Archives Internship

Posted April 30, 2025 by Emmy Mahoney

Hello everyone! As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, I have been working as an intern in an archives. The opportunity to complete this internship was granted through the course, Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice, for which we are required to complete sixty internship hours. Through this class, I was paired with the Moses Brown School, in Providence, Rhode Island. 

The project I have been working on is arranging and describing one of the institution’s former headmaster’s papers. Named L. Ralston Thomas, he was the headmaster from 1924 to 1955, making him the longest serving headmaster at the Moses Brown School. The collection also contains a wide range of records regarding his wife, Editha Thomas, a performer and musician, who eventually joined L. Ralston Thomas to work at the Moses Brown School. 

One of my favorite parts of working on this project has been getting acquainted with the archives. This internship was my first time working in the field and it has been such a wonderful learning experience. With the guidance of my supervisor, I navigated the arranging and describing process, the different ways to preserve records, and the creation of a finding aid, all for the very first time. Additionally, I was also introduced to a variety of important archival resources and discussions, and was able to make connections with professionals working in the field.

Overall, this internship has been such a wonderful learning experience. I have so much more confidence in myself and in my classes now that I have had the opportunity to put archival theory into practice. Unfortunately, as the spring semester comes to an end, so does my internship. Although I am sad for it to end, I am excited for the next opportunity!