American University

4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20016-8046
library.american.edu

Projects
1

The American University, incorporated in 1893, offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, many with international focus, to over 12,000 students. Its proximity to centers of technology, politics, justice, world affairs, communication, science, business, and the arts in the Washington, D.C., area enhances the learning environment.

The American University Library serves the AU community through a collection of over 1.1 million volumes, 39,000 sound recordings. Notable collections include a branch music library, special collections and university archives, a GLBTA collection, a media collection, and a K-12 curriculum materials center. AU Library has affiliate collections at the Washington College of Law and at the Wesley Theological Seminary. The AU Library collection totals nearly 38,500 journal subscriptions in all subjects. Personnel include 20 library faculty, several part-time librarians, 60 full-time staff, and about 200 student assistants. The library's budget is almost $10 million. The American University Library is an active member of the Washington Research Library Consortium, and it holds membership in LOCKSS, SPARC, the Patriot League Libraries Group and the University Libraries Group.

Projects

Instruction/Information Literacy Project

Intern: Maurini Strub

Code: AU-01

Interns
1

The student will have the opportunity to develop instructional content for a graduate teacher education course EDU 519 Uses of Technology in Education. Content can be designed and delivered to the student audience (online through the Blackboard course management system through Web 2.0 solutions or in person--if scheduling allows). In addition the student will be able to participate through engaged observation in reference work (in-person at the reference desk and online through the IM reference service). The student will have the chance to meet with several library faculty throughout the week to learn how this university library system facilitates research teaching and learning through instruction reference and collection development work.

Qualifications: Familiarity with the ACRL information literacy competency standards for higher education; Familiarity with social networking and educational media as they relate to emerging pedagogical approaches; Excellent oral and written communication skills; Strong interest in academic librarianship and innovative approaches to library public services.

The SI Alternative Spring Break is open to graduate students of the University of Michigan's School of Information. Undergraduates looking for Alternative Spring Break opportunities should look into the University of Michigan Alternative Spring Break program administered by U-M's Ginsberg Center.