Reference Department, Hawaii Pacific University

This internship will provide an LIS student with invaluable hands-on experience in several areas of academic librarianship by participating in various reference duties and projects such as:

• Ask a Librarian Chat, helping HPU students and from users worldwide via our cooperative 24/7 reference network
• Reference and information assistance at the main reference desk
• Instruction sessions for core undergraduate courses including design and assessment of student learning
• Creation of tutorials, infographics, LibGuides and other reference and instructional materials

Hawaii Pacific University Libraries support a diverse student population from all over the U.S. and over 70 countries. We serve a variety of academic programs from the associate to doctoral level. HPU Libraries consists of two library collections and a Learning Commons space holding approximately 90,000 volumes. We also strive to maintain an online presence to support our online/hybrid courses and HPU’s Military Campus Program.

Successful completion of the following courses:

• LIS 601 – Introduction to Reference and Information Services

• LIS 602 – Resource Discovery or
• LIS 686 – Information Literacy & Learning Resources
• Some background or significant interest in reference services or information literacy is desirable, but not essential.

The schedule will be determined jointly by the intern and the reference librarian(s).

The main goal is to provide experience in a variety of reference and instruction services. The intern will learn about the provision of quality reference services via in person and online formats. Specific goals will be determined by the student’s background and areas of interest, as well as department projects and needs at the time of the internship.

The intern will be evaluated using the LIS intern form in the following areas: willingness to learn, reliability, ability to complete tasks and assignments in an efficient and timely manner, ability to communicate effectively, ability to conduct self in a poised and professional manner. Interns will be expected to demonstrate progressive knowledge and skill over the course of the semester.

LIS 690 evaluation form will be provided at the end of the semester with verbal and written feedback throughout the internship.