College & Research Libraries News vol. 83, no. 9 (October 2022) October 2022 385C&RL News In the 2021–2022 academic year, the Columbia University Libraries piloted a new ap- proach to internships for Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) students and recent graduates. Reexamining longstanding practices and recognizing the opportunities afforded by remote work led to the extensive redesign and relaunch of the program. Hosted by Columbia University Libraries, the Ask A Librarian Internship provides interns with hands-on experience in various areas of academic librarianship. The new internship is 10 hours per week with compensation of $20 per hour, with duties split between staffing chat reference and contributing to a project. By working closely with a librarian supervisor who provides guidance on internship duties as well as navigating academic librarianship more broadly, interns can gain valuable advice and experience. In this article, we share the aims and process of redesigning the program and reflect on our experiences and takeaways for academic libraries. Planning and implementation The Ask A Librarian Internship existed for eight years as an opportunity where MLIS students in the New York City area could obtain course credit, but not a wage, for their participation. The working group managing the chat reference service felt that offering an unpaid internship was unethical and could no longer be supported, so the decision was made to suspend the program until interns could be compensated for their labor. Unpaid internships, or any agreement where someone works for free in exchange for experience, are exploitative and put students who do not have the financial ability to pursue unpaid work at a disadvantage.1 If an organization considers a work duty important enough to be done, the people who conduct that work must be fairly compensated. The working group members created a proposal for a redesigned internship program, highlighting key elements such as a dramatic increase in chat reference questions because of the hybrid learning environment, a need for increased evening and weekend reference hours, and providing financial support and meaningful social and professional engagement for students. The program was approved as a pilot for the 2021–2022 academic year, with three interns in fall 2021 and five interns in spring 2022. Karen Wang is a reference librarian for Springshare, email: karen.wang95@gmail.com; Kae Bara Kratcha is social work and professional studies librarian, email: kk3344@columbia.edu; Wei Yin is research support and data services librarian, email: wy2288@columbia.edu; and Eamon Tewell is head of research support and outreach, email: eamon.tewell@columbia.edu, at the Columbia University Libraries. © 2022 Karen Wang, Kae Bara Kratcha, Wei Yin, and Eamon Tewell Karen Wang, Kae Bara Kratcha, Wei Yin, and Eamon Tewell Redesigning an academic library internship program with equity in mind Reflections and takeaways mailto:karen.wang95@gmail.com mailto:kk3344@columbia.edu mailto:wy2288@columbia.edu mailto:eamon.tewell@columbia.edu October 2022 386C&RL News In light of the pandemic’s impact upon work/life balance and employment opportunities, it was decided that the internship should be 1. open to currently enrolled as well as recently graduated library school students; 2. offered completely remotely; and 3. advertised nationally, with a focus on encouraging racialized students and recent graduates to apply. Additionally, the working group closely reviewed the required and preferred qualifications to ensure they reflected what was necessary to succeed in the internship, and they minimized other barriers in the application process by requiring only a cover letter and résumé. Appli- cations were accepted for one month. While applications were being received, the working group also contacted Columbia librarians to identify potential intern supervisors. Expres- sions of interest and project ideas were collected through a Google form and later matched with selected interns’ backgrounds and interests. A total of 342 applications were received, and 310 applicants met the required qualifica- tions. Using a rating rubric, each application was reviewed by at least two working group members to ensure full consideration. We attribute the large volume of applicants to the internship being paid, offered remotely, and having a flexible schedule. It is also indicative of the need library school students and recent graduates have for gaining hands-on library experience, which is more difficult than ever due to pandemic-related complications. For a summary of the advertising and hiring timeline, see figure 1. Selecting just several interns from the pool of applicants proved difficult, but by narrowing down candidates over multiple discussions and prioritizing racialized candidates, the work- ing group members identified the successful interns. Considering the large and exceptional applicant pool, members also selected candidates to consider inviting for the spring 2022 internship to avoid the need to send another call for applicants in a short period of time and conduct another review. Interns divide their time between operating the chat reference service and conducting special projects. Both