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At the iSchool, co-ops and internships are differentiated primarily by their duration. A co-op, or cooperative work experience, is a paid position which can last between 6 and 12 months, extending beyond a single semester, and is most often associated with students in the Information Management (IM) program. Whatever the time duration, however, at least three (3) credits must be taken as LIS internship credit. Three credits will require 150 contact work hours for completion. Generally speaking, most LIS internships are non-paid.
An internship can be applicable to all graduate level programs at the iSchool. A maximum of six (6) credits may be earned through through internships or co-ops or internships by a graduate student. Internships are generally completed over the time frame of one semester; however, there are some experiences that may be shorter, or longer, in duration. If you have questions about the duration of your internship, please feel free to contact Kathy Benjamin (kabenjam@syr.edu) with questions.
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You may register through the University MySlice online system for your internship opportunity, just as you would for any other class. Register for IST 973 for both paid and non-paid work experiences. Be careful to enroll in the correct section of IST 973. Separate sections are reserved for the LIS main campus students and the online 2U students. If you have questions about registration, contact Kathy Benjamin (kabenjam@syr.edu). You will automatically be enrolled in the online portion of the IST 973 2U course once you register.
In addition, there is paperwork to fill out during the internship. The Proposal Form (see form on pages 18-19) are assignments to complete during the internship. All assignments will be found in the online portion of the IST 973 course. These assignments include mandatory internship forms, readings and a few reflective papers and are due at certain points in your internship time line. The Proposal Form must be uploaded to the ASSIGNMENT or CONTENT section of the IST 973 online course (2U learning platform) online course for IST 973 at least one week before you begin working, so that the faculty supervisor can approve the internship. You will not get credit for the internship if you do not turn in this paperworkthese assignments! Also, the Proposal cannot be accepted for past work experiences.
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You will have a missing grade on your next grade report. Once the assignment internship work is completed and all of your evaluation forms assignments have been turned insubmitted, a grade will be submitted for you. Plan ahead of time with your Faculty Supervisor.
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Various LIS Faculty members act as the faculty supervisor for LIS internships and may have suggestions and contacts for you to consider for your particular interests.
The Listserv
The Currently Rebecca Shaffer Mannion is the Faculty Supervisor for LIS Internships.
The Listserv
The email listserv is utilized by the Career Services team to post some currently available jobs, internships and co-ops, including local to international positions.
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For assistance with resume preparation, interviewing, and utilization of Handshake, the online employment recruiting database, you may consult with the iSchool’s career counselor Christopher Perrello (csperrel@syr.edu) or iSchool Career Specialist, Jeffrey Fouts (jlfouts@syr.edu). You can set up an appointment to meet with these staff members on Handshake.
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Not all internship opportunities are secured through leads provided by your advisors or iSchool career services on campus. You can also develop an opportunity on your own. Target a particular institution and contact the director for an initial meeting and/or conversation about a potential internship. Keep in mind the criteria that a site must meet:
- There must be a Site Supervisor who is more knowledgeable than the student
- Ideally, the Site Supervisor will have an MLS or MLIS degree. If not, the Site Supervisor must have professional work experience in the library field (minimum of 3 years)
- The Site Supervisor must be willing to guide, supervise, and evaluate the student
- There must be specific, finite tasks for the student to complete
- These tasks must be considered educationally useful by the Faculty Supervisor and /or Academic Advisor
- There must be a project, under the direction of the Site Supervisor, that the student develops and completes
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- Be proactive in your search for an internship opportunity
- Ask questions and be persistent in securing an internship
- Turn in the necessary paperworkassignments
- Complete monthly reflective journals
- Keep in touch with your Faculty Supervisor
- Coordinate the mid-point evaluation of the internship with your site supervisor and faculty supervisor (see instructions on what to do listed in the 2U online course for IST 973).
Your Academic Advisor
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- Defining tasks for your Proposal and Learning Agreement Forms
- Assist in choosing a site, or measuring the potential for success at various sites
- Approving the Proposal and Learning Agreement and reviewing the evaluation formsProviding feedback to your monthly journals
- Grading the experience
Site Supervisor
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- Advise you in your work
- Orient you to the site
- Provide you with the necessary space and supplies to work
- Assist with completion of the Learning Agreement, if necessary
- Participate in a midpoint evaluation with the faculty supervisor
- Evaluate your performance at the completion of your assignmentinternship work
- Communicate with the faculty supervisor in reference to your work
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Students should register for internship experiences during the regular registration period for a semester (main campus students) or a quarter term (2U students). Be sure to select the correct class number for graduate-level LIS internships (IST 973). Please also note that all internship courses offer a variable amount of credit hours for the registration. A value needs to be entered (1 – 6 credit hours). If no value is entered, MySlice will default to one credit hour, so be sure to input the correct number of credit hours you are seeking for the internship. Remember that at least 3 credit hours are required of every LIS student. If you have any problems, contact Kathy Benjamin (kabenjam@syr.edu), Career Services and Employer Relations CoordinatorProgram Manager. You may register before you have found a site if you anticipate that you will find one during a particular semester.
