Special Collections Assistant - Federal Work-Study (Student Wage)

University of Virginia•Charlottesville, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Special Collections and Preservation (SCPres) division of the UVA Library is seeking a dependable, detail-oriented student intern to work alongside the division's leadership team and get an inside look at how a major academic special collections program runs. SCPres brings together five distinct functional areas — Collection Development, Technical Services, Reference and Public Service, Exhibitions, and Preservation — each led by a department head, together with the Associate University Librarian (AUL) who leads the division as a whole. This is a rare opportunity to see the full picture of how a special collections division operates from the inside: supporting real administrative operations, working directly with library leadership, and gaining exposure across the full range of functions that keep a major research collection running — from acquisitions to preservation to public engagement.

Requirements

Currently enrolled UVA student in good academic standing.
Present and prepared, dependable and punctual, with strong follow-through on assigned tasks
Able to communicate in a clear and organized manner, both verbally and in writing.
Skilled at anticipating needs and in prioritizing next steps.
Adaptable to new or unfamiliar technologies/software.
Discrete in handling confidential or sensitive information.
Resume and Statement of Interest.
Current undergrad UVA student.
Federal Work-Study eligible.

Responsibilities

Keep the leadership team's calendars running smoothly — scheduling recurring department head meetings and ad hoc sessions across busy schedules.
Handle meeting logistics: room bookings, virtual setup, and the behind-the-scenes details that make meetings run on time.
Prepare and distribute agendas, and gain experience taking notes or minutes in a leadership setting.
Dig into background research on topics assigned by leadership — a chance to develop research skills that translate directly to academic and professional work.
Turn raw information into usable formats: spreadsheets, briefing documents, and clear summaries that leadership can act on.
Take the lead on a hands-on digital organization project: inventorying, cleaning up, and migrating files on the division's shared network drive — great experience in information architecture and digital preservation thinking.
Help modernize the division's share networked work space, auditing outdated content and helping restructure it for better usability.
Jump into other special initiatives as they arise across the division's five functional areas — variety built in.
Help build and format reports, including contributing to the division's annual report — a great portfolio piece.
Gather input from department heads and turn it into polished, consistent formats.
Support other periodic or ad-hoc reports as needs arise.
Provide light administrative support with growing responsibility as capacity allows.
Practice professionalism and discretion, handling sensitive or pre-decisional information with care.