You are here

Internship Opportunities

As an undergraduate student, there are several opportunities to help inform library services, resources, and programs, while receiving credit and getting paid for your time. Our internships are located throughout the Libraries, and across the Commonwealth. In these experiences, students can expect to learn about working in academic libraries and also do meaningful work that benefits both them and the University Libraries.

Bednar Internship Program

Established in 2000, this program was created through an endowment by Donald Hamer and Marie Bednar. These internships occur during the academic year or over the summer. Internship positions change on a yearly basis. In this experience, student interns use their disciplinary backgrounds to inform public facing work that benefits both internal and external library users. As an intern, the student has a supervisor that serves as a mentor and also helps connect them to relevant colleagues across the Libraries.

In addition to the home department, student interns also meet regularly with the cohort of other interns through a community of practice. This group reflects on their internship experiences, collaborates on group projects that support future interns, and get to know more about the University Libraries.For an idea of the work completed by our past interns, check out our 2023 Student Employee Showcase and look for students with the title of “Bednar Intern.”

Student applicants must be a junior or senior, and in good academic standing. For questions on this internship program, please contact Monica Gingerich at mcg5660@psu.edu.

Academic Year 2024-25 Bednar Internships

EMS Science / Metadata

Learning outcomes: This intern will work on projects related to creating metadata for items in the EMS print and digital collections, and perform research related to one or more significant figures in the College of EMS in preparation for a public display communicating the significance of the science. The intern will work with EMSL personnel who will provide background on formulating appropriate metadata for each collection. In addition, they will register with and utilize the University Archives for background research on the relevant researcher and will work with the EMS Museum & Art Gallery collections manager to identify additional resources with an ultimate goal of developing a storyline and completing an exhibition proposal for the EMS Museum & Art Gallery (or possibly the EMS Library).

Bednar Conservation

Learning outcomes: This intern will learn principles and methods of conserving library and archival materials and will obtain hands-on experience by carrying out these techniques with distinguished discrete collections. Hands-on experience is necessary for graduate school applications that require bench time hours. Additionally, this internship will provide multiple opportunities for networking with industry professionals at the University Libraries and other institutions.

Open Publishing Program

Learning outcomes: This intern will support the Open Publishing program in their efforts to expand and enhance the open access publishing services it offers. Specifically, the Intern will support bibliography and monograph editors throughout the publishing process by providing content support for bibliography and monograph publications. The intern will provide accessibility support for web and document content for all publication types and may attend professional development opportunities such as digital accessibility conferences. The intern may also support journal editors and authors by completing publishing tasks that may include assigning DOIs, uploading content into the journal submission system, and creating journal issues. Additionally, the intern may support open educational resource (OER) content published in the Open Publishing Program and other Open Publishing Projects as needed.

Data and Technology Intern/Document in the News

Learning outcomes: This intern will provide data and technology support for the ongoing Documents in the News project. Documents in the News (DITN), a project run by the Microforms and Government Information Unit of the University Libraries, aims to highlight the use of government information in the news and media, (https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/government-information/usdocsinthenews). It is not an attempt to be comprehensive, but a place to foster discovery and access to government information and to highlight how that information may be helpful in the research process. DITN compiles weekly examples of the use of government information in the news and makes them available in our main Government Information Lib guide. Intern will work with professional staff to accomplish weekly goals for publication to the Lib guide. The intern will work with MGI staff and librarians to curate content for the site and enhance documentation for future curators. The intern will explore several data and technology initiatives related to the project under the direction of MGI staff and the intern will work on developing outreach efforts to use the DITN site for teaching and instructional purposes.

Statistical Assistant

Learning outcomes: The mission of the Data Learning Center of the University Libraries is to inspire intellectual discovery by providing services to help users transform data into information. These services include consultations, training, and online tools for students and other researchers in areas such as data, statistics, and research methodology. The primary function of the Statistical Assistant will be to aid the statistical consultants in providing advice and assistance to students in research design, data collection, data analysis, and the use of statistical software. Additionally, the Statistical Assistant will participate in various other ongoing Data Learning Center projects and initiatives, such as developing peer consultation services on basic quantitative research, training materials and online tools. While serving the Data Learning Center, the Statistical Assistant will receive guidance and mentorship from the statistical consultants as well as other library staff.

Special Collections Social Media

Learning outcomes: The Special Collections Library manages its own Instagram account @psu_scl with 1044 followers and significant engagement. The goal of the account is to build engagement with all users but especially students by highlighting materials from our collections, advertising events and outreach opportunities, and educating followers about what we do in Special Collections. The Bednar Social Media intern creates high-quality social media content (especially reels and short videos) as a way to center student engagement and experiences. The intern would collaborate with colleagues across the department but most closely with our research services and curatorial teams. They would be introduced to the breadth and depth of the work of Special Collections and would build off the existing strong social media following we have and allow us to continue this avenue of engagement.

Cricut Innovation

Learning outcomes: The Thun Library recently acquired a Cricut to offer maker technology services to the Penn State Berks community. The Cricut Innovation Intern will work with the Thun Library team (library staff, librarians, and student library assistants) to provide Cricut support to patrons, incorporate Cricut projects into library events, and assist in developing this new library service. This experience will offer the student opportunities to complement their coursework, learn more about creative technologies, and support University Libraries' value of discovery by "fostering creativity and innovation."

