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Featured Employer
Bentley Historical Library
For many years the Bentley Historical Library has proven to be a valued partner of the School of Information. The Bentley, established in 1935, was given two charges from the U-M Board of Regents: to serve as the official archives of the University of Michigan and to document the activities of Michigan's citizens and the state's institutions, associations, organizations, and businesses. In carrying out these charges, the Bentley has amassed a sizable archives that serves in many ways as a laboratory for SI's ARM and PI students.
Over the years, the Bentley Historical Library has provided SI students with many opportunities not only to learn about the archival field, but also to gain practical, hands-on experience that has helped them land interesting jobs after graduation.
The Bentley hires many SI students each year to engage in processing and reference activities. Not only does the Bentley recruit SI students for internships and jobs, but they also teach and coordinate the SI Archives Practicum course. This course provides opportunities for students to work for three months with U-M units as well as external area archives and institutions where they learn to apply theories and concepts learned in the classroom to real records in the workplace.
Each year, Bentley staff members participate in a number of career-related panels or in activities that help develop and enhance SI students' professional skills. They also work closely with U-M's student chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) to help provide insight into the field and to act as a valuable professional networking group for students. For example, in Fall 2007 the Bentley is sponsoring a special presentation by two electronic records archivists from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France who have been involved in a project to build a central digital records archives for the entire institution. Further, the Bentley and Michigan's SAA student chapter co-host a reception each fall for students and faculty as well as for area archivists from around campus and across the state and northern Ohio. This reception is a good opportunity for ARM and PI students to meet with professional archivists and discuss possible internships, practical engagement possibilities, and jobs.
The Bentley's archivists and conservation staff actively participate in events at the School, connecting with students during all phases of their time at SI. They meet with prospective students before they start the program by participating in the SI Employment Information Fair. They hire students for jobs during the academic year and summer months, take on students for internships as part of SI's Practical Engagement Program, serve as mentors, and contribute to a positive career development process for many of our students. The Bentley also offers ARM and PI students the opportunity to undergo mock interviews with the library's archival staff prior to their actual interviews with prospective employers. By the time the Bentley's students graduate they already have a package of end products they have created during their Bentley work (e.g., EAD finding aids, reference tools, and online exhibits), all of which are useful for interviews with employers.
SI students have often commented on how their internship at the Bentley, their Archives Practicum experience, or the professional contacts made as a student have proven to be among their most valuable experiences. The quotes posted here from SI alumni attest to the significance of the working relationship between ARM students and the Bentley.
In turn, the Bentley staff has benefited substantially from working with SI's students, who increasingly bring not only their enthusiasm but also an array of technological skills and analytic tools to their work at the library. The partnership between SI and the Bentley Historical Library benefits all involved.
Student and Alumni Testimonials
"By far the most important/valuable SI experience that was crucial to obtaining my job and finding success in my job was my experience at the Bentley, which started with my Archives Practicum."
Electronic Records Archivist
Michigan State University
"My internship at the Bentley proved to be the most valuable SI experience that helped me to obtain my job."
Project Archivist
Bates College
"It is tempting to say that working at the Bentley serves as the practice end of the theory/practice continuum, but it's actually much more than that. Not only do you get to apply classroom learning in a nationally-recognized archival institution, you also engage with archivists working at the cutting edge of intellectual and practical developments in the field. I received challenging and supportive mentoring during my practicum and student positions, including time-honored advice that ranged from the best ways to process collections, interact with researchers, and work with donors to how to write a good resumé and cover letter. More than ten years out of the Michigan program, my colleagues at the Bentley remain vital professional contacts and mentors."
Tom Hyry (MILS '96)
Head, Manuscript Unit
Beineke Library
Yale University
"Taking the practicum and working at the Bentley Historical Library as a student and a young professional instilled in me a love for archives and tremendous respect for the work of archivists. The fundamental skills in arrangement, description, preservation, and access I learned provided me with a solid foundation, and the Bentley's intellectual but pragmatic approach to addressing the challenges of the archives profession is the model to which I aspire. Now a number of years into my career, I gladly credit the Bentley staff with starting me on the path to success."
Christine Di Bella (MSI '00)
Archivist and Project Director
Consortial Survey Initiative
Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
"Working at the Bentley Historical Library was the most useful and rewarding experience of my time as a student at the School of Information. The archivists at the Bentley are leaders in the profession, yet always find time to pass their expertise on to the students who work there. Although I am now several years into my career, I find that I still frequently draw upon principles and skills learned at the Bentley. In my current position I am responsible for hiring professional staff and interns, and knowing the strength of Bentley training, applicants with Bentley experience often stand out."
Assistant University Archivist for Technical Services
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Princeton University
Last updated: Sep 23, 2007
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