Durham Colored Library Intern, Duke Library

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Durham Colored Library Intern

Position Summary

The Durham Colored Library Intern will play a key role in programming and promotion support for the inaugural year of the Durham Colored Library at Duke University Libraries (DUL). Duke University Library’s partnership with the more than century old Durham Colored Library (DCL) is grounded in a commitment to documenting and sharing the Black experience in Durham through storytelling, especially about the lives and legacies of Black professionals and memory workers. The DCL intern will assist DUL’s Community Engagement Coordinator with organizing public programming, promoting events on social media, writing about DCL and Durham history, and oral history engagement work. This internship provides a unique opportunity to engage with cross-institutional and collaborative cultural history preservation and activation. It will provide excellent hands-on experience for candidates seeking a career in public history, community archives, cultural heritage work, or library and information science. Ideal for those passionate about storytelling and Black history, this role offers valuable experience in event planning, digital engagement, and oral history work while fostering connections with local memory workers and cultural institutions.

Responsibilities

• Supports the Community Engagement Coordinator’s organization of DCL-DUL programming through various tasks including: meeting with potential partners, event planning, coordinating with venues and speakers, and social media promotion.
• Collaborates with the Museum of Durham History, the Durham County Library, and Duke Community Affairs (DCA) on projects that support the DCL mission.
• Writes short post content and longer blog pieces about Durham Colored Library history and the DCL-DUL partnership, working with the DUL and DCA Communications departments to broadcast the information across the campus and Durham communities.
• Research and curate content from Duke University sources that highlight Black history and culture.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Learning Objectives

• Hands-on experience planning and coordinating public programs and events.
• Strategies for effective community engagement and cross-institutional collaboration.
• Research and writing skills for public history storytelling and outreach.
• Experience processing and promoting oral history content for public engagement.
• Digital content creation and social media promotion for cultural heritage initiatives.
• Exposure to communications and marketing strategies within a library setting.
• Professional experience in public history, archives, and cultural heritage work.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None

Qualifications

It is the expectation that all Duke University Libraries staff members will demonstrate exceptional workplace behaviors in the execution of their specific position responsibilities. These behaviors are customer focus, collaboration, creative problem solving, continuous learning, and a commitment to creating a culture of inclusion that values and respects diversity of perspective, background, and experience.  

Education:
Required: Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree and must be currently enrolled in or a graduate from an accredited advanced degree program.

Experience:
Required: None required

Preferred: Strong analytical, organizational, and writing skills, with the ability to craft engaging content for blogs, social media, and public outreach; strong project and time-management skills; demonstrated experience with collaborative projects; ability to work freely and as a member of a team; interest in Black history, cultural heritage, and community storytelling, particularly in the Durham area; experience or interest in event planning and community engagement, including coordinating logistics and collaborating with partners; experience working with oral histories; familiarity with or willingness to learn about oral history methods and public history practices. 

Working Conditions:

• Occasionally moves library materials weighing up 40 pounds
• Occasionally works in an environment in which exposure to materials containing dust and mold is possible
• Constantly positions self to process materials
• Normal office environment
• Work will be onsite, so candidates should live in proximity to the Triangle Area

These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position. This description is subject to change at any time.

Application
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.  An electronic resume, cover letter, and list of 3 references should be submitted at: https://careers.duke.edu/. . Search for Requisition ID# .Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. 

Applications which are missing any of the components listed above will not be reviewed.

Hiring Rate
Duke is committed to transparency by posting the full salary range for all positions. However, Duke Libraries has established a specific hiring rate for this role, which is set at $18.00 per hour. The position is not eligible for University fringe benefits or moving, housing, or relocation expenses.

Hours
This internship is a temporary, part-time position available for up to 19 hours per week. Hours are flexible within a M-F, 9:00-5:00 work week, but interns are expected to set and maintain a consistent schedule. The Intern will be working onsite at Duke University Libraries and frequently working onsite at the Museum of Durham History and Main Durham County Library. This appointment is from August 2025-May 2026.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Salary : $18