UHM-Hamilton Library: Science & Technology
Location:
Hamilton Library Science and Technology Reference
Supervisor: Paul Wermager
Phone: (808) 956-2541
Email:
wermager@hawaii.edu
Description of library/collection
The Science Technology Reference Department has the largest and most extensive science collection in the state and represents the only major science research library in the Pacific region. The department supports teaching, learning, and research activities in the physical, biological and biomedical sciences programs. Six of the seven areas of excellence identified in the UH Strategic Plan are science programs.Description of internship
This internship, by way of an apprenticeship, will allow students to experience what it is like to work in a specialized collection of a large university library. The department's activities include reference service, instruction, collection development, and some specialized services for defined user populations. The department maintains a training manual to guide LIS students about procedures and policies. Normal department hours are 9:00am to 7:00pm Monday thru Thursday, 9:00am to 5:00pm on Friday, and 1:00-5:00pm on Sunday. Interns may work some evening hours during the weekday, overlapping with professional librarians, to allow for adequate instruction and evaluation. Duties include:- Reference Desk assistance alongside a regular staff member during some hours, and later, on their own.
- Science database instruction. Interns will be trained to assist users. Special projects in conjunction with online database instruction may be undertaken (i.e. revising or developing new instructional materials for handouts).
- Interns may occasionally assist librarians in providing classroom instructional sessions.
- Special projects may also be undertaken upon approval by the supervising librarian.
Required prerequisites/qualifications
- LIS 601: Intro to Reference Info Services
- Good communication skills
Desired qualifications
- LIS 663: Basic Online/CD-ROM Database Searching
- Undergraduate or graduate degree in a science field
- Previous work in a library
Weekly schedule
Flexible:M-F: 9:00am-5:00pm; later, after orientation/training, some evening hours
M-Th 5:00-7:00pm or Sunday 1:00-5:00pm.
Learning/experiential goals or work outcomes expected
Working in a large university library with an active scientific research community will give interns the opportunity to experience the rigors and demands of a real-life working environment. After a semester, student should be familiar with:- Nature of librarian-patron interaction during a reference interview and service
- Primary science online databases
- A representative scientific reference collection
- Policy and philosophical issues within an academic environment
Evaluation methods
Interns will be evaluated on reliability, communication skills when interacting with patrons and staff, bibliographic competence (i.e.Voyager, OCLC, ability to locate items in bibliographic databases and printed sources), knowledge of reference tools, and cooperative attitude.Evaluation schedule
Evaluation will occur at the end of each semester. Additional evaluations may be provided upon request. The supervising librarian will write up the evaluation, after consultation with all members of the department, and discuss the final evaluation with the intern.