Step 2: Complete and upload the Proposal Form to the
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online course for IST 973
This form is to be uploaded to the IST 973 2U online course and provides the Internship Faculty Supervisor with a brief, overall outline of what you think you will be doing at the site. While it must have some detail, you do not need to know every aspect of your internship at this point. If you need assistance, discuss the form with your Site or Faculty Supervisor. This form MUST be turned in at least one week before you begin work.
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This form must be completed and uploaded submitted to the IST 973 2U online course once you have worked 30 hours at the site. By this point, you will have a much better idea of exactly what you are doing on the job, and can detail your assignment more accurately. If there are changes between what you are expected to do and what you find you are actually doing, report them here. You may limit your response to the form, or attach additional pages if necessary. This form is an important part of your grade, so it should be taken seriously and filled out with care.
Step 4: Check the
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ionline course for additional assignments (i.e. forms, readings, reflective papers, etc.) during the semester/term
Step 5: Mid-point Evaluation
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At this point, you must complete the Student Evaluation Form. This form will not affect your grade, but will give you the opportunity to rate the value of the experience in relation to your overall program at IST at the iSchool and to your career goals. This form must be uploaded submitted to the IST 973 2U online course.
Step 7: Ensure that your Site Supervisor has completed the Site Supervisor Evaluation Form
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The site supervisor should complete the form prior to your last day of internship, in order so that the evaluation can be shared with you.
Completed evaluation forms should be sent electronically to Kathy Benjamin (kabenjam@syr.edu) or faxed to her attention (315-443-5673).
This evaluation is designed to provide you valuable feedback on your performance. In addition to the form provided by the iSchool, the site supervisor may choose to evaluate your performance using an in-house evaluation form. This is also an excellent time to request that your Site Supervisor provide you with a reference letter for your future use.
Step 8: Complete any additional assignments for Faculty Supervisor
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if required.
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Required Forms and Documents and How to Submit Them
All forms marked with a * are required to earn credit.All forms and assignments should be uploaded to the Blackboard online course for IST 971973, with the exception of the Site Supervisor Evaluation form, which must be emailed to Kathy Benjamin (kabenjam@syr.edu) by the site supervisor.
You can find a list of all assignments (including the mandatory forms on the iSchool Career Services website: https://ischool.syr.edu/careers/career-resources/internships/
Resume
This is your primary method of introducing yourself to potential employers. It usually consists of 1 page, highlighting education, skills, and work experience.
Resources:
- iSchool Career Services Resume Resources
- iSchool Career Counselor
- Faculty Advisor
Cover Letter
A cover letter may serve as an introduction to an employer by accompanying your resume, or act as your formal application for a position. It should be one page, clearly stating why you are the person for the job.
Resources:
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) in the online course for IST 973. Internship forms can be found in the Answers section of the iSchool website.
Proposal Form*
This form is required in order to earn credit for your internship (IST 973)
This form must be filled out by you, the student, and uploaded submitted to the 2U online course for IST 973. It is due at least one week before beginning a work assignment. This form provides information about the assignment such as where and with whom you will be working, and gives a brief outline of the tasks that have been discussed with the Site Supervisor.
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This form is to be filled out by you and uploaded submitted to the 2U online course for IST 973* by you, in cooperation with your Site Supervisor. It is due after completion of 30 hours of work on the site. This form will establish precise learning objectives which will be met throughout the assignment, details the project and the tasks to be completed, and finalizes your responsibility to the employer.
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This evaluation is due upon completion of the work assignment, and provides you with an opportunity to rate the work experience and the internship process. Your comments on this form will not affect your grade, but it must be uploaded submitted to the 2U online course for IST 973 before the grade is assigned.
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The Site Supervisor Evaluation is due upon completion of the work assignment. Your site supervisor should have received a copy of the evaluation early on in your internship. The evaluation provides the Site Supervisor with the opportunity to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with your performance, and helps in determination of a grade. Site supervisors should send the form to Kathy Benjamin (kabenjam@syr.edu).
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The person responsible for assigning your grade is your Faculty Supervisor. He or she may require she requires other assignments /postings in addition to the forms required by the iSchool.
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- Finding an Internship Opportunity
- Meet with your Academic Advisor
- Use Handshake, the online recruiting tool used by Syracuse University, to assist in finding internships and employment
- Read the internship process outlined in this internship guide book
- Propose a project you would like to work at as part of the internship. Project: A definable undertaking (project) with a beginning and an end. This may be part of normal job duties but forming a distinct entity that the student develops and finishes. This is a necessary part of the internship experience. This proposed project would be discussed by the student with a potential site supervisor during the early stages of an internship search. It should also be a part of your Learning Agreement.
- After you have accepted an offer
- Contact your Faculty Supervisor
- Register for IST 973 for the correct section
- Meet with your Site Supervisor
- Fill out the Graduate Proposal Form, upload submit it to the 2U online course for IST 973
- During the internship
- Fill out the Learning Agreement, upload submit it to the 2U onlineU course for IST 973
- Work the necessary number of hours
- Contact your faculty supervisor when you are approaching the midpoint of the internship to arrange for a Midpoint evaluation
- Complete any remaining assignments for your Faculty Supervisor
- Upon completion of the work assignment
- Fill out the Student Evaluation Form and upload submit it to the 2U online course for IST 973
- Remind your Site Supervisor to complete the Site Supervisor Evaluation Form
- Complete any remaining assignment(s) (if required) for your Faculty Supervisor
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