Application deadline: Fall 2009

The Barbershop Harmony Society is currently offering internships for the spring/summer of 2009 for the following position: Archivist intern for full or part-time work on a pro bono basis. This intern position is non-paid and freelance, but all contributors will receive a one-page presentation of themselves on our website.

The right person for this position will be able to grasp the overwhelming task of systematically working through the basement of the Barbershop Harmony Society Headquarters, identify thousands of items and create an inventory (with the help of a museum software program) of the artifacts found there.

Skills:

• Strong organizational skills
• Familiarity with museum, library, archival methods and procedures in maintaining collections
• Computer literate
• Familiar with word processing, desktop publishing, database, museum cataloguing programs
• General photography (digital)
• General familiarity with music and music publication is helpful

Responsibilities:

• Access items in Barbershop Harmony Society basement, identify, organize, file
• Catalogue items with PastPerfect software program
• Photograph larger items to use in program
• Proper care and store items including documents, photographs, recordings, various media, costumes, and artifacts
• Scanning to file of archival material

The collection should be categorized in the following groups:

Costume: Costumes worn by International quartet champions – clothing, accessories, traveling cases, signature props
Photographic: Prints and transparencies of subjects related to above
Convention: Material related to International and Midwinter conventions, background planning, art work, programs, score-sheets, tickets, daily bulletins, badges, souvenirs, scrapbooks, trophies and prizes, media coverage, etc.
Recordings: Records, cassettes and compact discs of convention performances, society quartets, champion quartets; selection of Edison wax cylinders
Oral History: Interviews with past Society presidents, quartet champions, arrangers, personal music background, “barbershop career,” involvement and views on significant Society events, thoughts on direction of style and Society
Academic: Published and unpublished papers, articles, master’s theses and books written on various aspects of barbershopping and the Society
General: Material related to a variety of topics: group subjects – past Society presidents, medalist quartets; topics from barbershop ballet to racial integration to pre-Society quartets; videos – quartet performances, convention highlights
Manuscript: Papers of the founder, past Society presidents, historians; origin and development of the Society at large; genesis of special programs
District: Material related to districts – histories, spring and fall convention programs, score sheets, bulletins