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The Library & Information Science Professional's Career Development Center |
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Task-Specific Internships: Focused Experiences, Expansive Benefits |
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As the job market for academic librarians grows increasingly more competitive – especially for new graduates with only modest experience – the prospect of venturing on an employment search is a daunting one. To appear more attractive to search committees, internships have long been tools used by the “new” to flesh out otherwise sparse resumes. While there is no arguing their significance and impact on both the intern and the library, these experiences can be somewhat generic, especially if they are too broad and from the “do anything for experience and a reference” mode. In order to tailor one’s experience to more closely match possible fields of interest, task-specific internships are effective ways to beef up the resume, network, and systematically explore focused areas of librarianship. Unlike traditional internships where students are devoted to a library over an extended period of time (whether a semester or indefinitely) and perform a wide array of duties and functions, task-specific internships can be much more focused, less of a commitment, and customized to both the library and prospective intern. These types of experiences are best suited for more seasoned MLS students who already possess a solid knowledge base in academic librarianship, but wish to fill in potential gaps, develop niches, and cultivate certain specialties. Selected Styles Reference Internship Reference experience is probably the most beneficial to have, as most libraries require some type of reference work. Therefore, no amount of pre-professional experience behind a desk is ever enough, so volunteering time, even if it’s for a week or two, could have a huge impact on one’s professional career. To this end, try volunteering at the beginnings or ends of semesters, as these tend to be very busy times at academic reference desks. Send out letters of interest early on and specifically offer reference support for a few days or weeks – the time frame is entirely negotiable. Be flexible as to availability and scheduling and prepare by reviewing the institution’s collections and electronic resources in order to provide a level of service the library can be proud of. Collection Development Internship Working with collections is tricky, and it’s often not the first career choice people make coming right out of library school. However, many academic librarians have collection development responsibilities, whether they be formal or informal, so experience and exposure is helpful to have. There are many different aspects to collection development that are restricted to staff only, so the options for interns and volunteers might be limited. However, most academic libraries do conduct weeding and evaluation projects during the summer months. Offer services for a week or two during June, July, or August to help weed, conduct an inventory, or perform a collection analysis. This might be a shelf availability study or something else that can be done with relative independence, but will benefit the library. Instruction Internship Instruction experience for MLS students is quite possibly the most difficulty type to obtain. Coming right out of library school, many students do not possess the skills and techniques, as well as the character and personality traits, to effectively teach classes. And similar to reference and collection work, instruction is almost always required and expected in academic librarianship. Therefore, again, as much exposure as possible to the classroom is essential. The beginning of a semester, especially the fall semester, is when library instruction explodes, so offer services during this time frame. However, very few libraries will allow interns whom they hardly know to conduct a session. Therefore, expect to be allowed only to rove and observe. This is still valuable experience. There are multiple theories and methods to library instruction and witnessing as many as possible may help you develop your own style. Other Internships This theory can be applied to several other areas of academic librarianship, including marketing and outreach, technical services, circulation, and web development. The opportunity to customize an experience to the needs of both the intern and the institution is an attractive one. Regardless of the type of internship, respect and gratitude from both entities is critical to a successful experience. Benefits By being exposed to a wider array of libraries, librarians, and patrons, the intern has abundant opportunities to network. Not only will the experience immediately help the intern, but the more people the intern meets, the better chance he or she has of gaining an inside track on an open position in the future. What these focused experiences do, among other things, is allow the intern to systematically and exclusively explore one area of academic librarianship. This has substantial future benefits for the participant. Very early on in his or her career, the intern should begin to contemplate career paths and begin to eliminate areas that are not “good fits.” These experiences will aid the process. This type of condensed work also occupies less time than traditional internships. Commitment could be only a few hours, days, or weeks in order to fully maximize the experience. This allows for more time to pursue other interests while simultaneously beefing up the resume. Conclusion While these task-specific internships have many strong and positive attributes, they cannot replace the experience one would gain over an extended period of time at singular library. Benefits such as organizational culture awareness, interpersonal communication skills, and personal comradery and friendship would be noticeably absent from these shorter adventures. Finally, stay positive when looking to secure something like this. Be prepared to receive very few responses. Many academic librarians are overworked and under tenure-track pressure, so responding to a cold letter from a library student may not be a high priority for them. Regardless, be flexible and respectful when volunteering. A few days or weeks at a library could someday lead to a permanent position. Matthew O’Connor is a reference librarian at Penn State University’s Wilkes-Barre campus. He received his MLIS from Wayne State University in Detroit in 2003. Article published July 2004 Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.
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Page last updated
10/03/2005
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