Ozark Riverways Seeks Summer Museum Intern

Historic photos like this of Powder Mill Ferry need proper curation.

News Release Date: April 11, 2014

Contact: Tricia Miller, 573-323-8047

VAN BUREN, MO: Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) is seeking a summer intern from within the local communities for a 12-week internship working in the park's museum collection. The intern must be a high school graduate, at least 18 years of age, with an interest in gaining experience in the preservation of a unique blend of cultural and natural objects.

The park's Museum Technician will work closely with the intern to provide training while accomplishing several high priority tasks, including the processing of oral history recordings and cataloguing a portion of the park's historic photograph collection. The ultimate objective of this position will be to make more of the museum collection accessible to the public, through both the park website and updated records that will provide ease of access for researchers. The intern will learn about many facets of working in a National Park Service museum in addition to the duties of cataloging, scanning, and transcribing.

The oral histories in the park's collection date from the 1970s and cover a vast array of topics, including use of the rivers and land and the unique culture of the Ozarks. The intern will be trained to transcribe, create, or update catalog information, and provide a detailed description of each history. Transcriptions will primarily be done using a computer, but use of tape recorders and reel-to-reel players may also be involved.

The historic photograph collection is a massive assemblage, and many images are not identified or cataloged. The intern will catalog, scan, and rehouse photos dating from the late 1800s. By inserting the information into the park's collection database, the intern will be providing increased accessibility for researchers.

Because no housing is available within the park, the intern must be willing to commute to Van Buren or secure their own housing. The internship is sponsored through Student Conservation Association (SCA) and is a volunteer position. The intern will receive $75 per week as a living stipend and may also qualify for a commuting subsidy of an additional $100 weekly.

Upon completion of the 12-week program, the intern will be qualified for a SCA AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $1,468 that can be used toward college tuition or federal college loans. The target start date is May 18.For more information and to apply, please visit www.thesca.org.

For information on Ozark National Scenic Riverways, visit the park Facebook page, the park website at www.nps.gov/ozaror phone [phone].

Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves the free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork Rivers, the surrounding resources, and the unique cultural heritage of the Ozark people.