Archive Internship
Employment Type
Paid Internship (Full-time)Job Categories
Education
Job Description
Internship is paid approximately $20/hour and is three months in length beginning in May/June. Housing is not provided. Intern is supervised by the National Arboretum’s museum specialist.
About Us
The U.S. National Arboretum (USNA) is located in Washington, DC, and is part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The mission of the USNA is to enhance the economic, environmental, and aesthetic value of ornamental and landscape plants through long-term, multi-disciplinary research, conservation of genetic resources, and interpretative gardens and exhibits.
Duties & Responsibilities
This internship will include archival duties involving reference, arrangement, description, evaluation, and preservation and rehabilitation of historical materials; then, preparation of finding aids, which identify and describe series within collections in terms of subject, chronology, volume, and internal arrangement. It will include training on the USNA’s image database and scanners so digital images can be uploaded. Work is primarily performed in an office setting, and in materials storage areas at the National Arboretum’s Washington, DC, campus. Although mostly sedentary, it occasionally requires walking, reaching, and bending, as well as the lifting and carrying of light- to medium-weight items, up to 20 pounds.
Education and Experience
Applicants need to have either completed course work or have acquired practical experience in archives or a related field. Skill in paying attention to detail, the ability to handle fragile and/or dusty records, and the ability to work independently are essential. An interest in history or plants is a plus.
Additional Information
Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
Application Instructions
Please send a cover letter, resume, names of three references, and transcripts (unofficial are acceptable) via email to USNA.Internships@usda.gov.
Questions? Contact the internship office at (202) 245-4563 or USNA.Internships@usda.gov.
December 13, 2026
