The Smithsonian benefits from the work of thousands of passionate volunteers who support the organization on-site in our museums, zoo, and other facilities.
Digital technology makes it possible for people who believe in the Smithsonian mission to make significant contributions online. "Digital Volunteers" can take on important assignments to expand access to the Smithsonian's massive collections and participate in a variety of research programs. Some roles require special knowledge or skill, but many do not.
Select opportunities are described below.
Smithsonian Transcription Center
Launched in July 2013, the Smithsonian Transcription Center seeks to engage the public in making our collections more accessible. Digital volunteers are invited to transcribe historic documents, including diaries and working papers of prominent Americans, and records associated with the Smithsonian's vast scientific collections. Transcription makes these important materials more accessible to researchers around the world as well as the general public.
Our community of "volunpeers" have collaboratively transcribed and reviewed more than a million pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, logbooks, currency proof sheets, photo albums, manuscripts, biodiversity specimen labels, and historic audio recordings.
To learn more about this opportunity, visit the Smithsonian Transcription Center.
Archives of American Gardens: Help Us Solve a Mystery
Do you love gardens and the thrill of the hunt? The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens has images of numerous gardens across the United States that need a bit of sleuthing to be positively identified. Some images belonged to slide lectures that were dismantled over time or simply never were labeled. Regardless of how it happened, they are a mystery!
To learn more about this opportunity, visit the Archives of American Gardens Mystery Project.
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)
Our knowledge of the many life-forms on Earth—of animals, plants, fungi, protists and bacteria—is scattered around the world in books, journals, databases, websites, specimen collections, and in the minds of people everywhere. Imagine what it would mean if this information could be gathered together and made available to everyone—anywhere—at a moment’s notice. This dream is becoming a reality through the Encyclopedia of Life.
To learn more about this opportunity, visit the Encyclopedia of Life Translation Project.
Smithsonian Wikipedian Volunteer Program
The Smithsonian seeks digital volunteers to assist in contributing content to Wikipedia related to our collections and areas of expertise. Improving the quality and quantity of reliable information on Wikipedia, as well as usage of Smithsonian resources on the site, helps meet our mission, the "increase and diffusion of knowledge." We seek experienced and motivated Wikipedia editors who are technically proficient in both the software and the norms of the Wikimedia community. To find out more about how to become a Wikipedia volunteer for the Smithsonian, visit the Smithsonian Institution's WikiProject.