The Communications and Programs team at The Mary Baker Eddy Library tells the stories of the Library’s collections—including the life, ideas, and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy and the history of the Christian Science movement—to a variety of audiences. These include church members, the public, and the scholarly community. We produce original researched articles and email newsletters, create content for a robust Instagram and Facebook presence, house the Mary Baker Eddy Papers project, and host occasional special programming.
Our team is looking for an intern who is enthusiastic about Christian Science, is curious to expand their knowledge of Eddy’s life and her church’s history, and would like to develop their existing skills in writing, research, and content creation to help bring the Library’s collections to life.
Opportunities Include:
Researching and writing an article on an original topic, using materials in the Library’s collections, to be posted on our website
Working directly with primary sources and archival materials, learning about best practices in researching and referencing them
Producing monthly and quarterly newsletters, including seeing the process from concept to completion and drafting promotional copy
Contributing ideas for social media content and creating posts on a variety of topics, as part of a collaborative team
Developing articles for the Library’s “From the Papers” series with members of the Mary Baker Eddy Papers project
Potentially: Supporting internal programming, such as preparing for and/or presenting in educational walking tours about Eddy for other church departments
Learning firsthand about how an entity like the Library, as the historical department of a worldwide church, uniquely promotes the materials and stories in its archive
Gain exposure to the ways the Library supports departments at The Mother Church and the public in providing authoritative, trustworthy information about Eddy, the contemporary relevance of her ideas, and the Church’s history and healing mission.
Desired Qualifications & Qualities:
A love of Christian Science and Eddy’s life story, with a curiosity to learn more about it from a historical perspective
Excellent written communication skills at the collegiate level are a must (in any style or discipline)
Background in any area of collegiate study, or equivalent experience, is acceptable for the right candidate. Prior study or experience in any of the following disciplines may feel like a natural fit and may be preferred: Mass Communications; History; Religious Studies; English; Sociology; and/or Women’s Studies.
Detail-oriented, with a strong commitment to accuracy and ethical scholarship
Proficient user of social media (Facebook and/or Instagram), with a readiness to bring a creative and energetic approach to working on a dynamic social media team
Willingness to work both collaboratively and independently
Ability to bring energy and efficiency to team settings
Please include at least one sample of your own writing with your application.
This can be academic writing (such as a research paper); communications writing (such as a journalistic work or promotional copy); and/or creative writing.