Capital District Fellowship Program

Capital District Fellowship Program

California State Parks in the Capital District (Sacramento Region) seeks to hire two graduate students or early-career professionals with an interest in libraries and archives for a fellowship program starting July 2026.

Capital District, which is enmeshed in the urban landscape of Sacramento, encompasses two historic houses, a historic fort, the State Capitol Museum, the State Indian Museum/California Indian Heritage Center, and the California State Railroad Museum. These sites steward the lived experiences of many people from the past to present. 
 

Fellows will undertake an archival project at the California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives and present their research at a district-wide symposium at the conclusion of the program. More detailed information about the positions is included below. Career development opportunities will be offered throughout the fellowship program, including professional development workshops and information 
sessions with State Parks staff in a range of careers. 
 

The nine-month program begins July 27, 2026, and ends April 9, 2027. All work is in-person and on-site at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. The total stipend is $27,390, which allows for 1,500 hours at the rate of $18.26 per hour, with no benefits. 
 

Current graduate students, recent graduates, and early career professionals from library sciences, archival studies, museum studies, and collections management programs are welcome. We are excited about the opportunity to reach candidates who bring diverse perspectives to their work.

If interested, please submit a cover letter and resume or curriculum vitae through this form. 

Archives Fellows

Throughout the nine-month fellowship, Fellows will conduct background research, audit the photo archives, and explore digital asset management systems. The photo archives audit will involve handling archival materials, re-housing portions of the collection into new folders for better preservation, reorganizing portions of the collection that may be out-of-order, updating the catalog with new field information (e.g. subjects, locations), surveying for examples of diversity within the collection, and 
assessing the collection for digitization candidates.

Fellows will receive training in archival theory and practice, but some background in the principles and/or practice of archives is desired. An in progress or completed advanced degree in library sciences or archival studies is not required but highly encouraged. Successful candidates will have strong research and writing skills, and will be self-directed, detail-oriented, and able to work in a collaborative environment. 

Two Archives Fellows positions are open at the California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives. Knowledge of railroad culture and history is welcome but not required. The Archives Fellows will be mentored by the Collections Team. For more information, please email Chief Curator, Melanie Tran at 
melanie.tran@parks.ca.gov.