McMullan Arts Leadership Internship, Research Center - Metadata

About the role#

The McMullan Arts Leadership Internship in the Research Center focuses on a metadata enhancement project within the Ryerson and Burnham Library’s Collection Services team. This project emphasizes the materiality of items, improving bibliographic records based on construction rather than subject matter. The intern will gain experience with collection handling, controlled vocabularies, and the library management system, Alma. This is a 32-week, part-time position running from September 2026 through April 2027.

What you'll do#

• Research and familiarize yourself with metadata enhancement projects, vocabularies, and best practices.
• Update existing metadata as directed, document your work, and share progress regularly.
• Research special collection items to provide contextual information in bibliographic records.
• Update staff-facing and public-facing documentation to reflect vocabulary changes.
• Participate in regular meetings with department members and project mentors.
• Attend intern cohort professional development programs and museum practice seminars.
• Share interesting collection discoveries with the team.

What you'll need#

• Current undergraduate or graduate student, or a recent graduate (within one year of graduation).
• Interest in, current enrollment in, or recent graduation from a Library or Information Science Masters program.
• Based in the Chicagoland area or attending school in the area during the internship term.
• Understanding of cataloging principles is preferred.
• Ability to work flexibly, whether independently or as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with attention to detail.
• Experience with Google Suite and video conferencing software.

Location & details#

• Location: Chicago, Illinois.
• Modality: Hybrid (requires both onsite and remote work).
• Term: Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 (32 weeks).
• Schedule: 14 hours per week, Monday–Friday.