Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT)
The Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT) is a program within UCLA Library Special Collections. It was launched in 2004 with a generous lead gift from the Ahmanson Foundation. The center seeks graduate students from a variety of academic disciplines and pairs them with archives and special collections projects that match their expertise and interests. The CFPRT’s central purpose is to equip emerging scholars with skills that will enable them to effectively utilize primary sources in their future careers.
Since its inception, the CFPRT has employed over 200 students to carry out a diverse range of projects. Scholars have processed archival collections, conducted oral histories, created original research projects, digitized and created metadata for archival resources, collaborated on digital humanities projects, and contributed to departmental outreach initiatives through student-led events, exhibits, blog posts, and public presentations. This important work has made some of UCLA Library’s most valuable resources widely discoverable and ready for use by the research community.
The CFPRT is committed to cultivating a welcoming space for students to work collaboratively and creatively, to actively and critically participate in the archival process, and to engage with primary sources in innovative ways.
Position Descriptions and Application
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 archives and special collections. CFPRT scholars are able to work up to 19 hours per week, Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm, and are paid $19.54 per hour.
To be considered for positions, please email an application, letter of interest, and a CV or résumé to:
Courtney Dean
Head, Center for Primary Research & Trainingcdean@library.ucla.edu
Application deadline for the Spring Quarter is Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
Download Position Descriptions (pdf) and Application (docx):
Processing or archival experience not required for the positions below.
Processing Scholar: Music Materials of the Theodore Bikel Papers
The papers of actor, folk singer, and political activist Theodore Bikel (1924-2015) consist primarily of correspondence and subject files pertaining to his careers in music, stage, film, and television, as well as to personal and family matters, and to political and social activism. Also included are music (both published and in manuscript form), scripts, and screenplays; clippings and ephemera; audiovisual material; awards; and a small amount of photographs. This project will focus exclusively on the sheet music, lyrics, songbooks, and copies of scores and songs (some annotated) of folk, classical, show tunes, and other genres that reside in the collection. Desired skills: ability to read music and have knowledge of music notations in order to facilitate assessment of material and decisions about arrangement.
Processing Scholar: Robert A. Kennard Papers
A commitment of 2 quarters is preferable.
Robert A. Kennard (1920-1995) was an African American architect in Los Angeles who designed over 40 residences and later focused on public works, including City of Carson City Hall and Community Center, LAPD Headquarters. The collection consists of binders of photographs and negatives of architectural projects by Robert Kennard and/or Kennard Design Group (KDG); drawings and blueprints; reports, legal and financial information, newspaper articles, and other documentation; original plans for Kennard’s personal residence; and Kennard’s student project folio. Desired skills: Knowledge of and interest in architecture; experience working with photography and oversize flat renderings and blueprints.
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: 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.