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Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT)

CFPRT Scholars in Library Special Collections.
Margaret Sanger button from the Cheryl Nassar Papers
Image of Sleepy Lagoon defendants
Florilegium (Netherlands s. XV). **Rear pastedown: liturgy (s. XII).

At a Glance

Quick Links

• Tales from the Archive: Our Year at the CFPRT
• May Day Zine (created by CFPRT scholars!)

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The UCLA Library created the Center for Primary Research and Training to integrate special collections materials more fully into the teaching and research mission of the university. The center pairs students with archival projects in their areas of interest, introducing them to archival practice through hands-on training, and their work results in making special collections materials more accessible to the research community. It was launched with a generous lead gift from the Ahmanson Foundation.

The Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT) seeks applications from graduate students for positions that will allow students to gain first-hand experience in working with archival resources. CFPRT scholars are able to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer quarter, Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm, and are paid $19.54 per hour.

To be considered for positions, please email the application below, in addition to a letter of interest and a CV or résumé to jjones@library.ucla.edu.

Summer 2018 application has a rolling deadline.

Position Descriptions

Collection Management Scholar

Under the guidance of Library Special Collections’ Collection Management staff, the Collection Management Scholar will provide support for the LSC Collections Management division by working with the archivists across collection management activities, which may include archival processing, conducting surveys of archival description, data clean up, and research about collection assessments. This individual will learn to apply efficient techniques to process collections; create and assess description against national standards and best practices; and develop work plans to support providing fuller access to LSC collections.

Required skills and knowledge

  • Graduate-level coursework in archives.
  • Demonstrated interest in collection management and archival description.
  • Working familiarity of Microsoft Office software, particularly Excel.
  • Strong writing and oral communication skills and be highly organized and detail-oriented.
  • Ability to work independently, while following established guidelines and procedures, as well as work collaboratively as a team.
  • Flexibility in handling assignments and shifting priorities.

Preferred skills and knowledge

  • Knowledge of national archival and bibliographic standards, such as Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS).
  • Demonstrated interest in or experience with collection management systems, including Archivists’ Toolkit, ArchivesSpace, and/or Microsoft Access.
  • Experience with OpenRefine.
  • Knowledge of project management tools and methods.

 

 

 

Past Events

One hundred and sixty seven scholars. Two hundred and eighty one archival collections. Four thousand three hundred and twenty five books and manuscripts. Two hundred and fifty cuneiform tablets. Six oral history series. Twelve thousand two hundred and fourteen digital files. Two national awards. Eleven curatorial exhibitions. One poetry reading. Sixteen blog posts. Twenty one research projects. Five original films. Seventy seven student presentations. So many love letters, divorce papers, diaries, military costumes, vacation photos, Civil War bullets, emails, railroad spikes, floppy disks, protest signs, trophies, vinyl records, glass lantern slides, dance costumes, books on magic, obituaries, commemorative medals, literary manuscripts, wood engravings, political propaganda, artist sketches, Betamax tapes, medieval manuscripts, Confederate currency, paper dolls, family scrapbooks, pressed flowers, travel journals, birth notices, hard drives, unpublished poems, board games, charcoal drawings, antiquarian maps, opera glasses, and one wig (it belonged to Phyllis Diller). Ten years of the Center for Primary Research and Training. Curious? Come hear all about it. Anniversary Symposium, Friday, October 24, 2015, 1-5 p.m. Main Conference Room, Charles E. Young Research Library. Reception to follow. UCLA Library

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of t he Center for Primary Research and Training, UCLA Library Special Collections hosted a half-day symposium on October 24, 2014. The symposium featured presentations and remarks from nine current and former UCLA graduate students.

To see the schedule and the complete list of speakers, please visit http://cfprt.eventbrite.com.

Five Short Films about the Center

The UCLA Library has released five short films documenting the history of the center and highlighting four student projects:

Treasures of the UCLA Library: Story of the Center for Primary Research and Training (part one of five)

 

Treasures of the UCLA Library: Colonial Mexican Manuscripts (part two of five)

 

Treasures of the UCLA Library: Cuneiform Tablets (part three of five)

 

Treasures of the UCLA Library: African American Collections (part four of five)

 

Treasures of the UCLA Library: Near Eastern Manuscripts (part five of five)

Written, directed, and produced by Erin Flannery, the films have been made possible with support from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Irving and Jean Stone Endowment, and University Librarian Discretionary Fund.

What the Center Does

  • enables students to conduct research using the immensely rich holdings of UCLA Library Special Collections, perhaps relieving them of the financial burden of conducting research elsewhere
  • encourages broader and more innovative uses of original sources at UCLA
  • encourages feedback from doctoral candidates and their faculty committees that will help the UCLA Library understand how scholarly resources can be developed for optimal use in the future
  • promotes special collections as fundamental to UCLA's mission by emphasizing that scholarly research ultimately depends on the availability of primary sources
  • enhances access to collections and backlogs, thus surfacing "hidden collections" and making holdings more visible online, following established standards for what constitutes adequate access
  • utilizes the energy, ambition, and subject knowledge of students to fill gaps in expertise on the part of full-time staff, which is particularly important in an era of reduced staffing
  • better informs UCLA administrators and faculty as well as members of the wider community about special collections holdings and the obligations and responsibilities an institution assumes when it undertakes stewardship of special collections materials.