tasks can be conducted entirely online and help supplement the efforts of librarians in not only staffing a highly used service point, but also in developing research guides and online learning objects, designing and teaching workshops, web archiving, and much more. Interns meet weekly with their supervisor and monthly with other interns, su- pervisors, and working group members. After the first semester of the internship a feedback Figure 1. Sample timeline for internship advertising and hiring process Date Action Late June Draft and finalize internship posting Early July Announce and advertise internship Late July Application deadline Early August Application review completed and successful applicants selected Early August Successful applicants notified and hiring process initiated Mid-August Unsuccessful applicants notified Late August Hiring process finalized and interns paired with their supervisors Early September Interns begin October 2022 387C&RL News form was sent to interns and intern supervisors that will guide further planning efforts. One intern and one intern supervisor/former intern share their reflections on the program and related professional issues below. Reflections Karen Wang: I became an Ask A Librarian Intern shortly after graduating with my MLIS from the University of Washington. Burnt out from grad school and unwilling to jump straight into the job hunt, a paid internship sounded like a good stepping stone somewhere between the unpaid labor of being a student and the somewhat paid labor of being a full- time librarian. While earning my degree, I had a 20 hour per week graduate assistantship at the University of Washington Libraries. I feel that I learned the most there—in the ac- tual practice of librarianship—instead of in my classes that assigned readings on reference, outreach, and more. The Ask A Librarian Internship similarly filled in many gaps that my curriculum left out. I gained skills in providing remote reference and learned how to answer questions about a library system that I had never stepped foot in. I am grateful for the work opportunities I have had, not only for supplementing the knowl- edge I was earning the degree for, but for actually preparing me for the field of librarianship. At the same time, those opportunities are not available to every student, much less built into most MLIS programs. Indeed, the University of Washington MLIS program required students to pay for a credit-bearing Capstone project in which we provided labor and ideas to spon- sors. We paid to work! No wonder a question that hounded many of us students was: Why is there such a lack of support for models such as funded apprenticeships and practicum, when such hands-on learning is beneficial? Why does hiring prioritize the LIS degree over work experience? How can we pivot away from a superficial professionalization of librarianship and disillusionment of early-career librarians, and toward genuine training and purposeful work? These big questions will no doubt continue to be raised, but libraries should lead by example by at least clearing the low bar of compensating students for their work. Kae Bara Kratcha: Fall 2021 marked my second time supervising in and my third ex- perience with the Ask A Librarian Internship program. My first experience was in spring 2016, when I was an MLIS student and interned with Columbia Libraries. It is certainly possible that having this semester-long internship on my CV helped me secure a full-time librarian position at Columbia in 2018 when I was hired, but the experience of interning was stressful, expensive, and, honestly, a bit bewildering. When I was accepted for the internship, I was required to enroll in a course with my MLIS institution that would provide course credit in exchange for my time: one day working on a project on-campus and one 4-hour weekend or evening shift of chat reference per week. I enrolled in the internship and submitted the necessary paperwork to Columbia. However, when it came time to pay tuition for that semester, I could not afford the extra credits as a part-time student with two other jobs. I dropped the class, never told Columbia, and kept commuting the hour to and from campus and logging in for chat reference every week. Ultimately, I could afford to work for free as long as I was not also paying for internship course credits. I wonder how many smart, interesting, and innovative internship candidates have been missed out on because those potential interns could not afford to work for free. Now that I work at Columbia Libraries full time, I see how valuable my labor and the labor of my fellow interns was to the institution. I am angry that we were expected to not only work October 2022 388C&RL News for free but to pay tuition money to provide our labor to an Ivy League library system. I am thrilled that the Ask A Librarian internship now pays interns for their work. Paying interns makes our internship program more equitable by ensuring that interns do not need to be able to afford to work for free and pay for course credits to participate. Paying interns also positions interns as what they have always been: capable library workers pursuing additional credentials who bring their own skills and ideas. In my most recent