“The reward of volunteering in Education is not only what you learn, but looking in a students’ eyes and seeing what they learn and their excitement when they figure it out!” 
- Education Department Volunteer 

“I did that!”  
- Research Intern seeing how their research project played an important role in one of our exhibits. 

Volunteer Testimonials from our Library

WRHS Reference Supervisor Ann Sindelar spent some time speaking with a few of the historical society’s dedicated Library Volunteers who shared their thoughts about volunteering. 

“I enjoy working and helping patrons…especially those who have hit a road block. Many researchers are very appreciative of the time and help they receive while visiting the library” On recently helping a patron locate early marriage records on family members….”the researcher was extremely happy and looked forward to sharing them with his 90 year old mother”. He knew his mother would “enjoy reminiscing and telling stories about the people found in those records.”
-Volunteer, Reference Division, WRHS Archives Library 

“As a person who loves history there isn’t a better place to volunteer than the Historical Society. I’ve learned so much about Ohio and Cleveland history and the people, institutions in our community. It also gives me pleasure to help preserve the historical records so that others can better understand and appreciate.” 
- Volunteer, WRHS Archives Library, Cleveland Jewish Archives, 21 years of service 

“I turned over the collection Cleveland Council of Anti-Semitism to the WRHS archives. At the time (WRHS Director of Research) John Grabowski asked if I’d like to help processing. I had never done processing but wanted to give it a try.  I found myself being drawn to the process and moreover the importance of the work to preserve the records for future generations. The 21 years that I’ve been involved as a volunteer processor, the breadth of the collections has been amazing. They range from a pre-civil war merchant in South Carolina who married into a Revolutionary war era family, all the way up to a collection from a Rabbi who died two years ago. It also included along the way, collections relating to the Cleveland garment industry and other institutional collections. I think I have learned over the years more by involving myself with this type of activity than any number of university class I have taken over the years. It has been a source of great satisfaction to me.”  
- Volunteer, WRHS Archives Library, Cleveland Jewish Archives, 21 years of service 

2008 Intern Testimonials
Hale Farm and Village and Cleveland Internship in Public History

My experience as a HFV intern thus far has been much more than I expected.  I have been able to develop my public speaking skills and practice interacting with large and small groups of guests.  This experience has allowed me to nuance my understanding of 19th life in a practical and fun way.  I have learned more about the reality of working in and operating a historical museum in a few weeks than in years of formal classes.  This experience has been a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with and learn from skilled and talented people.  I feel honored to have been chosen to participate in the HFV internship program. 
- Deborah Duke, University of Akron, Senior

The museum professionals who teach the weekly class inform about museums theory and their careers and the guest museum professionals such as curators inform further about the difficulties and rewards of museum careers. The suggested readings also inform about museum theory and readings for Hale Farm and Village about the specifics of the site and its history. Working as a historical interpreter allows the chance to experience firsthand the daily operations and problems of a mid-sized living history museum and also allows for interaction with visitors. Overall, the experience thus far has given me insight into the museum field and will inform my future career path.
Sincerely,
Joy Burnette, Dickinson College 2009

I have been interning at the Western Reserve Historical Society for four weeks.  I share the title of Floor Manager with another intern.  We are involved in the customer service aspect of the program: making sure the grounds and different services are in proper condition for the visitors, interviewing them on their experiences, and managing the crowds.  Being halfway through the program I have learned a lot about what it takes to manage the volunteers and how to perform customer service in a museum setting, but I still feel as if I can learn a lot more.  I am especially interested to learn more about the museum realm from the view of a curator.
- Nicole Timperio, Cleveland State University, Senior

My experience with my internship at the Western Reserve Historical Society has been positive thus far. I have been exposed to a real life look at how a historical society operates. The internship has shown me how many people and how much hard work go into an institution like the Western Reserve Historical Society, especially at a time when the institution is hosting a special exhibition. Having the opportunity to work at the Western Reserve Historical Society while Vatican Splendors is preparing me to take my degree in history out into the workforce with the knowledge of what I am capable of doing.
- Katharine Suttman, Miami University, Senior 

The internship at The Western Reserve Historical Society has afforded me the ability to dive into a museum by coordinating volunteers, learning museum security and participating in the development and execution of a visiting exhibit.  Over the past four weeks, I have had the opportunity to work with volunteers from the interview process through to their training and their implementation throughout the museum.  It has also been my responsibility to manage the volunteer schedules and solicit future volunteers to secure a completed schedule for the museum.  In addition to my responsibilities at the historical society the other inters and I have been involved in an informal class where we are able to learn further about the museum world directly from dedicated employees of The Western Reserve Historical Society.    
- Zachary Hall, John Carroll University, Graduate Student

My experience so far has been wonderful!  Hale Farm was always an enjoyable experience for me as a child and now that I am a part of this program that brought me such happiness as a child I feel quite honored.  I have been learning so much here during this internship.  All of my fellow co-workers are knowledgeable and passionate about the work they do.  It is such a privilege and a joy to work with people who have the same love of history as myself.  I cannot express how thankful I am to be a part of this team.
- Anastasia Guiler

Join our Volunteers and Interns and you too can help us document, preserve, present and interpret the past for generations to come. For more information about how you can help, contact Becky Carlino, bcarlino@wrhs.org or call 216-721-5722 ext. 274 for details