Employment, Volunteer & Intern Opportunities
Employment
There are currently no job openings at Maine Historical Society.
Volunteer Opportunities
Many and varied opportunities are available to volunteers at Maine Historical, where over one hundred people contribute their various talents to assist in fulfilling the Society's mission.
Volunteers help in the Research Library, the Wadsworth–Longfellow House, the Garden, Museum Gallery, Maine Memory Network, Educational Department, Administration and Development, and Building and Grounds. Board and Committee members are an important part of our volunteer team.
Most volunteer jobs will take place at the Society's Campus at 485–489 Congress Street, Portland, but some projects may be done at home—for example, typing, indexing, or data entry. Daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal or occasional commitments may be arranged.
Brown Research Library
Volunteer duties available in the Research Library include processing collections, cataloging, data entry, indexing, inventorying collections, and conducting general historical and genealogical research.
Digital Projects Department
Volunteer duties available in Maine Memory Network, a statewide repository of digital source documents, include digital reproduction (scanning and photography), transcription, research, and cataloging. Training is provided.
Education Department
Opportunities within the education department include assisting with on- and offsite school, family, and public programs. Depending on experience and interest, volunteers may contribute their time to program materials preparation and organization, to record-keeping and program evaluation, or to overseeing workshops and activities in the museum gallery and interacting with the large number of school and public visitors to MHS. Training is provided. Additionally, assistance with managing and supporting volunteer docents for the Wadsworth-Longfellow house is welcome.
Wadsworth-Longfellow House
For opportunities in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, see section below on Portland's History Docents Program.
Click here for the online application form.
Or send a resume and cover letter to:
Volunteer Program
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
Internships
Internships for high school, college and graduate students are available. While most internships are available in the library and the Digital Projects department, occasionally we accept interns in other departments. See above section on volunteer duties to see examples of the type of tasks available.
All internships are unpaid, but college credit can be worked out with most educational institutions. Internships vary according to individual needs and goals of the student and MHS.
If you are interested in any of the following programs, please fill out this online application form.
Or mail a resume and cover letter to:
Internship Program
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
New England Regional Fellowship Consortium
Maine Historical Society is a member of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium.
This collaboration of 18 major research libraries in New England includes the six state historical societies and five special collections libraries at Harvard, among others. It awards $5,000 stipends to up to 12 serious researchers to support a minimum of eight weeks' work in three or more of the member libraries, stressing research with original primary documents.
Please see the NERCF website for more information and application information.
Portland's History Docents Program
Portland's History Docents Program (PHD) is a collaborative effort by Greater Portland Landmarks, The Maine Historical Society, Tate House Museum, Victoria Mansion, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum, the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum, and Evergreen and Eastern Cemeteries. Each February, these eight organizations join forces to provide a twelve-week training program for new volunteer guides at each organization's respective museum site. PHD graduates are asked to commit to a year of volunteer time at one of the eight sponsoring sites. In return they receive knowledge, experience, and friendships that will last a lifetime! PHD graduates who volunteer with MHS give tours of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House and have the opportunity to volunteer in other aspects of MHS operations. To sign up for the next PHD Program, contact Marjorie Getz, the Coordinator of Portland's History Docents Program, 207-774-5561 ext. 120 or Bridget McCormick, Education Coordinator at Maine Historical Society, 207-774-1822 x212 or bmccormick@mainehistory.org