Ask A Librarian Internship experience I worked with Karen on an online curating project. This “supervisory” experience was actually an experience of gaining a colleague and learning through collaboration. Takeaways and recommendations Considering the first year of offering this redesigned internship program, we identified two major contributors to the program’s success: (1) offering the internship with compensation and fully remotely and (2) opening the opportunity to not only current library science students but recent graduates as well. Remote work during nights and weekends provides a flexible work mechanism for library school students, recent graduates, and undergraduates who are looking for a part-time paid job.2 Reasonable pay combined with the ability to conduct the internship from anywhere in the United States not only creates an opportunity for applicants whose options for gaining experience may be limited by geography, but also results in an extremely strong applicant pool. We expect this would remain true for full- time professional positions as well; competitive pay and offering remote or hybrid work would greatly increase a job’s reach and the number of viable candidates. In fact, the most common question we received from applicants was, “Do you know of similar opportunities that are paid and remote?” Opening the internship to recent graduates as well as current students was also highly beneficial. This allows interns to gain further experience prior to a full-time professional role and helps to fill gaps in the MLIS curriculum. An important component of the internship’s success was advertising the opportunity to library schools across the country, which made it possible to reach current students and alumni networks. This program represents just one attempt to provide new librarians with meaningful experience and connections, and is not without its faults—as a short-term position, it is still a form of precarious and unstable employment—but we hope it will encourage other libraries to consider how their existing programs and professional development can be made more accessible and equitable.3 Notes 1. Karly Wildenhaus, “Wages for Intern Work: Denormalizing Unpaid Positions in Archives and Libraries,” Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies 2, no. 1 (2019), https://doi.org/10.24242/jclis.v2i1.88. 2. Damaris Juarez and Elizabeth Blackwood, “Virtual Undergraduate Internships: One COVID-19 Side Effect That Academic Libraries Should Keep,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 22, no. 1 (2022): 81–91, https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2022.0010. 3. Adena Brons, Chloe Riley, Ean Henninger, and Crystal Yin, “Precarity Doesn’t Care: Precarious Employment as a Dysfunctional Practice in Libraries,” in Libraries as Dysfunc- tional Organizations and Workplaces, ed. Spencer Acadia (Milton Park, Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge Press, 2022). https://doi.org/10.24242/jclis.v2i1.88 https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2022.0010 October 2022 389C&RL News Academic Library Workers in Conversation This article marks the launch of Academic Library Workers in Conversation, a new bi- monthly C&RL News series focused on elevating the everyday conversations of library pro- fessionals. The wisdom of the watercooler has long been heralded, but this series hopes to go further by minimizing barriers to traditional publishing with an accessible format. Each of the topics in the series were proposed by the authors and they were given space to explore. We encourage you to follow and share these conversations about transforming libraries with ideas from the frontlines. This issue’s conversation with Jamia Williams focuses on profes- sionalism and how libraries refuse to get out of their own way.—Dustin Fife, series editor Jamia Williams (JW): The idea of professionalism often comes up in conversations. Dustin, I wanted to talk to you about the weaponization of professionalism, and I realize that there are layers to this concept. The notion of professionalism brings to mind communica- tion styles, dress codes, email etiquette, collegiality, boundary setting, and so much more. One of the times that I can remember when my professionalism was in question started when I asked my supervisor, “What is the dress code?” I asked this question because I saw people wearing different types of clothing, and I wanted to ensure that I was not the one to violate the rules since I know that as a Black woman, I am being watched. I was told it was business casual, and an explanation of what business casual means occurred soon after. The way my supervisor explained this to me was confusing and made me think she didn’t think I knew the definition of business casual. I wish I could say this was my last encounter where my professionalism was in question, but it was not. I think the idea of professionalism is a slippery slope, especially when it comes to communication via email. People’s tone and intentions can be misconstrued. As someone that was called “disrespectful and harsh” via email, it has been terrifying and disappointing navigating the rules of “email etiquette” in academic libraries. Dustin, what are your thoughts on the idea of