Announcement:
● Applications Pollak Library Reference Intern for Fall 2008 are open. 
● This internship will start August 25, 2008, the first day of class for the Fall 2008 semester.

As described in detail below, an application consists of:
1. A letter of interest
2. A current resume
3. List of all Library Science classes completed

Qualifications for this position, as described in detail below, consist of:
1. Current enrollment in an ALA accredited Library Science masters degree program
2. Successful completion of at least 15 units within the program
3. Successful completion of the Reference class
4. Good communication skills

Description of the Pollak Library Reference Internship:

The Reference section at the Pollak Library at California State University Fullerton welcomes interns from a formal program of library and information science leading to a masters degree for a practicum with the Reference section.  This 135 hour internship is an unpaid position.

The Reference section at the Pollak Library has conducted a practicum program in Reference for over twenty years.  We have found the program to be of great benefit to the Reference section as the library has received quality assistance at the Reference Desk.  More important than that, as librarians, we are committed to the educational development of future librarians.  As such, we will make sure that every intern that we accept receives a high-quality experience from the Reference section which will enhance the intern’s ability to obtain employment in the field of academic librarianship.  We are very serious about this commitment and will spend a great deal of individual training time with each intern. The interns are supervised and mentored by the Reference Intern Coordinator, Cynthia Bruns.  Furthermore, each intern can expect individual training time with a variety of Reference librarians while working at the Reference Desk during scheduled hours.

We request that our interns have already taken the Reference class and be at least half way through the program   Preference will be given to those students who are very close to completion and are interested in a career in academic librarianship.  Prior experience in a library is helpful but is not necessary. 

We only offer Reference internships during the Fall and Spring semesters.  Intersession and Summer internships are not available due to reduced staffing at these times. Internships are the standard 135 hours, three units.  The hours available are between 10am until 5pm, Monday through Thursday, no evenings or weekends available.  This is to insure that the intern has extensive contact with the permanent librarians and works at the Reference Desk during peak hours to maximize the experience. In consultation with Cynthia Bruns, the intern will choose a permanent weekly schedule within those parameters.  Many interns choose to work extra hours the beginning of the semester in order to finish the practicum before finals or in order to be a little ahead in case of illness.  This is acceptable.

During the first three or more weeks of a practicum, the intern will spend all of their time observing Librarians at the Reference Desk.  This is an opportunity to observe the reference interview in practice and to talk to the librarians about individual reference questions and their philosophy of Reference.  Gradually, under the supervision of Cynthia Bruns, each intern will start answering an increasing range of questions, and by the end of the semester, the interns are expected to work fairly independently but will never be assigned on the Reference desk alone.

It is the responsibility of the interns to make sure that all related paperwork is filled out, to contact the intern coordinator should they be ill, maintain a log of their hours, and to remind the intern coordinator of the due dates for the end of the semester evaluation.

Practicum Criteria:
Factors considered in awarding the internship include:

    ▪ Application: which includes letter of interest, resume, and list of classes taken. References may be required.
    ▪ Interview
    ▪ Good communication skills
    ▪ Availability during the hours offered
    ▪ Interest in a career in academic librarianship
    ▪ Commitment to academics
    ▪ Good organizational skills
    ▪ Ability to work in a team environment
    ▪ Good computer skills

Application Process:
Applications are to be sent directly to Cynthia Bruns, Reference Intern Supervisor, Pollak Library via email, cbruns@fullerton.edu.  The applications will consist of a letter of interest, a list of classes taken, and a resume.  Any questions may be directed to Cynthia Bruns.

Other Internships (links from the SJSU SLIS Web site)

Prepared by Mardi Chalmers. Maintained by Cynthia Bruns. An administrative page of the Paulina June & George Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton (c) 1999. California State University, Fullerton. All rights reserved.