I agree with Amy.  To quote from her message:

"The keys for a successful internship, I think, are similar to most
volunteer positions- the staff should have a commitment to orienting you and
supervising you.  I know that paid internships can be hard to come by, but
on a graduate level I think they are important and I think they ensure more
of an institutional commitment (they are paying you for your time, so they
are going to provide you with what you need to be productive). A set work
space is a good thing, as is your own name tag and attendance at staff
meetings- things that make you feel like a part of the institution."

I completed a total of four museum-related internships as an undergraduate
and graduate student.  The first, during my junior year of college, was at
the Royal Armouries, HM Tower of London.  This was my first introduction to
museum work and what convinced me to pursue a graduate degree in museum
studies.  The staff gave me the opportunity to get involved in many
different aspects of museum work.  I wrote catalog entries, learned about
collections care and conservation, did research, met with visitors, attended
auctions to purchase new acquisitions, and even hung around the set of the
"Blue Peter" television show to supervise collections that were being used
in an educational segment.  I was the only intern and the staff truly made a
commitment to involving me in their work.  It's been ten years since I
completed this internship, but I still keep in touch with many of the staff.
In fact, I was in England this past March and visited both the Tower of
London and new Royal Armouries Museums in Leeds.

I completed three internships while a graduate student at the George
Washington University -- only one of which was at a museum.  The other two
were at the Institute of Museum and Library Service (then just IMS) and the
National Park Service's NAGPRA Program.  My internship at the museum (I
won't name names) was a disappointment.  It was a large institution and I
wasn't aware that my supervisor had several interns until I started.  My
supervisor also went on vacation for a few weeks while I was there.  I was
lucky if I saw this person once a week.  Since I was actually paying for the
privilege of interning there (internship was for course credit), I felt
shortchanged.  I made the best of it and took it upon myself to create
projects for myself.  I even kept a weekly journal of what I did so my
supervisor would have some basis for assigning me a grade.  Although I'm
good at working independently, a person should not take on an intern unless
they are willing to spend the time with them.  An intern is different than a
volunteer.  I was there to learn, but I think my supervisor saw me as only
free labor.

I learned from the above experience and made sure that my next two
internships had a specific focus.  At both IMLS and the National Park
Service, I was given a specific assignment to complete.  This way my
supervisor had a basis for grading me and I could feel as if I made a
contribution to the agency.  The staff at both these agencies made
themselves readily available to me as well.  I was given my own workspace
and included in staff meetings where I would report on my assignments.  This
made me feel like I was a part of the staff.  In the end, I not only wound
up with letters of recommendation from both these agencies, but jobs as
well.

Cheers!
Laura

******************************************************
Laura M. Mahoney
Grants Administration Specialist
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 223
Washington, DC 20506
(202) 219-3684
(202) 606-0395 FAX
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