Development Public Relations and Marketing

Learning outcomes: This intern will help to handle public relations and marketing tasks for the Development and Alumni Relations Office. There will be regular interaction with the Libraries Development and Alumni Relations team - along with our partners in PRaM, Development Research, Gift Planningand Strategic Communications. In addition, the intern will have regular communication and collaboration with internal library partners such as the Dean and administrative team, department heads, librarians, and other interns. The intern should expect to interact with volunteers, donors, students, faculty, staff, and alumni and regularly communicate with external vendors.

Latin American Collections and Cataloging

Learning outcomes: This intern will contribute to the management, description, and access of Latin American materials from the Luis Alberto Sanchez Collection while contributing the preservation and promotion of the intellectual and cultural history of the collection. Despite the continuing work in locating materials from the Luis Alberto Sanchez Collection in Pattee Library stacks and the annex, many items remain disassociated with the collection provenance and catalog records do not provide detailed information to identify them. Also, while some of the Luis Alberto Sanchez Papers held by the SCL were recently digitized, metadata was created at a minimal level. The intern will locate these materials, make appropriate decisions about transferring to the SCL, identify provenance information, created finding, and edit catalog records. Other tasks may be assigned, including collaborating with a metadata strategist in the Department of Cataloging and Metadata Services to improve metadata for the digital collection, enhancing catalog records with Spanish-language subject headings, creating, and enhancing catalog records for other collections, or learning the basics of pre-1830 rare books cataloging.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Academic Year 2023-24 Bednar Internships

Curatorial Intern for Database of Notable Political Songs

The Curatorial Intern for the Database of Notable Political Songs provides support for the ongoing curation of the Database of Notable Political Songs (DNPS) and will work alongside the University Libraries Music Subject Specialist and the Political Science Subject Specialist. Job responsibilities include research and detailed data entry to provide important historical and social context for political and protest songs contained in the database. The database will be published on the University Libraries Open Publishing platform.

Open Publishing Program Intern

The Open Publishing Program Intern supports the Open Publishing program by providing web and document accessibility support for all publication types, but primarily journal publications. This intern also supports journal publications by communicating with editors, uploading content into the journal publishing platform OJS, and completing publishing tasks such as assigning DOIs, creating journal issues, and assisting with the production of all Open Publishing projects. This intern may also support Open Educational Resource publishing or other publishing projects as needed.

Collection Engagement Intern

The Collection Engagement Bednar Intern helps promote undergraduate student engagement with Abington Campus Library collections by assessing collection usage and student needs, developing promotional materials, performing outreach, giving input on selection, and creating and implementing other strategies to connect the student community on campus with resources in the library.

Open Educational Practices Internship

The Open Educational Practices Intern works with the Library Learning Services Department to support a program in which a cohort of Penn State faculty and student collaborators will develop open educational resources (OER) that better reflect our student diversity and include marginalized voices and experiences historically absent within disciplinary discourses and commercially produced textbooks. In addition to benefiting economically disadvantaged students by producing no-cost course materials, this program will encourage culturally responsive and inclusive pedagogy and will require faculty to add a social justice component to their syllabus in addition to developing course materials that reflect greater diversity. The intern will assist faculty with course materials creation, such as developing/adapting content and presenting that content in an appropriate open publishing tool. After these new course materials are deployed in the classroom, the intern will also assist with data collection and assessment of the program outcomes.

Bednar Internship in Conservation

This paid undergraduate internship, with a three-credit academic option, provides an overview of conservation principles, procedures, and practical experience in preservation and conservation treatment and techniques. Interns have the opportunity to apply their learned skills on a specialty-focused capstone project of their choosing. For more information, contact Bill Minter, Senior Book Conservator at the University Libraries’ Conservation Centre at wdm14@psu.edu.

Statistical Assistant

This internship involves collaborating with the statistical analysis team at the Data Learning Center to offer consultations on research design, statistical methodologies, and data interpretation. This intern will also actively engage in assisting with workshops and creating statistical resources for the Penn State Research Community. This hands-on internship offers an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world research projects, enhance analytical skills, and gain valuable experience interacting with library patrons.

Additional internship opportunities

Please contact the person listed with each of the opportunities below to learn more about these opportunities and any openings.

Sandra K. Stelts and Ronald L. Filippelli Undergraduate Internship in Special Collections

This intern supports the exhibition program in the Special Collections Library and gains curatorial experience by conducting research, retrieving materials, writing and designing labels and other exhibition texts, building mounts to exhibit materials safely, and managing the installation and de-installation of exhibitions. The intern also focuses on the principles and methods of conserving library and archival materials and will obtain hands-on experience in carrying out these principles under the direction the Senior Book Conservator. For more information, contact Clara Drummond, Curator and Exhibitions Coordinator in Special Collections, at cjd86@psu.edu.

The Robert and Carol Klaus Undergraduate Internship
in the William and Joan Schreyer Business Library

This paid (not for credit) undergraduate internship enables business students to participate in active and collaborative learning experiences. Students may serve as peer educators for Management 301, the heavily enrolled course that is an entrance to the major for all Smeal College of Business Students. Klaus interns may also help librarians promote the Business Library's events, collections, and services. For more information, contact Diane Zabel, Benzak Business Librarian and Head of the Schreyer Business Library at dxz2@psu.edu.

James E. Wright, Jr. and Helen K. Wright Memorial Endowment
in the Life Sciences Library

This paid (not for credit) undergraduate internship enables students to participate in active and collaborative learning experiences within the Life Sciences Library. Interns may help librarians promote the Library's events, collections, displays and services. This opportunity is located at the University Park Campus and all majors are invited to apply. For additional information, contact John Meier, Head of STEM for Engagement and Outreach, jjm38@psu.edu