Call for Applications: Humanities EXCEL Fellowship with San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society – Cataloguing Fellow 2025

We encourage work-study and non-work-study students to apply. This role is only open to undergraduate students with a declared or proposed Humanities major or minor and requires work authorization.

Application Deadline: Sunday November 10, 2024

The Humanities Division and The Humanities Institute are excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to work with San Lorenzo Valley Museum.

The Humanities Experiential Career Exploration and Learning (EXCEL) Program connects Humanities majors and minors to organizations in the community for paid internships. In this cohort program, EXCEL Fellows gain practical experience and professional training while learning about positions outside of the university that build on their studies in the humanities. At the same time, community partner organizations benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise. EXCEL Fellowships carry on the success of THI’s Public Fellows program, and they foster positive collaborations between the campus and community, demonstrating the value of a Humanities degree for a range of careers.

Applicants must have a declared or proposed major or minor in the Humanities Division at the time of their application to be eligible. Please see the Humanities Division majors and minors list to check your eligibility before applying.

About San Lorenzo Valley Museum

The mission of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum is to preserve and share the history of the San Lorenzo Valley. They do this by collecting and exhibiting artifacts, gathering historical information, and providing education through the San Lorenzo Valley Museum and our educational outreach programs.

Position Description: Cataloging Intern

“Documenting the Past to Inform the Future”

The Museum’s broad collection represents how the San Lorenzo Valley has changed over time through documents, photographs, and artifacts. Specifically, documents such as the 1877 bylaws and charter of the local Washingtonian Society, photographs such as those of the Boulder Days celebration, a three-day extravaganza held annually between 1941 and 1962 celebrating the past, and artifacts such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) banner. A WCTU chapter was organized here in 1892 to provide an alternative refuge from the multitude of saloons for the young and impressionable loggers by establishing a free library. "Here a village surrounded by extensive lumber interests, a railroad terminus with scores of young men on the streets with little but evil before them; boys on the road to death." And yes, there is copper still and condenser in the collection!

You can read more about the collection HERE.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

The San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society (SLVHS), which owns and operates the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, seeks an intern to work with our collections and interpretation director to help catalog photographs, archives, and objects in the Museum’s Collection using the PastPerfect database. Interns will create metadata for each individual record and follow the best

best practices for retrieving, handling, digitizing, and re-housing materials.

• Historical data entry (70%): In our PastPerfect database, accurately describe the artifact. Include tags and search terms, people’s names associated with the artifact, materials, maker’s mark, condition, measurements, and associations.
• Scanning, researching, and linking to the database entry (25%): When appropriate, scan or photograph the artifact and link that scan using its catalog number to its catalog record. If other internal or external (such as web-based) data is pertinent, such as a news article or journal paper, etc. link that record to the catalog record.
• Re-housing and storage (5%): Following our artifact handling guidelines, re-house the artifacts in appropriate archival containers, shelve them, and detail the location in the catalog record.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• You are a declared or proposed major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division and are in good academic standing. If your major or minor is proposed, you can declare by the end of the academic year in June. [strict eligibility requirement]
  • Eligible majors: Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism, Classical Studies, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Feminist Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Language Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Spanish Studies
  • Eligible minors: Black Studies, Classical Studies, East Asian Studies, History of Consciousness, History, Italian Studies, Jewish Studies, Language Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Philosophy, Spanish Studies
• You manage your time and are punctual.
• You have strong written and oral communication skills:
• You have strong computer skills.
• You are detail-oriented and organized.
• Your Winter Quarter schedule has the availability to work in person in Boulder Creek at least two days per week. You are also willing to schedule your Spring Quarter classes to allow for at least two shifts.

Internship Term: January 2025 – June 2025

Hours: 10

Compensation: $20

Location: In Person – 12547 CA-9, Boulder Creek, CA 95006

• UCSC Humanities funds a ZipCar account so students can book vehicles to travel to work or required events in Santa Cruz County if needed.

Mentorship: You will report to Lisa Robinson, who works in Collections & Interpretations. The partner supervisor will delegate tasks and review your work, provide coaching, and help you understand what working in this field is like. You will meet to check in at least once per week

Apply By Submitting

1. Your updated resume
2. A short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why are you interested in this position? How does your academic expertise and skillset prepare you for this role? What are you hoping to gain from this opportunity?

REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure you are a strong candidate!

• Address your cover letter to the San Lorenzo Valley Museum team

Once the application window closes, there will be an interview process with top candidates. This job is expected to start in early January 2025.

APPLY NOW

Please contact the EXCEL Program coordinator, Kylie Rachwalski, at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division generously support the Humanities EXCEL Program.