Located on 4 West in Ellis Library, Special Collections provides relevant and diverse perspectives by acquiring, preserving, and making accessible rare, fragile, and culturally significant materials for use in research, instruction, and outreach. The department serves University of Missouri faculty, students, and staff, as well as members of the general public across a wide range of disciplines, from the sciences to the humanities.
There are three librarians working in Special Collections:
Students interested in doing an internship in Special Collections should send inquiries to SpecialCollections@missouri.edu.
Interns working in Special Collections may:
Each intern typically works with one librarian in Special Collections. Each librarian has a slightly different approach to supervision for interns, but all interns will maintain a spreadsheet with a log of their hours that they and their supervisor can access (e.g., on Microsoft Teams or GoogleDocs).
Kelli Hansen, Head of Special Collections
Kelli Hansen could take on 30 hours of student supervision in fall 2023. Projects that Kelli might supervise include:
Kelli's approach to supervision is:
John Henry Adams, Research and Instruction Librarian for Special Collections
John Henry Adams could take on 60-120 hours of student supervision in fall 2023. Projects that John Henry might supervise include:
John Henry's approach to supervision is:
Michaelle Dorsey, Preservation & Conservation Librarian for Special Collections
Michaelle Dorsey could take on 30-60 hours of student supervision in fall 2023. Projects that Michaelle might supervise include:
Michaelle's approach to supervision is:
Hours
Special Collections is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. On-site work must take place during those hours.
N.B.: Please be aware that the stair lift that provides ADA access to 4 West in sometimes out of service.
Physical Demands
For processing projects, students will need to be okay with some exposure to dust, mold, and repetitive motion. Being able to move boxes, alternate between sitting and standing, and climb stairs is ideal, but accommodations can be made.
Content Warning
Students may encounter sensitive, disturbing, or offensive subject matter in historical collections.