2024 Core Forum

n the summer of 2023, three departments within the Access and Resource Services Division of a large academic library created paid summer internships to provide opportunities for graduate students from underrepresented groups to gain practical library and preservation experience. In preparing for our second round of internships, we reflected on what went right during our pilot year and where we could improve, including streamlining recruitment and onboarding workflows and creating a community for our interns. This presentation will focus on the changes we made and their impact on the success of the 2024 intern program. Panelists will share observations on the use of library internships as a DEI strategy and the logistics of creating engaging internship experiences, including developing job descriptions, hiring checklists, interview questions, potential projects and funding sources. We will discuss both intern and library staff assessments of the value of participating in one or both years of our internship program. This presentation will be helpful to those who want to implement shorter internship programs in libraries of different types and sizes and to creatively leverage collaboration between departments and libraries for easier planning and higher impact.