MLIS Student Internship, NewKnowledge (Manhattan)
New Knowledge Organization Ltd. is seeking a MLIS intern for the 2016 spring semester. This paid internship can be for credit. The intern will serve NewKnowledge as the team’s information specialist, with a focus on data management and library research. This position is similar to that of an academic librarian, but embedded in social science research along with managing institutional information repositories. The intern will work closely with the NewKnowledge team on various research and evaluation projects, and also independently on internal institutional projects. Previously, interns have worked on projects that advance our understanding of libraries’ role in their communities (read our report on the evaluation of the ALA initiative Libraries Transforming Communities: http://newknowledge.org/LTC.pdf) the impact of library public programming (read our research agenda for the National Impacts of Library Public Programs Assessment: http://nilppa.org), and how delivery of information and communication affects our understanding of global issues (National Network for Ocean & Climate Change Interpretation: http://newknowledge.org/NNOCCI-Impacts.pdf). This is an excellent opportunity for a student interested in presenting work at national library conferences, meeting leaders in informal education, and learning to write scholarly articles.
DAILY ACTIVITIES AND LONG-TERM TASKS
Information Retrieval and Management
• Use a wide range of social science databases to retrieve scholarly articles in multidisciplinary fields
• Identify and pursue open access publishing opportunities
• Contribute to data management (e.g., establish data management practices for new projects with project managers and other staff)
• Improve data management practices (e.g., promote efficiency and accuracy)
Institutional Repository
• Manage and track reports and publications, including record keeping, producing metadata, and dissemination
• Document and track copyright status of data, reports, and other materials
The intern will also be responsibility for two special projects:
• Identify an external repository for NewKnowledge’s data collections
• Design and implement one institutional memory project (e.g., website manual, documentation of record management practices)
The information and records management intern is also expected to help program staff as needed. This may include: data entry and analysis, managing communications with project participants, transcribing audio recordings, and managing website updates.
The preferred candidate for this internship will have excellent search skills using electronic sources, with focus on academic databases and open access sources such as data.gov. A strong understanding of electronic records and information management is needed for this position.
We recommend that students applying have completed courses in Information Sources and Service (i.e., advanced training in searching scholarly databases and other reference sources), as well as Records Management (i.e., training in contemporary approaches to records and information lifecycles) prior to this internship. Alternatively, candidates may be enrolled in these courses at the time of the internship. Basic
skills with WordPress are preferred.
ABOUT NEWKNOWLEDGE
NewKnowledge is a non-profit think tank based in New York City that helps cultural, educational, research, health, environmental, media, and free-choice learning organizations. Our work aims to expand programs in ways that increase social knowledge, positive lived experiences, and ecological harmony. We pursue an understanding of our society’s grand challenges – in the four areas of wellness, media, cultural growth, and the biosphere – through social scientific research and evaluation. Projects range from small evaluation projects that assess programs to the development of evaluation strategies for organizations like the American Library Association.
Interested? Email your résumé and a cover letter to Kate Flinner, kflinner@newknowledge.org.
