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Student Employment and Internships: Undergraduate Student Internship

Undergraduate Student Internship Description

The Hoover Library’s student internship is a position designed to provide a beneficial and educational experience for students who are interested in pursuing academic librarianship as a profession. The 140-hour paid internship (which is also credit-eligible as an experiential learning opportunity)  is meant to be undertaken in the senior or, at the earliest, junior year. It is to be tailored to the interests of the student in question. This educational experience is meant to achieve several specific goals:

  • Provide students with practical experience targeted at the areas of librarianship that they are interested in focusing on or pursuing in the profession.
  • Assigning literature that will benefit students’ understanding of the library field and the approaches to services and tasks at Hoover Library, both related to theory and practice.
  • Familiarize students with the ways in which the various departments of the library interact, to increase their appreciation of the interdependent nature of library work.
  • Provide students with projects and training that will advance their skills and experience in library work, with the goal that said projects can be cited in their graduate school and job applications.

Guidelines for Internships

  • Student interns should be in their junior or senior year of college.
  • One student per semester will be considered for an internship.
  • Each potential intern is required to complete an online application, write a statement (300 words) describing why they would like to intern at Hoover Library.
  • Potential interns will be interviewed by the Associate Director before hire.
  • Interns will be expected to work an average of ten hours per week.
  • The Associate Director will try to match the intern with the department of their area of interest, but the intern will be expected to work in multiple areas of the library to gain a broad level of experience.
  • Interns will complete assignments and projects that are beyond the scope of regular student assistant duties. Each department where the intern works will provide training to complete these assignments and projects.
  • Interns will report to the Associate Director and the librarian in charge of the department where the student is concentrating their internship.

Deadlines for Applying for Internships

  • March 15 for a summer term internship.
  • July 15 for a fall term internship.
  • November 15 for a spring term internship.

Qualifications and Skills Requirements

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Facility with Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of standard computer applications and the Internet.
  • Good organizational skills.

Previous library work and/or library research experience is highly desirable.

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