Internships provide students with opportunities to gain
experience in one of the many types of libraries and information
organizations in the New York metropolitan area. Students have held
internships in academic, public, special, and school libraries in
urban, suburban, and rural locations. The three-credit experience
requires a student to complete unpaid service in a library or
information center under the supervision of a professional,
appropriately credentialed librarian. Reports and attendance at
seminar sessions are required. Students interested in public,
academic, and special libraries - as well as non-traditional
settings - enroll in LIS 269B (Internship); those pursuing a
concentration in school library media enroll in LIS 269A (School
Media Internship).
Handbooks
Internship Handbooks are now available online for instant
download. They are in pdf format. You must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader to open these documents.
Any questions about the Handbooks, or Internship requirements,
please call the division office at 718-990-6209.
Information for School Media
Internships
Applying To Be a Host Site
To qualify as an internship site, a school must have:
- A professional (NY State certified school library media
specialist) with appropriate qualifications to supervise the
intern.
- Work or special projects of a professional character that will
meet the learning objectives of the Intern and the Division.
Application Materials
- Complete the Organizational
Application to Host Interns Form. Applications to become a host
site can be submitted at any time.
- Attach (1) current literature about the Institution, (2) a
brief description of each potential job or project for the
internship and (3) a brief vita or resume for each supervisor of
Interns.
- Mail the requested information to the Division. The Division
maintains a notebook of internship sites. Students search it for
suitable projects, locations, and types of organizations. A member
of the Division's faculty may visit potential sites. The Internship
Coordinator may interview the prospective site supervisor, often by
telephone.
Selecting an Intern
The Site Supervisor receives applications from potential
interns; arranges interviews; evaluates candidates; and selects
interns. The criteria for selection should be based on the needs of
the host site. The intern supervisor and the interns negotiate an
internship agreement.
Paperwork
Once a site has applied and been accepted, paperwork is
minimal. Intern supervisors are asked only to:
- Review and approve the Intern's Internship Agreement
- Complete an end of semester evaluation of the Intern
Students
In the semester before the one in which they take LIS 269A
(Internship), students select potential sites, submit resumes to
them, and arrange an on-site interview for themselves. Students
must have approval from the Internship Coordinator and the
Division's Associate Director before applying to sites. Sites may
reject students who apply if their credentials (e.g., courses
taken) are not a good match for site requirements.
Supervising an Intern - Supervisor's
Responsibilities
- Provide an orientation to the entire organization, its policies
and regulations, as well as appropriate introductions to other
personnel; this will assist Interns in comprehending their work and
the organization in which it is completed.
- Arrange a mutually agreeable schedule for the completion of 150
hours of work in one semester.
- Adhere to the Internship Agreement so that the Intern's
objectives are achieved.
- Periodically verify the Intern's progress. There should be no
surprises in the final evaluation.
- Interns are to be treated as professional members of the staff.
Invite them to meetings, workshops, and other professional
activities held at the site.
Interaction with the Division
The Internship Coordinator is responsible for maintaining
contact with the site and the Intern to monitor the experience.
Site visits are at the discretion of the Internship
Coordinator.