Volunteers in Archives: Free Labor, But Not Without Cost

Abstract

The use of volunteers in archival settings is commonplace and generally reflects a welcome exchange of labor in return for occupational experience. Volunteering in an archive takes two basic forms: apprenticeships or internships and proffers of free labor. The purpose of this article is to enumerate the ways in which an archive uses volunteers and to review both the benefits and the costs, to both institutions and to individuals, when engaged in a work relationship.

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