Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library: BIPOC Become Librarians! BBL Sample Libguide: Internships

Internships

The BBL program encourages mentees who are interested to complete internships related to the library field. Watch this space for opportunities!

If you see an internship that looks interesting, we recommend that you click on the link to learn more about it, then contact your mentor about applying for it. Thank you!

FAQ for BBL mentees:

Q: Do I have to do an internship?

A: We encourage mentees who are interested in building skillsets and experience in this field to participate in our internship program, but by all means, it is not required.

Q: I have a really complicated schedule and don't know how much time I have for an internship. Can I still do one?

A: We encourage you to talk to your mentor about your goals for an internship, but, short answer -- absolutely! Many of our internships are tailored to your specific interests and availability. BBL does not require a minimum number of hours or days in order to complete our program.

Q: Are internships paid?

A: The BBL team encourages internship hosts to offer paid positions, but not all are able to. Volunteering can be a great way to gain experience, so we suggest you talk with your mentor about how a volunteer role might be useful for your professional and personal goals.

Q: Are internships in-person, remote, or hybrid?

A: This depends on the internship host. Some will be flexible with their modalities.

Opportunities associated with BIPOC Become Librarians project

SJSU King Library Cataloging & Metadata (Paid)
Work with Jill Strykowski, Cataloging and Government Publications Lead, to review a collection of video recordings from the Instructional Resource Center. The intern will determine which titles have streaming versions in order to identify which videos are essentially irreplaceable such that the library should keep them in its physical collection. The intern will also learn how to notate these options for collection development review. No prior experience needed. Schedule to be agreed upon between intern and internship host. In-person work only. Contact Jill at jill.strykowski@sjsu.edu if interested. One position available.
BBL Internship: Evergreen Valley College
Evergreen Valley College (EVC) is a public community college located in the eastern foothills of San José which serves a diverse community of about 9,000 students. Under the supervision of librarian, Lorena Mata, volunteer interns will receive exposure to Library Orientations (in-person or online), Outreach, Reference, Collection Development, and Student Engagement. Interns will have the opportunity to assist librarians with library orientations, newsletters and promotions, and library operations. You will have the opportunity to create innovative ways for the library to engage with the campus community. Interns are welcome to initiate projects or receive exposure to areas of interest. Hours, days, and modality are flexible and to be determined by the intern and the host.
BBL Internship: Oral History Project (LAEP)
This is a paid internship ($20/hour) through SJSU's LAEP program. Please check to see if you are eligible for LAEP before applying. If so, then please apply for this opportunity at the King Library titled "Desis of Silicon Valley Speak: An Oral History" under the supervision of BBL leader Mantra Roy. Handshake application: https://sjsu.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/8027899/details
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LAEP eligibility: https://www.sjsu.edu/careercenter/laep/index.php
Apply for internship via Handshake: https://sjsu.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/8027899/details
SJSU King Library Cataloging & Metadata (Paid)
Work with Jill Strykowski, Cataloging and Government Publications Lead, to review and inventory the library’s microfilm holdings in order to identify the location and quantity of San José Public Library microfilms that have been misfiled with SJSU collections, and ensure SJSU microfilm holdings are correctly cataloged. No prior experience needed. Schedule to be agreed upon between intern and internship host. In-person work only. Contact Jill at jill.strykowski@sjsu.edu if interested. Two positions available.
SJSU King Library Outreach (Paid)
Work with Suzie Bahmanyar and Geetali Basu, Senior Assistant Librarians, to identify international authors in the SJSU library collection. Review the library catalog for the names of authors from different parts of the world. Generate a list of existing holdings. Conduct research to identify additional works to add to the collection. No prior experience needed. Schedule to be agreed upon between intern and internship hosts. In-person work only. Contact Suzie and Geetali at suzie.bahmanyar@sjsu.edu and geetali.basu@sjsu.edu if interested. One position available.

National Library of Medicine: Promote inclusive health collections
Based out of the University of Washington, this volunteer, remote internship involves conducting public health research and using social media to promote DEI in health collections. Designed around your schedule, the expected time commitment is 2-3 hours per week. January 8, 2024 - March 29, 2024. See attached file for details and application information.
National Library of Medicine: Support the Health Diversity Speaker Series
Based out of the University of Washington, this volunteer, remote internship involves designing and supporting a speaker series on DEI health initiatives. Designed around your schedule, the expected time commitment is 2-3 hours per week. January 8, 2024 - March 29, 2024. See attached file for details and application information.

Additional internship opportunities

Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internships
Paid summer internships at museums and visual arts organizations in LA for college students from backgrounds underrepresented in the arts. Especially helpful to those interested in museums, visual arts, curatorship, conservation, education, publications, and public programming. No prior work experience or educational background in the arts is required.