SI-ASB-2008: The Paley Center for Media


The Paley Center for Media 25 West 52nd Street; New York, NY 10019 www.paleycenter.org	Projects 2
Formerly known as the Museum of Television and Radio, the Paley Center's goal is to collect, preserve and interpret television and radio programming and to make these programs available to the public.
Photos and Comments

Students who participated in ASB at the Paley Center for Media: Lisa Wheeler, David B. Jackson, and Kheir Fakhreldin.

"I had an awesome time in the city, made some new friends within the program, and had a good time finding out what it'd be like to be a working girl in New York!"

"It was a great thrill to be in New York and working in a real archive. For me, the best part was working with Jane and hearing her stories about the people she has helped with research. I think it also really cemented my desire to live and work in New York after I graduate from SI"

More comments from participants...

Projects

Library Services Department

Lisa Wheeler. Code: PALEY-01

Interns
1

At the request of the department staff, interns watch television videotapes, listen to radio tapes, and use microfilm and reference sources to research facts about cataloged and non cataloged programs. They fill in any missing information about series titles, episode titles, broadcast history, producer, director, cast and other production credits and the nuances of program content. Interns also assist with indexing and some light clerical work.

Qualification: Intern must have strong writing and analytical skills. Typing, clerical skills and knowledge of Macintosh preferred

Research Service Department

David B. Jackson and Kheir Fakhreldin. Code: PALEY-02

Interns
2

The Research Services Department (which is part of the Library Services Department) is responsible for creating and maintaining a wide-ranging archive of information on all aspects of television, radio, advertising and communications. An intern will assist in the organization of the extensive amount of information received daily and may be assigned to special projects as well. The internship entails helping to create a reference archive by selecting, clipping and xeroxing daily newspapers and periodicals, as well as a researcher, answering complex queries that come in to the Research Services Department from Museum patrons, documentary filmmakers, directors and producers, television networks, fact-checkers and the general public.

Qualification: A broad interest in television and communications and an interest in research methods. The intern should be very organized and be able to work on several projects at once. A knowledge of Microfiche and clerical work is required

Participants' Comments

"I updated fields in the Paley Center's database and also did some circulation work (checking materials in). I also entered new records in the database. I liked the open atmosphere of the office I worked in. I was able to speak with the professionals there and I also was able to overhear interesting goings-on within the office...it was awesome to be in the environment of the Paley Center."

"Working in New York City for a week really reinforced that I want to look for an internship there over the summer and also that I might want to live there after I complete my schooling."

"Doug G., my supervisor, was great about showing all of us around the Paley Center, giving us lots of historical context and anecdotes. He is a very interesting person and was very welcoming to all of us. I had an awesome time in the city, made some new friends within the program, and had a good time finding out what it'd be like to be a working girl in New York!"

Media / Research Services

"I worked on their file of newspaper clippings, mostly related to various TV shows, actors, creators, and developments in the TV industry. I was also able to spend a good deal of time talking with the director of research services about various projects she has helped on (for their own exhibitions, for documentary producers, and as personal favors for actors and creators). I was able to watch a few rare programs that she told me about, based on my interests, and was able to ask many questions and see many aspects of the center's general operations."

"It was really cool to see some of the old TV programs, including one which is not even generally accessible to the center's patrons. And it was great to hear how research services has been able to help track down some very rare and valuable old programs. I was not happy with the main project they had us working on, the clip file, which was entirely out-of-date and unnecessarily time consuming. But even with that, I was able to talk to the director about some other technological options for addressing their needs."

"Jane K., the director of research services, and Doug G., the director of library services, were both extremely generous with their time and had great enthusiasm for working with the center's collections. They made me feel at home and expressed gratitude and amazement at the progress we made on the clip file during the week."

The SI Alternative Spring Break is open to graduate students of the University of Michigan's School of Information. Undergraduates looking for Alternative Spring Break opportunities should look into the University of Michigan Alternative Spring Break program administered by U-M's Ginsberg Center.