Your Name and Title: John Shawler, Customer Solutions Intern Supervisor

Library, School, or Organization Name: Credo Reference

Co-Presenter Name(s): Sara Ortins, Credo Reference Intern Coordinator; Laura Francabandera, Customer Solutions Intern; Erin Kernen, Customer Solutions Intern

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Massachusetts; California; West Virginia

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Anyone in the LIS field hosting (or interested) in facilitating an mutually beneficial internship program

Short Session Description (one line):
Learn how to develop a sustainable internship program that will meet the needs of your institution as well as provide meaningful experiences for both onsite and virtual interns.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):
Filing papers and fetching coffee are intern tasks of the past. If this drudge work comprises the bulk of your interns’ day, then you’re doing your company and these future LIS professionals a disservice. Though not all internships lead to full-time positions, all internships should increase a student’s skill set while addressing your institution’s needs.

Credo Reference recently partnered with several schools of library and information science, including San Jose State University and Simmons College, to create both on-site and distance-based internship programs that are mutually beneficial to the students involved and the company itself. Sara Ortins, Credo’s Internship Coordinator, and John Shawler, a Credo teammate who works closely with interns on a daily basis, will share the best practices for gaining from these interns’ talent while further developing the skills of these future professionals.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: