Volunteer Programs

Reference Services Volunteers

The Maryland State Archives offers a program for volunteers to assist the Archives' staff in providing reference services in the search room. The Archives has been the beneficiary of a great deal of support from its patrons in the past. Formalizing such efforts has proven advantageous for both the Archives and its volunteers. Those who come to the Archives for research know first hand the increasing demands placed upon the facilities and staff. The Archives enhances reference services through its use of these capable individuals who work closely with the archivists and archival assistants.

Volunteers perform the following duties:

* answer reference questions;

* provide orientation for new researchers;

* show patrons how to use online guides and indexes;

* demonstrate the use of computers, microfilm readers and reader printers;

* show patrons how to fill out request slips

Before assignment to reference duty, volunteers undergo an individualized one-on-one training period. Then they receive on-the-job training by working in the search room with the reference staff. Reference work itself becomes an educational process as archivists, archival assistants, volunteers, and researchers learn from each other.

We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of a half day every two weeks or an equivalent of one full day every four weeks. The Archives tries to keep the schedule flexible enough to accommodate individual needs. While helping the Archives provide reference services, volunteers will learn more about records, research strategies, and archival operations.

Each volunteer is asked to fill out an application to inform the Archives about individual talents and specializations. The Archives staff and the volunteer confer first before mutually agreeing that he, or she, is ready to commence regularly scheduled search room duty.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

The Maryland State Archives offers other opportunities for volunteer involvement. These include processing records, keyboarding data, and conducting group tours. Processing involves the arrangement and description of original records, records on film, or printed materials. Some keyboarding activities form an integral part of processing records. Other keyboarding projects involve inventories and indexes of records. The staff responsible for managing processing, data operations, and outreach provide the training necessary for the individual projects.

Benefits for Volunteers

Benefits for volunteers include purchasing publications and merchandise at staff discounts, receiving the staff newsletter by mail or email, and using the search room on Mondays when it is closed to the public. Please note, however, that original records are not available on Monday.

How to Become an Archives Volunteer

To volunteer at the Archives or obtain more information about the program, contact us at archives@mdsa.net or phone: MD toll free (800) 235-4045 or (410) 260-6400. You may also download the volunteer application and return it to the Archives in person or via US Mail. You will be contacted shortly thereafter.

Download Volunteer Application (PDF Format) (Word Format)

The use of any username and password on our site is for personal and educational purposes only, and constitutes agreement to abide by any and all copyright restrictions. In most instances the username aaco and password aaco# will work. Contact ref@mdsa.net if you have any questions or have difficulty accessing files.

Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!

[ Archives' Home Page || All About Maryland || Maryland Manual On-Line || Reference & Research
|| Search the Archives || Education & Outreach || Archives of Maryland Online ]

Governor General Assembly Judiciary Maryland.Gov