Museum of Television and Radio
www.mtr.org/

Organization Overview:

This unique museum collects programming — radio shows, television programs, and commercial advertisements in both media — and makes that programming available to the general public.

Projects:

1. Library Services Department (One Student)
At the request of the department staff, interns watch television videotapes, listen to radio tapes, and use microfilm and reference sources to research facts about cataloged and uncataloged programs. They fill in any missing information about series titles, episode titles, broadcast history, producer, director, cast, and other production credits and the nuances of program content. Interns also assist with indexing and some light clerical work. Intern must have strong writing and analytical skills. Typing, clerical skills, and knowledge of Macintosh preferred.
2. Research Service Department (Two Students)
The Research Services Department (which is part of the Library Services Department) is responsible for creating and maintaining a wide-ranging archive of information on all aspects of television, radio, advertising and communications. An intern will assist in the organization of the extensive amount of information received daily and may be assigned to special projects as well.

The internship entails helping to create a reference archive by selecting, clipping, and photocopying daily newspapers and periodicals. The intern will also work as a researcher, answering complex queries that come in to the Research Services Department from museum patrons, documentary filmmakers, directors, and producers, television networks, fact-checkers, and the general public.

Interns need a broad interest in television and communications and an interest in research methods. The intern should be very organized and be able to work on several projects at once. Knowledge of microfiche and clerical work is required.

Participant Comments

"I read newspaper articles, filed newspaper articles, and caught up on TV/radio-related news from the past year. Supervisors were very passionate. I learned very much about how NPOs have to handle technology with their meager budget, 'tagging' vs. cataloging, and restrictions of physical space for storing information.

"Both Doug and Jane very much love their work, and MT&R is conceptually the coolest museum I've ever visited. It was really fun listening to stories that highlighted the importance and opportunities presented in their lines of work."