Welcome to the University of Oklahoma, School of Library and Information Studies internship information site. An LIS 5823 Internship is a graduate level course that students may do after they have completed 18 credit-hours in the program. The internship requires the completion of 135 work hours and as a course, requires the payment of graduate tuition. Questions about navigating an internship, possible locations to complete an internship, examples of required documentation, and much more are provided at this site. 

 Employers often favor candidates with job experience. If you have never worked in the type of setting in which you want to specialize, you can enhance your knowledge and career possibilities with an internship. Many of our students already work in libraries or archives. If you are working in an LIS setting, you may wish to do an internship in a different type of setting to broaden your experience base. Students in the graduate program should have completed 18 credit hours before completing an internship. Students are encouraged to seek out locations for completing the internship by asking classmates, instructors, or other pertinent people. If you have a location that you think may work for your required internship, determine if the location and possible internship will meet the requirements of the degree. 

• Will the experience align with the skills that will help me in my career?

• Who will your site supervisor at the internship location be? 

• Will the experience be in-person or remote?

• If the internship is in person, where physically will you complete the hours? 

• What is a brief overview of the tasks you will complete during the internship experience?

• How do you think this internship will support and further your learning and skills toward your degree?

You may suggest a location or take a look at the sites provided under Internship Sites provided here.  

Getting started with an internship

1.  The student should communicate with their faculty advisor and/or other SLIS faculty members and the Internship Documentation Coordinator to find a suitable site. In-person, remote, or out-of-state internships are acceptable.  

2.  Once an internship site has been identified, the student completes this short form providing the following information: student name and student ID, the semester you intend to complete it, the location and/or site, and the name, email, and telephone number of the person who will serve as the site supervisor at the location. If the SLIS faculty advisor is not the internship supervisor, the SLIS office will assign a supervising faculty member.

3.  The Internship Team members include the student, the SLIS faculty advisor, and the site supervisor. To maximize the internship experience, prior to the start, it is important the team establishes schedules and learning outcomes for the internship. An initial Internship Team meeting is suggested to discuss the potential tasks, expectations, and learning opportunities. Working together, the Internship Team should discuss and establish the student’s learning goals and objectives, primary areas of responsibilities, schedule, and completion date for the 135 hours.

4.  The learning goals and objectives, primary areas of responsibilities, and schedule should be submitted by completing this form.  Please allow adequate time for processing.

5. The Internship Documentation Coordinator will send the required documentation to be signed via DocuSign and will include:

• The University of Oklahoma Practicum/Internship Memorandum of Understanding

• Student/faculty internship contract

• Student Acknowledgement and Release

• Links to the student, site supervisor, and supervising SLIS faculty evaluations to be completed at the conclusion of the internship

6. Permission to enroll in the internship will be given when the documentation is signed and complete.

7. The student should provide a current resume to the site supervisor and a list of the Bachelor of Arts in Information Studies (BAIS) / Bachelor of  Science and Information Technology (BSIST) courses the student has completed and in which the student is enrolled.

8. The site placement site supervisor will provide a current resume for the student to include in their Career Development Packet assignment. 

9. Communication among the intern, the placement supervisor, and the supervising faculty member is vital to the success of the internship. One visit or check-in between the SLIS faculty supervisor and the site supervisor will be completed. The supervising faculty member may choose to complete the visit via phone, online, or email. If distance or other circumstances make faculty visits impossible, the supervising faculty member will select another individual appropriate to conduct the on-site visit(s).

10. The intern, the placement supervisor, and the supervising faculty member will communicate informally throughout the internship to discuss experiences, accomplishments, and problems.