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The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America's Diversity Initiative Committee is proud to announce a paid summer internship program co-sponsored by AbeBooks. We invite you to apply and share this opportunity with qualified applicants at your institution and beyond.

This 10-week paid, hands-on, learning-oriented program seeks to provide an opportunity for entry to historically underrepresented individuals in the trade—Black, Indigenous, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+, by offering tools, experiences, and exposures necessary to pursue a career in the antiquarian book trade.

The intern will gain experience in research, cataloging, customer relations, and more with an ABAA member as host.
 

Application Requirements

  • Self-identify as Black, Indigenous, person of color, and/or LGBTQ+.
  • Minimum requirement of a high school diploma, OR be a currently enrolled student in any degree program, OR be a recent graduate (< 1-year post-grad).
  • Must be detail-oriented, have independent research experience, strong writing skills and time management, and be comfortable working on solo and collaborative projects. 
  • Prior experience working in a bookstore, library, or customer service setting is a plus.
  • Ability to secure summer housing independently and ability to coordinate commute if necessary.
     

The application is a 2 stage process. Stage 1 application can be found here. Stage 2 of the application can be found here. The application deadline for Stage 1 and Stage 2 is April 30, 2024. Please note all applicants must complete both forms to be considered.

Interns can select host firms they would like to apply for. However, the ultimate intern and host pairing will be decided by the Diversity Initiative Committee after considering various factors such as specializations, areas of focus, and business structure. The location could also be a point of consideration.

ABAA Headquarters will be available throughout the entire process, from applications to internship pairings through the completion of the program, to address any questions or concerns that may arise. Don’t hesitate to contact Xin Yi Zhao, ABAA’s Associate Director, at xin@abaa.org for more information.
 

ABAA INTERNSHIP APPLICATION (STAGE 1)

ABAA INTERNSHIP APPLICATION (STAGE 2)
 

*This form requires supplementary materials so files will be uploaded to the form owner’s Google Drive. Respondents must sign in to an email account hosted by Google to complete the application. If you do not have a Google-hosted login, you can create one here or contact Xin Yi Zhao (xin@abaa.org) to apply via an alternative method. Be sure to upload your material as a PDF. 


Internship Host Firms

1. Battledore Ltd. - based in Kingston, NY. The firm specializes in Rare and Antiquarian Children's Books and related illustration art, collectibles and ephemera, Historical Propaganda, Chinese Books & Cultural Revolution Posters, and Artifacts. The internship will focus on researching and cataloging historical Children's Books and Vintage Propaganda (Chinese).
 

2. Bolerium Books Inc. - based in San Francisco, CA. The firm specializes in American and International social movements including labor and radical history, African American studies, Hispanics in the US, Gay and Lesbian studies, Asian and Asian American history in both Western and Eastern languages, and the Spanish Civil War. The internship will focus on research, cataloging, and sorting, and organizing social movement collections & accumulations. The intern would share an interest in the firm's areas of specialization, this includes American radicalism (left & right), African American, Asian American, Chicano studies, Lesbian, Gay & Transgender studies.
 

3. Michael R. Thompson Rare Books - based in Los Angeles, CA. The firm specializes in Literature, Science & Technology, Philosophy, History of Ideas, Fine Printing, Women's Studies, and Children's Books and Education. The intern will focus on research, cataloging, customer relations (institutional), and customer relations (private). One of the main projects is to photograph and produce better descriptions of stock for the website.
 

4. Tavistock Books - based in Reno, NV. The firm specializes in First Editions, Antiquarian, Rare & Collectible bibliophilic material with a special focus on Charles Dickens. The internship will focus on research, cataloging, exhibiting (book fair), customer relations (institutional), customer relations (private), and online bookselling. The internship can be curated to better fit the intern's goals and interests.

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