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!

Check out a few of our volunteer-completed projects:

George Fischer Collection example
Pearl Clark Garrison

Small Manuscript Collections, George Fisher Collection, Photographs 9200-F06-003

Martin Severe Collection example
Anniversary of first Finnish settlement

Small Manuscript Collections, Martin Severe Collection, First State Covers 9200-S30-000

Lang Papers example
Blue Hen’s Chickens

Small Manuscript Collections, Harold W. Lang Papers, Sheet Music and Graphics 9200-L09-000

Our volunteers in action:

Photo of Peter Servon scanning postcards

Peter Servon scans postcards for the Neal Joseph Boyle postcard collection (9200-B29-001).

Photo of Beth Griffin arranging correspondence

Beth Griffin arranges correspondence and ephemera for the Phillip H. Taylor Collection (9200-T16-000).

Testimonials

“Volunteering at the Delaware Public Archives has been very exciting and gratifying. Being able to digitize and process old and fragile photos and documents related to Delaware’s forests, forest industry, and forest landowners is both an honor and a privilege. The staff at Delaware Public Archives are very professional and are always very thoughtful and helpful to me as a volunteer.”

Bob Tjaden, Volunteer 2022-present

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. Interested volunteers can contact Brittany Morris at Brittany.Morris@delaware.gov, and students looking for an internship can contact Maegan Peterman at Maegan.Peterman@delaware.gov.