SI-ASB-2009: National Public Radio (NPR)


National Public Radio (NPR) 635 Mass Ave NW, Washington, DC npr.org	Projects 2
Since its launch in 1970, NPR has evolved into a leading media company, primary news provider and dominant force in American life. In partnership with more than 850 public radio stations, it attracts 26 million listeners weekly. A privately-supported, non-profit membership organization, NPR produces and/or distributes more than 1300 hours of programming weekly, including two 24/7 channels on Sirius satellite radio, five 24/7 HD Radio multicast music channels and its successful NPR Podcasts. NPR Worldwide serves 150 countries with a full schedule of programming offered through terrestrial, satellite and digital radio; national cable, and American Forces Network. More information is available at npr.org.
Photos and Comments

I updated the contract information between NPR and the 7 commercial database vendors, including: EBSCO, Factiva, NewsBank, LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, and Thomson West. Then, I evaluated the visibility of NPR transcripts in these databases and wrote a business report with feasible recommendations on how to improve the transcript's visibility.

NPR is a great organization for SI students to get real-world project experiences. It has a friendly yet fast-paced working environment. The supervisors helped me to get involved in their organizational culture and also provided me valuable suggestions for my project. I really enjoyed my time working there.

Projects

Analysis of NPR content in commercial databases

Intern: Li Li

Code: NPR-01

Interns
1

To analyze NPR's content distribution agreements with the key library databases and help NPR improve its presentation in each of the databases. 1. Create a summary of the key terms of each of NPR contracts with library databases such as Factiva Lexis-Nexis, Newsbank, Ebsco, etc. 2. Review and analyze the presentation of NPR content of each of the databases. 3. Make recommendations for ways to improve the presentation of NPR material in each database

Qualifications: Student should know how to search commercial databases; student needs to understand basic principles of marketing content—in this case NPR transcripts- in an online database.

Unmatched Projects

NPR Library Database Project

Code: NPR-02

Interns
1

The NPR Broadcast Library seeks an intern to consult on an in-house Access database that houses cataloging data for the Raw Audio Archive. The current database meets our cataloging needs but requires an interface update to be searchable within the organization. The database and data already exist; the intern would be responsible for updating the interface to meet the needs of users outside the library. If time does not allow for a full update the intern is responsible for compiling a report to be used for future project proposals.

Qualifications: In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Access. Experience cataloging archival materials. Familiarity with audio formats. Knowledge of National Public Radio is preferred.

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.