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

Our volunteers in action:

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

“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. 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.