The applications for the Library of Congress 2026 Junior Fellow Program Internship are open

Descriptive Cataloging for the Ilmar Mikiver Estonian Collection Materials (Onsite)

This position is open to undergraduate and graduate students, including recent graduates within the entire year of 2025 who are U.S. citizens. We seek an individual with expertise in Estonian language, history, and culture. This is a fulltime paid, 10-week internship at the GS-03 level. The program will run from May 18-July 24, 2026, and will be fulltime (8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday). This project is fully onsite and is not eligible for regular telework.

Project Description: This project provides an opportunity to gain experience with descriptive level cataloging while working with a unique collection in the Estonian language. The Junior Fellow will create and update records for the Ilmar Mikiver Estonian Collection, which is not currently bibliographically accessible. The collection includes works created by and for Ilmar Mikiver, a journalist and poet. Through working with and researching this collection, the Junior Fellow will learn from Library experts about descriptive level cataloging, subject analysis, and a variety of cataloging rules and tools while improving the discoverability of an important Library collection. In addition to gaining valuable, hands-on cataloging experience in a lesser-known language, the Junior Fellow will help to provide access to materials that are not available elsewhere in the United States. At the conclusion of their internship, the Junior Fellow will create a presentation for internal and external audiences showcasing their accomplishments.

Knowledge and skills required: Familiarity with Baltic Studies or the academic study of Estonia; reading knowledge of Estonian.

Knowledge and skills preferred: Experience in cataloging of any type of library materials, experience with the Estonian language.

In addition to gaining valuable hands-on experience in cataloging the fellow will have an opportunity to conduct research on a topic of their choice, such as Estonian literary history, Estonian American social life and customs, and Estonian language cataloging practices past and modern. They will also have the chance to work with a collection foundational to the Library’s Estonian language collections and learn more about the invaluable resources we provide.

Please submit your application materials to the USA Jobs listing for “2025 Junior Fellows Program (Onsite Internship)” for consideration. The project you or your students will be applying to is titled: Descriptive Cataloging for the Ilmar Mikiver Estonian Collection Materials (Onsite).

To be considered, applicants must apply online by the deadline: January 2, 2026. For more information on the Junior Fellows Program, please visit the LC JFP homepage.