Internship: Archives and Special Collections Practicum, Summer 2026 – Oral History Transcriptions

Description

Application Deadline: Monday, Mar 16 @ 5pm CST  

Organizational Department: Williams Research Center  

Project Season:   Summer 2026  

Program Duration:  June 22 – July 31, 2026 (6-Weeks) 

Internship Program Mission Statement  

The Historic New Orleans Collection’s internship program offers students and emerging public history professionals a unique opportunity to engage with collections that represent the creative heritage and rich history of Louisiana. HNOC internships foster experiential learning through exploration, inquiry, and practice. We aim to create an environment that enables interns to identify, actualize, and confidently pursue their academic and professional goals. 

The Archives and Special Collections Practicum 

The Archives and Special Collections Practicum at HNOC presents an opportunity for aspiring public history professionals to immerse themselves in the study, preservation, and engagement with collections that embody the rich cultural heritage of Louisiana. Through hands-on experiences under the guidance of experienced staff at the Williams Research Center, students will develop transferable skills essential for careers in public history, including effective research methodologies, and some fundamental techniques of collections management. Hosted with HNOC’s Williams Research Center, this program is designed to promote experiential learning through a structured curriculum that emphasizes practical skills and professional development in key areas such as library and information sciences, archival management, and historic research and writing. 

Project Description: Oral History Transcriptions, the Life Stories Collection 

Oral history plays a vital role within the Historic New Orleans Collection, focusing on the collection, preservation, and dissemination of oral histories that document the diverse experiences of our community. The Historic New Orleans Collection has a robust collection of oral histories from interview subjects ranging from Katrina First Responders to Vietnamese immigrants, and many more. While current transcription software is good and ever improving, it is still the case that oral histories often present unique challenges to machine transcription. HNOC strives to review every oral history transcription and make corrections in order to improve the accuracy and accessibility of the documents before making them available to researchers in the online catalog. 

Under the direction of collections professionals at the Williams Research Center, the intern will gain an appreciation for the complexities of human experience as captured through first-hand accounts; while also learning about ethical considerations in preserving and presenting oral histories. 

Requirements

Intern Engagement and Learning Objectives:  

The intern(s) will:   

• Engage in training sessions and workshops related to archival practices, preservation techniques, and information management.  
• Review existing oral history transcript documents and enter corrections directly into the document for accuracy and consistency.  
• Analyze and interpret the complexities of human experience as documented through oral histories.  
• Evaluate ethical considerations involved in the preservation and presentation of personal narratives.  
• Critically assess the limitations of current transcription methodologies and their impact on accessibility. 

Project Format  

This is an on-site placement. The intern will be expected to report physically to the Historic New Orleans Collection French Quarter campus and be stationed at the Williams Research Center located at 410 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70130.  

Participant Expectations  

• Attendance: Regular attendance is required. Interns are expected to complete a minimum of 22 hours of engagement per week at the Williams Research Center. A specific weekly schedule will be coordinated with the intern, designated project lead(s), and program administration.  
• Time Commitment: Within the six-week duration of this program, the intern will complete a minimum of 100-hours of engagement, not to exceed a total of 125-hours.  
• Professionalism and Conduct: Interns should exhibit professional behavior, including punctuality, respect for the organization’s staff and patrons, and adherence to library policies. 

Candidacy Requirements: 

• Eligible applicants are undergraduate students of rising junior or senior classification, currently enrolled in a four-year university located in the state of Louisiana. 
• Students pursuing a degree in Social Science or Humanities fields are encouraged to apply. 
• Experience in scholarly research, collections of management, and/or editing is welcomed but not required.