Sprouting STEMs: Recruiting future science librarians through an undergraduate science information internship

ABSTRACT

The challenge of recruiting science librarians is an ongoing issue, despite efforts to isolate, address, and remedy the deficiency. Most research has focused on investigating why current science librarians chose their careers and on ways library information science (LIS) programs can entice Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) candidates into science librarianship. At Brooklyn College, librarians created a science information internship for undergraduate science majors. By exposing these students to librarianship as a potential career path, we hope to attract and groom future science librarians. This article discusses the development of the internship, the challenges and successes of the pilot, and the assessment of the pilot for improvements and expansion.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic libraries
• recruitment
• science librarianship
• undergraduate internship programs