The University at Albany Libraries will host two graduate students who are pursuing their MSIS degrees. Arturo Longoria is from the University of Texas at Austin School of Information Science and Sandra Baker Castro is pursuing her MSIS at the University at Albany. Both will complete the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Career Enhancement Program here from May 18, 2009 – July 25, 2009.
Overview *
The ARL Career Enhancement Program, funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and ARL member libraries for 2009, 2010 and 2011, offers MLS graduate students from underrepresented groups an opportunity to jump-start their careers in research libraries by providing a robust fellowship experience in an ARL member library.
This program reflects the commitment of ARL members to provide practical experience to MLS graduate students from underrepresented groups and to create a diverse research library community that will better meet the new challenges of global competition and changing demographics.
How fellows qualify to participate in this program
The ARL Career Enhancement Program was created to provide MLS graduate students from underrepresented groups with an opportunity to jump-start their careers in research libraries by providing real-world practical experience. All applicants must possess the following qualifications:
- be a member of an underrepresented group as defined by the US Census Bureau:
American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
- be a degree-seeking MLS student who has completed a minimum of 12 credit hours by June 1, 2009, and whose graduation date is after the completion of the fellowship (Applicants who will graduate before completing the fellowship or who have earned an MLS degree prior to the application deadline will not be accepted.)
- have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in research libraries
An ARL Career Enhancement Program Fellow will have a unique opportunity to create a meaningful, practical experience in an ARL library. Each fellow is matched with a host institution-based on interest and availability-that can best provide a rich and rewarding fellowship experience.
In the Career Enhancement Program, each fellow will experience:
- a six- to twelve-week internship experience in an ARL library;
- a stipend and funding for housing,
- travel and tuition for career-related study;
- an opportunity to work with other LIS MLS graduate students in a cohort environment (up to three fellows can be assigned to the same institution);
- academic credit for the practical experience (fellow is responsible for arranging this program component with their home institution);
- a mentoring (mentors at host institutions receive special training) relationship with a professional librarian while on campus for the fellowship.
Host Institutions & Matching
The ARL member libraries listed below have agreed to provide each fellow with a rewarding fellowship experience. Not all applicants are accepted in the rigorous selection process. Those who are accepted into the program will be matched with a host institution based on:
- interest - each fellow is asked to write about their interests in the application essay, and
- timing - each fellow is asked to designate which semester they are interested in completing the fellowship
(spring, summer, fall).
In order to provide each fellow with a rich experience, the review committee, composed of representatives from each host institution, will match fellows based on the best combination of the aforementioned elements. Fellows are asked to be flexible and willing to participate in the program based on the committee's matching, not the fellow's institutional interest.
The host institutions are: University at Albany (SUNY), University of Arizona, University of California (San Diego), Columbia University, University of Kentucky, National Library of Medicine, North Carolina State University, University of Washington.
*Source: Association of Research Libraries.
