Research, Records, and Reflection: Spring Interns at HSP

This past spring, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania welcomed interns across several departments, from Learning & Engagement to Library & Collections. These undergraduate students contributed to a wide range of projects and gained valuable skills. The staff at HSP is grateful for their time, energy, and insights. Hear from them about their experiences:

Eli Cole, Bryn Mawr College

My name is Eli Cole; I am a History major and Museum Studies minor at Bryn Mawr College. I interned in the library at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, where I worked at the reference desk, helped with paging and reshelving materials, learned how to catalog books, and helped out with a big collection moving and inventory project in the library stacks. I was drawn to HSP because I had previously done some research there and knew they had an extensive special collections library, and I was interested in learning more about library work. One of my key takeaways from this experience has been that the different jobs or departments in institutions like museums are all connected, and each field's work depends on the others. It was interesting to see at HSP how work in the stacks, like shelf organization and preservation, connected with reference work and with the work done by the public engagement team. This was a really interesting and enjoyable internship, and I feel like I have gotten some valuable experience. 

Nicholas Ditro, La Salle University

I am a student at La Salle University, where I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History in May 2025. During my time at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to create a wall case within the exhibit Voices of the Community: Local Black Preservation, where I helped research information related to Black preservation in the Philadelphia area. During my time, I gained a deeper appreciation for how HSP helps connect the past to our present world. Preserving history does not only concern documents, but also collaborating with communities. 

Maia Roark, Haverford college

Hello! My name is Maia Roark, and I am a senior at Haverford College majoring in History and minoring in Museum Studies, Spanish, and Fine Arts. This is my second time interning in HSP’s Learning and Engagement Department, and I was so grateful to be back. This spring, I worked on the upcoming June exhibit: Voices of the Community: Local Black Preservation. A key takeaway for me was learning about the intricacies of curating an exhibit: sifting through collections, researching, picking items, writing labels, editing labels, and organizing the items for display. Thank you to my mentor, Brianna Quade, for her support throughout my internship.   

Jas Fossett, Temple University

Hi, I’m Jas! I double major in Africology and African American Studies, and Sociology, at Temple University. Over this past school year, I had the privilege to work at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania alongside the great people in the Learning and Engagement Department. During my time I did a lot of research and created a digital exhibit about activism and Philadelphia’s City Hall (coming soon!). My time here taught me many, many things, but the most important thing I learned was that my ideas matter. I’m so thankful for the guidance I received from Brianna Quade, and the valuable skills I've learned while I was here. It was truly a pleasure.