[SOA] Illuminate Summer Fellowship and Research Assistant Opportunities

[Angela O'Neal]

Ohio Humanities and Columbus Metropolitan Library are accepting applications for a summer Fellow and Digital Archive Research Assistant to support the Illuminate project for summer 2026.

About Illuminate: Over the past 25 years, the LGBTQIA community has won significant civil rights victories thanks to activism and support from groups like The Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation. As Central Ohio continues to grow and change, it is vital that we continue invest in the cultural and local history infrastructure to ensure that this history is not forgotten, lost or erased. We believe that a deeper awareness of local LGBTQIA history can have a dramatic impact on our understanding of Central Ohio's history. In our first year, we developed a traveling exhibit about the history of the LGBTQIA community in Central Ohio, supported two Fellows, developed a one-stop digital resource<https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/illuminate/custom/legacyfund> for exploring that history, and expanded archival collections.

Note: There are two positions available: 1) Fellow and 2) Digital Archive Research Assistant. Both are described in full below.


  1.  The Legacy Fund Fellowship for LGBTQIA Columbus History 2026
Fellowship: The Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation and Ohio Humanities in collaboration with the Local History and Genealogy Department at the Columbus Metropolitan Library seeks to support a public history research fellow to help address the gaps in LGBTQIA history in Central Ohio. The aim of the initiative is to extend our knowledge and awareness of under-studied aspects of this history, such as during the mid-20th century, among all peoples present in the region, and in outlying towns and communities beyond the urban core. As such, we are particularly interested in researchers who have a deep curiosity about the history of LGBTQIA people in Central Ohio and are skilled historical researchers.
Outcomes:
The Fellow should select at least one of the following outcomes for their Fellowship period:
-          Travelling Pop-Up Exhibit Panel: As a culmination to the research, CML, Ohio Humanities, and the fellow will aim to add one additional pop-up banner to the exhibit developed in 2025, that is currently travelling to sites throughout Central Ohio.
-          Journal Publication Opportunity: The fellow may have an opportunity to submit their work for consideration for publication in the Rust Belt Studies: A Journal Emplaced Humanities, a new initiative of the Rust Belt Humanities Lab, Ohio Humanities, and Midstory.
-          Lecture/In-Person Presentation: The fellow may have an opportunity to share the results of their research at The Legacy Fund's annual fundraising event, and/or another public event organized by The Legacy Fund or the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Qualifications include:
-          Excellent writing, research, and communication skills;
-          Familiarity with Central Ohio history and culture;
-          Experience with public history communication tools (exhibits, lectures, or essays);
-          Ability to research independently;
-          Ability to work collaboratively in an environment with diverse perspectives;
-          Commitment to meeting established deadlines;
-          Availability to meet electronically and in person with OH and CML staff;
-          Education:
o   Preferred:
  A degree in History, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Folklore Studies, Archive and Library Science, or related humanities and social science disciplines.
o   Minimum Requirement: Extensive and verifiable experience carrying out public history research, writing.
Fellowship begins immediately upon the identification of a successful candidate.  The candidate will complete 320 hours of work during summer 2026.  As a paid fellowship of Ohio Humanities, candidates may expect to receive an honorarium of $5,000 (flat rate); benefits are not available for this position. The fellow may have access to small budget for research-related activities.

To apply, send cover letter outlining qualifications, curriculum vita or resume, and a short writing sample to David Merkowitz, PhD; dmerkowitz at ohiohumanities.org<mailto:dmerkowitz at ohiohumanities.org>.  Deadline: April 7, 2026. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt.


  1.  Legacy Fund Digital Archive Research Assistant: The Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation and Ohio Humanities in collaboration with the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Local History and Genealogy Department seeks to support a digital archive research assistant to help digitize and process materials relating to LGBTQIA history in Central Ohio. The research assistant will digitize materials according to established standards and best practices, process archival collections and create findings, and participate in community scanning days to collect materials for the project. There may also be opportunities to create metadata for digital collections and conduct oral history interviews. Minimum 75% of the work for this role will need to be completed on-site.
Qualifications include:
-          Excellent writing, research, and communication skills;
-          Ability to learn new technology quickly and adapt to changing technical processes.
-          Ability to complete work independently;
-          Ability to work collaboratively in an environment with diverse perspectives;
-          Commitment to meeting established deadlines;
-          Availability to work in-person at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Library and occasionally at other sites across Franklin County.
-          Education:
o   Preferred:
  Familiarity with digital imaging equipment and software
  Progress toward a degree in History, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Folklore Studies, Archive and Library Science, or related humanities and social science disciplines. Or, extensive and verifiable experience carrying out digitization projects.
Fellowship begins immediately upon the identification of a successful candidate.  The candidate will complete 400 hours of work during summer 2026.  Pay for this position is $15.88/hr; benefits are not available for this position.

To apply, send cover letter outlining qualifications, curriculum vita or resume, and a short writing sample to David Merkowitz, PhD; dmerkowitz at ohiohumanities.org<mailto:dmerkowitz at ohiohumanities.org>.  Deadline: April 1, 2026. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt.

If you are interested in both positions, you may submit one resume and cover letter and indicate that you are interested in both positions.


Angela O'Neal │ Manager, Local History & Genealogy
Columbus Metropolitan Library │ Main Library
96 S. Grant Ave. │ Columbus, OH 43215

614.849.1243 office
aoneal at columbuslibrary.org<mailto:aoneal at columbuslibrary.org>
My pronouns are: she/her/hers

[cid:image001.png at 01DCB23F.81C0C410]<http://www.columbuslibrary.org/>

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