The John K. and Judith H. Powell Museum Studies Internship

Location: 523 S Webster Street, Naperville, IL 60540. Posted September 1, 2026.

About the role

The Powell Museum Studies Intern will gain hands‑on collection management experience in an accredited museum setting. Guided by the museum’s Director of Collections and Registrar, the intern will learn about cataloging standards, controlled vocabularies, artifact enclosures, acquisitions procedures, and object handling through completion of a collection project. The project will be developed based on the intern’s interest and experience.

Responsibilities

• Describing, tagging, and rehousing a collection of costume materials
• Conducting inventories of broadsides and works on paper and creating catalog records
• Identifying artifacts for further processing, rehousing, and marking
• Assessing, tagging, and rolling textiles, updating catalog records accordingly
• Enhancing catalog searchability by researching and adding subject headings

Requirements

• Open to undergraduate students
• Reverence for artifacts, appreciation for history, and acute attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently on projects and as an effective team member

Pay

Stipend: $1,000