Currently there are seven different volunteer opportunities
which include:
If
you are looking for volunteer opportunities during the
week, evening, or weekend, we can fulfill that requirement.
If you like to visit with people, helping as a tour guide
or visitor services assistant may be what you are looking
for. On the other hand, if "behind the scenes"
volunteering interests you, consider helping as an archives
or audiovisual assistant. There may be more than one opportunity
that interests you. Indeed, our volunteers are such an
active group that a large majority of them do lend their
talents in more than one way.
Keeping our volunteers informed about events and changes
occurring throughout the Library & Museum is of utmost
importance to us. Toward that end, monthly meetings are
held usually featuring a guest speaker. Thanks to a volunteer,
a newsletter is prepared and distributed quarterly. Occasional
trips to other area Presidential Libraries (Hoover in
West Branch, Iowa; Eisenhower in Abilene, Kansas) are
organized for volunteers. The Volunteer Office contains
a library along with weekly updated bulletin boards. Volunteers
receive a free subscription to the "Whistle-Stop,"
the quarterly publication of our non-profit partner, The
Truman Library Institute.
INTERN
PROGRAM
The
college student internship program has been rapidly
expanding over the past several years. Our goal is to provide
undergraduate and graduate students with a meaningful educational
experience that will be beneficial to both students and
our organization.
Although
the majority of our interns come from history programs,
we have opportunities for students in a variety of disciplines
including communications, library science, education, museum
studies, art history, journalism, and marketing. Students
are required to commit to a minimum of 100 hours during
the term of their internship. Internships are voluntary
and uncompensated by the library although many students
use the opportunity to earn credit through their institutions.
Housing is not provided, however we will put you in contact
with relevant community resources. Interns may set a flexible
work schedule within normal business hours which are 8:30
a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Overall
qualifications for interns include:
- Current
enrollment in a 2 or 4-year degree program
- Good
organizational skills
- Detail
oriented
- Excellent
communication skills
- Good
writing skills are an essential part of the job function
- Ability
to work independently and effectively given a limited
time frame
- Ability
to balance multiple tasks
- Dependable
and punctual
- Basic
computer skills
ARCHIVES
UNIT INTERNSHIPS
This
internship is designed to provide exposure to the archival
profession, and specifically, the Harry S. Truman Library
archives unit. Successful applicants will have the opportunity
to work with original and unique historical documents, learning
archival principals and practice while also increasing their
research skills.
Duties
assigned will involve the five basic archival functions:
acquisition and appraisal, arrangements & description,
preservation, reference, and outreach. Applicants should
have solid research skills. HTML experience helpful but
not required.
EDUCATION
UNIT INTERNSHIPS
Interns
would be assisting the education coordinator with development
of educational materials for students in grades two through
12. In particular, help is needed to develop educational
activities for the Library’s web site using the digitized
archives from the Library. There is also a need for assistance
with coordination of National History Day and other educational
programs. HTML experience helpful.
MUSEUM
UNIT INTERNSHIPS
This
internship is designed to provide exposure to the museum
profession through work in the Truman Library’s museum
unit. Depending upon the applicant’s particular interests
and skills, interns will assist the Library staff with exhibit
research, design, and production and/or in various aspects
of museum collection management. Duties can be as varied
as researching and drafting exhibit labels and reference
letters, performing basic preservation and artifact inventory
tasks, photographing museum objects, or working with the
Library’s computerized collection management database.
Applicants should have solid research skills and basic computer
skills. Specialized skills such as audiovisual systems maintenance
or production, digital photography, or graphic design are
particularly welcome, although not required.
VISITOR
SERVICES UNIT INTERNSHIPS
Visitor
Services encompasses several areas relating to the museum
including tourism, marketing/advertising, gift shop/sales,
and admissions. Interns would be assisting the visitor services/sales
operations manager with development of advertising/marketing
projects for the museum as well as tourism promotion. Help
develop merchandise and assist in the operations of the
retail store. Assist with various marketing, tourism, and
visitor service projects, as well as regular operational
duties of the department.
In
addition to the above areas, opportunities may arise in
other programs including the Truman Library Institute and
administrative services. Internships are available throughout
the year including Fall and Spring semesters and summer
months. For these respective "semesters," applications
need to be submitted by the following dates: Fall semester
– August 15; Spring semester – December 15; Summer months
– April 15. Personal interviews are scheduled after we have
received the required paperwork, including copies of any
writings, publications, lessons plans, current transcripts,
etc. that you have created, and two personal references,
one of which should be from a professor.
The
volunteer program was begun initially because of
the need for tour guides to allow visitors to fully understand
the life and times of the Truman family & presidency.
Over the years we have come to rely on volunteers in many
other areas. 