Become a Volunteer Archivist!

The Delaware Public Archives has many exciting opportunities for volunteers and interns to learn and preserve Delaware’s rich history. From arrangement to description and digitization, our team works hard to make our collections more accessible to patrons.

• Arrangement projects involve carefully organizing the records in a collection – either as the creator of the records intended or in a way that makes it easier for patrons to research. The goal is to sort the collection into logical groupings, chronologically or alphabetically, and to place the material in acid-free storage.
  
• Description often follows arrangement, which consists of creating detailed information about the materials in the collection. Patrons utilize these descriptions to determine whether the collection contains information they are interested in.
  
• Digitization is the process of scanning the records within the collection. Ultimately, the images are uploaded to CONTENTdm for patrons to access from anywhere.
  
• Interns may, depending on the internship requirements, have special project assignments, e.g., data migration, transcribing records, audiovisual digitization.

Our volunteers and interns generously donate their time to organize, catalog, and preserve fascinating pieces of the past. If you’re interested in joining them, apply today!

View our completed volunteer projects:

Collections completed with volunteer support:

Project	Completed Date
Small Manuscript Collections, George Fisher Collection, Portraits 9200-F06-003	06-29-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Eckles Papers, Civil War Correspondence 9200-E04-000	07-07-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Richard H. Bailey Collection, Professional Papers 9200-B32-000	07-31-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Richard H. Bailey Collection, Exhibit Fliers and Advertisements 9200-B32-001	07-31-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Richard H. Bailey Collection, Photographs 9200-B32-002	07-31-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Harold W. Lang Papers, Sheet Music and Graphics 9200-L09-000	08-10-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Martin Severe Collection, First State Covers 9200-S30-000	08-22-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, Gruwell Collection, Family Papers 9200-G04-000	12-22-2023
Small Manuscript Collections, William Tharp Papers, Correspondence 9200-T09-000	02-19-2024
Small Manuscript Collections, Neel Collection, Ogle House Papers 9200-N07-000	03-27-2024
Small Manuscript Collections, De La Warr High School Collection, Photographs 9200-D33-001	06-07-2024
Small Manuscript Collections, Neal Joseph Boyle Collection, Postcards 9200-B29-001	07-12-2024
Small Manuscript Collections, Sarah Williams Collection, Ephemera 9200-W22-001	07-16-2024
Small Manuscript Collections, Jacqueline Ford Skinner Collection, Documents 9200-S33-000	07-16-2024

Our volunteers in action:

Testimonials

“I totally enjoy volunteering at the Delaware Public Archives and working with the dedicated and friendly staff. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, from the front desk receptionist to the processing unit in the Records Services section. I especially enjoy working with Brittany Morris and her staff in the Records Processing section, for they are very professional and pleasant to work with and have much patience in helping me navigate the processing protocol of Delaware Public Archives. I cannot thank them enough for all their help and knowledge working with me on my forestry projects.

I volunteer for many reasons, but the most important is to digitize and record photos, documents, and videos of people, events, and stories of activities related to trees and forestry in the State of Delaware. By preserving these valuable items in archives, present and future generations will gain valuable knowledge of the importance trees and forests have played to Delaware’s economy and social fabric. Everyone has a story, and I want to preserve these precious memories.”

Bob Tjaden, Volunteer 2022-present

“I started out volunteering at the Archives as a way for me to gain hours for a school project I was working on. However, I decided to continue volunteering even after completing my project because the atmosphere was so great. One of the main highlights of volunteering was the card I received wishing me Happy Holidays, and that’s when I realized how much the staff cared even though I was just volunteering. It was such a pleasant suprise and made me feel appreciated.”

Kayla Spruill, Volunteer 2022-2023

Apply today!

No experience is necessary, although basic knowledge of computers is helpful.

For volunteer and internship opportunities, please fill out the Volunteer and Internship Application.