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Department of Special Collections

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The Department of Special Collections in the Connelly Library houses a diverse range of materials, from 15th-century illuminated devotionals to subject collections treating contemporary social issues. Bodies of work include literature, music, films, art, archival material, and ephemera. Our collections explore a variety of themes in aural, narrative, and illustrative forms. Special Collections maintains a focus on acquiring, cataloging, and housing unique material that is tied to pedagogy and is freely available to researchers. We are a proud member of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries.

 

 

Internship Opportunities

La Salle Special Collections Internship

Overview 

La Salle’s Special Collections Department is excited to announce a paid internship opportunity made possible by the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries’ (PACSCL) DEI Internship Program. The internship will take place during the Spring 2024 semester. 

The paid internship provides an opportunity to gain experience with historic collections for an undergraduate student who identifies as a member of a group (or groups) underrepresented in the library and archives field. These include—but are not limited to—those who are Hispanic or Latinx, Black or African-American, Asian, Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, First Nations, American Indian, or Alaskan Native descent as well as people with disabilities, first-generation college students, and/or those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Applications from people who may be eligible in other ways are also warmly welcomed.   

Sponsor 

This internship is being sponsored by the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries (PACSCL) through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. 

Responsibilities 

During the Spring 2023 semester, the intern will gain experience working with La Salle’s historic collections, which may include assisting with educational programming, organizing and describing collections, reference and research assistance, and outreach.  

The Special Collections Department houses a diverse range of historic materials, from 16th-century illuminated prayer books to 1960s movie posters. Bodies of work represented in the collections include literature, music, films, art, family papers, and ephemera. The collections are a springboard to explore a wide variety of themes and topics including the bible and early printing technologies; the Vietnam, Gulf and Afghanistan wars; local abolitionist and women’s rights activism; nursing and public health history; depictions of The Holocaust in fictive works; and Bob Dylan’s fandom. 

Throughout the Spring 2023 term, the intern will work 100 hours beginning in late January at $20.00/hour.  

Mentorship 

A component of this internship includes the opportunity to be paired with a mentor. The mentor, a staff person from a PACSCL member institution, will be available for regular meetings and will act as a source of support and guidance during the internship. 

Qualifications/Eligibility   

Previous library and archives experience is not required but interest in the field is preferred. Students pursuing a wide variety of majors are encouraged to apply. Special Collections hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (generally). 

To apply: Please submit a letter of interest and resume (email to Heather Willever-Farr at willeverfarr@lasalle.edu). Applications must be received by January 15, 2024. Virtual interviews will be conducted with finalists. Selected candidate will be notified the week of January 22. Given that the intern may provide instruction to minors, the selected candidate will be required to provide related clearances.  

Visit

The Department of Special Collections is located on the second floor of Connelly Library and is open to the La Salle University community and external researchers. We provide one-on-one research assistance to our visitors.  Please contact Dr. Heather Willever-Farr (willeverfarr@lasalle.edu) to set up a research appointment.

Copying and Digital Reproductions

To obtain copies (digital or hardcopy) of Special Collections material for educational or research purposes, please contact the Special Collections Librarian (willeverfarr@lasalle.edu). Reproductions of certain material may be prohibited because of restrictions imposed by donors, physical condition, or copyright status. 

Those wishing to publish content contained in La Salle’s Special Collections should contact the Special Collections Librarian for further information and permission. Publishing of certain material may be prohibited because of restrictions imposed by donors or copyright status. 

On-site researchers may take photographs of Special Collections material for educational or research purposes with the permission of the Special Collections Librarian.

 

Teaching and Learning

Special Collection's unique or rare historic material has been leveraged to facilitate active learning experiences in an array of La Salle undergraduate and graduate courses, from science to literature courses. Special Collections staff collaborate with faculty to provide orientations to the collections, as well as hands-on learning activities to engage students in critical thinking. Please contact Dr. Heather Willever-Farr  (willeverfarr@lasalle.edu) to learn more about Special Collections teaching and learning opportunities for your courses.

Collection Highlights

Susan Dunleavy Collection of Biblical Literature Online

View rare bibles and prayer books from the Library's collection online through our partnership with Villanova.

Villanova Digital Library

Vietnam Generation Online

Published between 1989 and 1996, Vietnam Generation served as a premier source of essays, artwork, poetry and other materials for the field of Vietnam War studies.

Vietnam Generation cover

Devotion: An Iconography of the Life of Jesus

This exhibition presents a study of illustrations from the Connelly Library’s collection of rare Bibles and prayer books.

Philadelphia in the Civil War

This exhibition features historic images of the sites and citizens of Philadelphia during the period of the Civil War, with specific focus on the individuals who lived on the land where La Salle University now stands.

Jane Irish: War Is Not What You Think

Irish has been drawing visual inspiration and historical research contexts the Imaginative Representations of the Vietnam War Collection for the past 10 years.