Interning and Volunteering
The Library of the American Numismatic Society invites volunteers and students of library and information studies to apply for internships.
How to apply
Interns and volunteers may also work on other ongoing and short-term projects, possibly with the opportunity to work with rare books dating back to the 16th century and materials in the ANS Archives, as well as assist with the day-to-day operation of the Library.
Applicants should be able to learn quickly and take initiative, be detail oriented, demonstrate excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills, and have basic computer skills.
Interested applicants should submit their current resume to library@numismatics.org.
ANS LIBRARY PROJECTS
Library and information school students will benefit mostly from the opportunity to work with the Library’s Koha ILS (Integrated Library System), including the cataloging of materials in the MARC format following AACR2 and RDA standards.
The ANS Library hosts volunteer interns as well as those working for academic credit.
- Formal internships for academic credit are arranged by students at their own institutions, and the Library will work with those institutions to ensure that students receive appropriate academic credit for their work.
- Volunteer internships provide an opportunity, particularly for library and information school students, to learn practical skills, especially the cataloging of materials using accepted library standards.
- Volunteer and for-credit internships are available throughout the academic year and summer during the Library’s scheduled hours of operation (Monday–Friday, 9:30–4:30).
- Internships are are unpaid unless otherwise specified. Opportunities to attend lectures and seminars of interest may be available.
- Flexible, with variable hours depending, for example, on the amount of time required for academic credit.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY
The American Numismatic Society is an organization dedicated to the study of coins, currency, medals, tokens, and related objects from all cultures, past and present. The Society’s headquarters in New York City has the foremost research collection and library specialized in numismatics in the United States. These resources are used to support research and education in numismatics, for the benefit of academic specialists, serious collectors, professional numismatists, and the interested public.
The object and mission of the Society shall be the creation and maintenance of the preeminent national institution advancing the study and public appreciation of coins, currency, medals, orders and decorations, and related objects of all cultures as historical and artistic documents and artifacts; by maintaining the foremost numismatic collection, museum, and library; by supporting scholarly research and publications; and by sponsoring educational and interpretive programs for diverse audiences.
ABOUT THE ANS LIBRARY
The Society’s Library, which houses one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of numismatic literature, presently numbers some 100,000 items. These include books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, pamphlets, auction catalogs, and microforms, all of which are cataloged.
In addition to numismatic works, the Library includes a strong reference collection and a wide selection of non-numismatic periodicals in the areas of archaeology, art history, economic history and other disciplines.
LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
The Library maintains a core collection of the early works on numismatics as well as the key numismatic references published over the centuries. The Library collections do not have geographical or chronological limitations and many of these works have come from the private numismatic libraries of distinguished numismatists and collectors, including those of Edgar H. Adams, William S. Appleton, Harry W. Bass, David M. Bullowa, John S. Davenport, Archer M. Huntington, Richard Hoe Lawrence, George C. Miles, Edward T. Newell, Daniel Parish and Isaac F. Wood.
Some 267 current periodical titles – many dealing with the related fields of archaeology, economic history, and art history – are received, and 130 dealers regularly send their auction catalogs and fixed price lists to the Library. On average, the Library acquires some 600 books, 200 pamphlets, 800 periodical issues, 350 auction catalogs, and 325 fixed price lists annually. For the past several years, the Library has cataloged approximately 5000 items annually. The Library acquires materials in most formats, including monographs, periodicals, manuscripts, archives, photographs, pamphlets, audio-visual materials, microforms, prints and other works on paper, machine-readable records (online and CD- ROM), and selected memorabilia.
ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS
The Society holds a substantial archive of its own records, dating back to its foundation in 1858. In addition, the ANS owns 132 important archives of papers of scholars, collectors and dealers of relevance to the Society’s mission of education in the numismatic field. The records housed in the ANS Archives document the history and development of the Society, its collections, exhibitions, and programs, as well as the contributions of individuals and groups associated with the Society — they are unique and irreplaceable assets.