unpaid. Applicantions are accepted on a rolling basis, but must be sent the semester prior. For more information, please contact us at WLArchives@LUC.edu.

Samples of Internship Projects:

  • Process newly accessioned collections
  • Collection management in PastPerfect
  • Physical collections management
  • Create MARC records for the manuscript & digital collections
  • Exhibit design
  • Educational outreach/program design
  • Staff events—donor outreach

Volunteers
The WLA does not accept volunteers. However, current Loyola students may pitch an idea for a guest blog post or enquire about event assistance.