Information for Coordinators

 

Host Institution Coordinator Guidelines

1. The primary purposes of the three-day internships are to give each Georgia Archives Institute participant:

  • a brief but meaningful and comprehensive hands-on processing project.

  • an overview of the components of  a well-functioning, comprehensive archival program.

2. Each INTERN will work on a processing project that will:

  • be suitable for completion in the three-day time period.

  • include opportunities for experience in the core archival functions of appraisal, arrangement, description, and preservation.

  • include opportunities for participant to work closely with traditional, paper-based archival materials.

  • include an opportunity for participant to create a finding aid.

  • if possible, relate to particular areas of interest / responsibilities which the participant has identified.  

  • allow participant to verify understanding of archival principles by applying them and to understand how to make adjustments so that archival principles fit archival practice.

  • provide structured feedback on the work accomplished.

3. Each INTERN will gain an overview of a comprehensive archival program through

  • meeting with archival professional(s) to review and discuss principal issues relating to archival management.

  • limited tours of the repository, if time permits.

4. Each INTERN will present a report to the teacher and/or board members on his/her internship experience on the final day of the Institute.

5. Each INTERN will be assigned to institutions other than their parent institution, with consideration given to particular responsibilities and/or areas of interest identified by the participant, whenever possible. Participant travel limitations also will be considered. 

6. Each COORDINATOR will be an experienced staff member at the host institution. 

  • Each COORDINATOR will have the opportunity to discuss expectations and concerns about the upcoming internships at a meeting to be held during the first week of June 2024.

  • If COORDINATOR cannot attend the June meeting, they will arrange for an alternate on-site visit from a member of the Georgia Archives Institute board.

  • The COORDINATOR will select appropriate traditional, paper-based collections for the interns to process

  • The COORDINATOR will provide directions and arrange for free on-site parking for the intern(s), if it is available.

  • The COORDINATOR will closely supervise and advise the intern(s)

  • By May 7, 2024, the COORDINATOR should complete the online GAI Coordinator form.

  • COORDINATORS will be provided with the name(s) of their intern(s) and a copy of their application(s) by the day of the Institute’s reception: by this time, GAI staff will have met the class and can better assign interns.

Finding Aids

Each intern will be expected to produce a finding aid. Below is a template with the fields that should be included. While it is preferable that the finding aid be created in a standard platform, such as ArchivesSpace, there is no requirement for the format of the finished product. A Word document is totally acceptable, as long as all sections of the finding aid are completed.