Northern BC Archives offers two experiential learning options for UNBC students:

• Archival internships for academic credit (3 or 6 credits)
• Archival student assistant employment (paid an hourly wage)

The two options have differing types of work assigned and different purposes. An archival internship is designed to support the academic learning goals of a specific student via work experience in an archival setting. Archival student assistant employment primarily supports the goals of Northern BC Archives, while also providing an opportunity for a student to get hands-on work experience in an archives.

An internship at Northern BC Archives is a for-credit experiential learning opportunity that allows a student to focus on a specific project with the aim of developing their academic research and writing skills, while also getting hands-on experience working in an academic archives. Internships for course credit are unpaid.

Example projects include:

• Archival processing project of a collection/fonds that provides a complete overview of archival hands-on work (appraisal, arrangement, description, preservation, biographical research, rights assessment, digitization, etc.) – 3 credits (1 term) or 6 credits (2 terms)
• Creation of a subject guide on a particular topic utilizing NBCA archival holdings (3 credit)
• Creation of a historical “photo book” that includes text and digitized photographs that provides an accessible way for people to delve into archival collections (3 credit)
• Diary, manuscript, or textual material transcription and analysis project (3 credit)
• Photo identification project, may include community outreach & copyright research (3 credit)
• Audio/video recording transcription and analysis project, which may include recording permissions outreach work and copyright research (3 credit)
• Collaborative project with regional heritage institutions and/or community partners
• Collaborative project with other UNBC Faculty members with a research or outreach objective

Eligibility

Only some UNBC programs offer internship courses. Northern BC Archives has supported the following internships in the past:

• HIST 440 (must be a History major)
• ANTH 440 (must be an Anthropology major)
• FNST 440 (must be a First Nations Studies major)
• FNST 790-3/791-3 (must be a First Nations Studies graduate student)

The following other UNBC programs also offer an internship course: ENGL, ENVS, GEOG, INTS, ORTM, POLS.

Availability

Currently we are only offering one internship per term, so availability is limited. We encourage interested students to get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can provide an internship opportunity for you within your graduation timeline.

How to Apply
If you are interested in an internship at Northern BC Archives, contact us at archives@unbc.ca. We will arrange an initial meeting to chat about the internship. If you determine you wish to proceed with applying for an internship, we will ask you to complete a Prospective Applicant Form in-person at the archives and provide a resume. Then we will discuss specific project options and reach out to your academic department. We encourage interested students to visit the archives over the course of their studies to conduct their own archival research and get familiarized with the basics of archival work, but previous archival experience is not required.

An Archives Student Assistant job at Northern BC Archives is a for-pay experiential learning opportunity that supports the work of Northern BC Archives, while also providing students with work experience in the heritage sector. Duties generally include:

• Digitization of photographs, maps, and/or books
• Description and identification of photographs, maps, and other individual items
• Basic preservation tasks (such as rehousing and cleaning of archival material)
• Other tasks as assigned

Eligibility

Our Archives Student Assistant positions are only open to current UNBC students. Students from all programs are welcome to apply.

Availability

Northern BC Archives generally hires only 1 or 2 students every year. Availability of positions is often contingent on grant funding, so there is no set hiring schedule.

How to Apply

If you are interested in upcoming future Archives Student Assistant openings, contact us at archives@unbc.ca. We ask that interested students complete a Prospective Applicant Form in-person at the archives and provide their resume for the archives to keep on file. We encourage interested students to visit the archives throughout their course of study to conduct their own archival research and get familiarized with the basics of archival work, but previous archival experience is not required.

UNBC Student Internships @ NBCA

UNBC Student Jobs @ NBCA

Archives Staff Jobs @ NBCA