Session Format
In-person Poster
Proposal Synopsis
Gaining practical library experience as a graduate student is essential to becoming a strong candidate for academic library positions, but securing experience is not always easy - especially at a distance! Numerous factors may limit students from securing in-person academic library internships including the global pandemic, employment responsibilities, and more. Fortunately, distant MLIS students can develop virtual internships to fulfill experience requirements. This poster outlines how an MLIS student partnered with a Student Success Librarian to create a meaningful virtual internship. This process can serve as guidance for fellow MLIS students interested in designing a similar learning experience.
The poster will describe:
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Finding a site: I defined my academic area of interest and researched librarians that represented my interests. I emailed librarians who held positions I was interested in which proved to be a great way to network, learn more about their roles and responsibilities, and express my interest in designing a virtual internship.
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Outlining my objectives: I considered my career goals and how I could design an internship that complimented my professional objectives. I researched the skills I would need to enter the job market and noted the specific types of experience required for these positions. I also asked the site librarian/s for their recommendations.
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Selecting projects: I asked the site librarian/s for their recommendations of project work. I considered the amount of time I had available to work on projects and the amount of time the site librarian/s had available to supervise me.
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Forming agreements: We defined each person’s responsibilities and specified what would happen if one person failed to meet their responsibilities. We also established a plan that addresses how we planned to communicate and how often. Since this internship was credit-bearing, we created a project rubric and outlined deadlines and extending requirements.
Primary Conference Tag
Professional/Staff Development
Secondary Conference Tag
Mentoring
Optional Conference Tag
Virtual Internship
Location
WAL C 3084
Start Date
27-7-2022 1:00 PM
End Date
27-7-2022 2:00 PM
How am I Ever Going to Get Experience? Designing an Academic Library Internship at a Distance
WAL C 3084