Reference Library Intern

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Job Description Summary

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries seeks an energetic reference intern to participate as a member of our academic engagement and departmental libraries teams, receive mentoring by a progressive and seasoned team of professional librarians, and jump start their careers as information professionals. The reference intern will have the opportunity to help shape reference for Penn Libraries while also further developing their skills by working on projects ranging from systematic reviews, outreach programming, exhibits, collections analysis, etc.

Duties and responsibilities

• Support the Reference Services Task Force in conducting a holistic analysis of general reference services across the libraries.
• Assist with analyzing 2 - 3 years of chat reference data to identify trends, patterns, and implications for staffing and service hours
• Conduct spot reviews of chat transcripts and tickets to identify opportunities for improving service quality, consistency, and documentation
• Assist in developing recommendations for one - time and ongoing training for reference providers
• Participate in an environmental scan of peer institutions and review current literature on evolving reference services

Qualifications

• Current graduate student in an ALA-accredited library or information science program or another graduate studies program.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong service orientation and willingness to troubleshoot.
• Desire to learn, adapt quickly, and work independently.
• Desire to work in libraries and support a diverse academic community.
• Flexibility regarding work location.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work onsite in the library spaces.

This is a 1 year term position.