Representatives from the ARL Career Enhancement Program (CEP) host institutions have chosen 14 fellows to participate in this competitive diversity recruitment and fellowship program in 2015. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and ARL member libraries, the CEP provides master of library and information science (MLIS) students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups with hands-on experience and the opportunity to jump-start their careers in research libraries.
The ARL Career Enhancement Program reflects the commitment of ARL members to create a diverse research library workforce that will better meet the challenges of changing demographics and global perspectives in education and research. Components of this robust program include a six- to twelve-week internship experience in an ARL member library, mentoring by a professional librarian at the host institution, support for attendance and participation in the ARL Annual Leadership Symposium, and career placement assistance.
“The ARL CEP fellowship I completed at the University of Arizona Libraries was absolutely amazing! The internship gave me on-the-job experience in a thriving research library, where I was able to apply knowledge obtained in library school to actual library duties,” said former CEP fellow Rachel Smith, diversity resident librarian at Pennsylvania State University. “The mentorship component of the fellowship was perhaps one of the best parts. I was able to establish both invaluable professional relationships and personal friendships with my mentors and other CEP fellows that have continued to be beneficial for all involved. Having not only the added work experience but also being able to reflect on the entire fellowship and lessons learned has helped me immensely in my career as a librarian.”
The 2015 Career Enhancement Program fellows are:
Emily Agunod, San Jose State University
Host institution: National Library of Medicine
Alex Black, Simmons College
Host institution: Columbia University
LaTrisha Blunt, University of Southern Mississippi
Host institution: University of Kentucky
Amanda Davis, Valdosta State University
Host institution: North Carolina State University
Jessica Humphries, University of Washington
Host institution: University of Michigan
Jesse Lopez, Wayne State University
Host institution: University of Michigan
George Martinez, University of Maryland, College Park
Host institution: University of California, San Diego
Hannivett Nabahe, University of Arizona
Host institution: University of California, San Diego
Rebecca Orozco, St. Catherine University
Host institution: University of Washington
Sarah Pham, University of California, Los Angeles
Host institution: University of Kentucky
Erik Ponder, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Host institution: Columbia University
Josué Rivera-Olds, University of Washington
Host institution: University of Washington
Kate Rojas, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Host institution: National Library of Medicine
Cecilia Rose, University of British Columbia
Host institution: North Carolina State University
For more information about the CEP, visit the ARL Career Enhancement Program website.
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 125 research libraries in the US and Canada. ARL’s mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the web at https://www.arl.org/.
