SI-ASB-2009: Brooklyn Public Library


Brooklyn Public Library 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn NY 11238 www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org	Projects 3
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) system is the fifth largest library system in the nation with a proud history of serving the Borough of Brooklyn for over 100 years. Today, BPL provides library service to 2.5 million residents, offering thousands of public programs, millions of books and use of more than 850 free Internet-accessible computers in our 58 neighborhood libraries, Business Library and the Central Library.
Participant Comments

"In addition to shadowing staff, helping on the reference desk, and observing/participating in library programming, I used library and web resources to create a pathfinder for humorous teen materials, to be used in the YA department.
It gave me an opportunity to see how a larger, urban library system organizes and functions, while also getting a taste of a different service area-youth.

This experience helped me to realize that I would very much enjoy working with youth and caretakers, while I had previously made some assumptions about this area that led me to believe that I wouldn't. Upon returning, I arranged a two-month internship in the Youth Services department of the library in which I am already established as an intern. My ASB project gave me the idea that this may be a good path to pursue, and as a result I am using the last months I have as a student to explore this further.

The organization was incredibly welcome. The administrators that set up and approved my project made a point to stop by and introduce themselves during the week. My supervisor …was a valuable resource while I was there, being very flexible to allow me to maximize my experience by seizing on any opportunities to see new activities or talk to new staff.

I enjoyed the opportunity to try my hand at a position without committing to a full semester-long internship. It provided perspective for framing other experiences in smaller organizations."

Projects

Youth Services

Intern: Megan Esseltine

Code: BROOKLYN-01

Interns
1

The intern will have a chance to create a pathfinder called "Tickle Your Funny Bone: A List of Humorous Teen Fiction." S/he will create an annotated list of approximately 15-20 young adult novels published with the last 5-7 years that teens might find funny. S/he will use the BPL catalog to seek out titles and the descriptions. The intern will input a list of ISBNs taken from books at our deposit collection at the Brooklyn Residential Center and them to the online catalog LibraryThing.com The intern will also have chance to observe and participate in the daily work of the Youth Services Division of the Central Library. Youth Services Division serves children and their caregivers and teens.

Qualification: Interest and desire to work with children and teens.

Unmatched Projects

History Biography and Religion

Code: BROOKLYN-02

Interns
1

The intern will be given an in-depth overview of the History/Biography/Religion Division and its extensive collections and in the process will learn about how the division strives to satisfy the many requests of its diverse public. The intern will shadow staff at the reference and Information desks. The intern will also have the opportunity to assist in collection development for the Division in an area of his/her choosing.

Brooklyn Collection Archives

Code: BROOKLYN-03

Interns
1

The intern will be working on the map collection of the Brooklyn Collection (archives division of the Brooklyn Public Library). The intern will be using Filemaker Pro database to create catalog records and assign call numbers to unprocessed maps. Some maps may also require encapsulation.

Qualification: Attention to detail and basic knowledge of archival procedures.

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.