Volunteer
We have many volunteer opportunities at the Sherburne History Center. You could help with planning and hosting events, learn how to catalog collections, help with library research, or learn to do some data input for us. A few of our volunteer job descriptions are listed below. If you think you might be interested in volunteering, please call Bobbie at 763-261-4433 or 763-262-4433 (metro line) or contact her by email.
Here are some of the volunteer openings that we currently have open.
- Fundraising & Marketing Committee
- Assistant - Reference Library & Archives
- Collections - Cataloger
- Tour Guide
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Fundraising & Marketing Committee
The Sherburne History Center puts on an annual fundraiser called the Fund Fest. This event includes raffles, silent and live auction, entertainment, food, and more. Volunteers who serve on the committee help to plan the event and solicit items from area businesses and artists. Some committee members focus more on the party planning work, others do more on the solicitation side.Duties: Attend committee meetings, help plan all aspects of the event including catering and publicity, help identify potential donors and solicitors, solicit donations, help set up for the actual event.
Skills: Ability to work with people; party planning and decorating ideas welcome, familiarity with county businesses helpful.
- Assistant - Reference Library & Archives
This position assists with various projects in the Eddy Library. Time requirements vary depending on the project. For ongoing projects, volunteers should be able to put in time regularly, preferably weekly, during regular office hours. Projects that require more training will require a longer commitment from the volunteer (e.g. 6 months, 1 year). Volunteers may be asked to handle archival material and will have to follow careful handling instructions.
Duties: Using in-house sources, government records, interviews, etc., research specific topics or individuals as requested by staff. Create subject or biography files following existing classification criteria. Volunteers may be asked to inventory archival collections following strict guidelines and to create finding aids for these collections.
Skills: Attention to detail, ability to follow detailed instructions, interest in research, ability to use typewriter and copy machine, ability to use computer a plus, and willingness to do off-site research if necessary.
- Collections - Cataloger
This position requires the careful handling of artifacts. The volunteer must follow a specific set of instructions to record basic data about collections artifacts. This position reports directly to the Curator. Because this position requires specialized training, volunteers must commit to a regular work schedule (e.g. one morning or afternoon per week) during regular office hours for a year.
Duties: Record information about artifacts on catalog worksheets. Involves carefully measuring artifacts; packing objects that require boxed storage; recording all data about locations of appropriate sources; and researching background of owners/donors.
Skills: Ability to follow detailed instructions and write legible records to be transferred to database.
- Tour Guide
This is an on-call position. When SHC books a group (adults or school), the volunteer will be contacted to come in and assist with the tour. This position requires extensive training in content and presentation. Volunteers can choose whether they would rather work with adults or children.
Duties: Greet group, help to present material for tour groups. Tour guides may be asked to cover outdoor elements of the site as well as the exhibit gallery.
Skills: Friendly, outgoing, able to master information and present that information to a group, comfortable speaking in public to groups.