professionalism? Dustin Fife (DF): Jamia, I think it is kind to call professionalism a “slippery slope,” I can think of much harsher and more disrespectful terms that I would use. As a White man in academia, I have seen professionalism used to police people, without it ever being used to regulate me. In librarianship, I have only ever seen it used to control people, rather than elevate them. Professionalism is the cudgel of the status quo that is wielded selectively and subjectively. I’m sure it is clear that I am not a fan of “professionalism” as it currently exists, Jamia Williams is health sciences librarian at SUNY Brockport, email: jwilliams@brockport.edu, and Dustin Fife is college librarian at Colorado College, email: dfife@coloradocollege.edu. © 2022 Jamia Williams and Dustin Fife Jamia Williams and Dustin Fife The weaponization of professionalism Abolishing unwritten rules and unknowable work cultures mailto:jwilliams@brockport.edu mailto:dfife@coloradocollege.edu October 2022 390C&RL News and I believe that is because I have never seen it deployed in a way that benefits people directly, rather than just the institution or administration. I recently witnessed a colleague bemoan the loss of “professionalism,” then immediately and aggressively play “devil’s advocate” to undercut valid points that coworkers were making about the historical problems with these concepts. To me that was the ultimate embodiment of professionalism in libraries. For that colleague, professionalism is whatever they say it is in the moment, and not something that is actually attainable. Just reading that you, as a Black woman, know that you are being watched and that profes- sionalism is one of the tools of surveillance, makes me wonder if there is anything salvageable about the concept of professionalism. I know I want to foster kindness and collaboration in my own workspaces, but it is not clear to me what role “professionalism” plays in that. So I would start from there; by asking you, is there anything useful about professionalism that helps library workers to begin with? JW: Wow! Such a great question. In my opinion, there isn’t anything useful about the idea of professionalism and how it is used in academic libraries. Abolish professionalism! I second what you said about fostering a workplace where kindness and collaboration are the centers of our interactions. When we lead with kindness, it is not a tool used to police or demean someone; it is used to engage with someone in a meaningful way. So I think it is time to go beyond this idea of professionalism. For me, the idea of professionalism as an early-career librarian has been problematic because it has erased my past career experiences. People think of “early career” and assume someone’s first career. Before becoming a librarian, I had an entire career. My life experiences and past work experiences accompany me to any job. Therefore, this needs to be considered, and people need to get to know the folks coming into their libraries before making assumptions. Professionalism is used as a gatekeeping mechanism by people who have an urge to con- trol people. I feel like so many people working in academic libraries have not healed from their own professional trauma, so they find a way to hurt others. As the saying goes, “hurt people hurt people.” So if people don’t dress a certain way or don’t speak a certain way, or don’t look a certain way, then it is a problem. I wish that there weren’t these unwritten rules that we all had to navigate. I would love the space to imagine something different. Dustin, do you have any thoughts on what it would look like if academic libraries got rid of the idea of professionalism? DF: Abolish professionalism! And to be clear, by kindness, Jamia, I assume neither of us are talking about the “niceness” that destroys lives by never confronting oppression or resisting the status quo. That type of “niceness” is the epitome of our current systems of professionalism. I can imagine a way forward without professionalism because I have seen glimpses of it in my career. I have had the opportunity to work on projects with teams that modeled a better way. In those groups we were allowed to define our shared values and our working parameters. They were not defined by just one or two of us, but through consensus we cre- ated working terms. We said things such as “we value collaboration, honest feedback, and elevating new voices.” Importantly, we didn’t stop there, we defined as a group what those ideas meant to us, and what they did not mean. I mentioned someone playing “devil’s advocate” earlier. It always sticks with me that in one of those situations we agreed that the practice of disagreeing just for the sake of disagree- October 2022 391C&RL News ing was not honest feedback, but intellectual dishonesty. A way to say things you thought without having to take responsibility. This type of value-driven collaboration is the way to move beyond professionalism in my experience. A way to move beyond meaningless gate- keeping to inclusive practice. What do you think of that type of intentionality rather than the amorphous specter of professionalism, Jamia? JW: Dustin, I love this type of intentionality because it honors people for their individual- ity and what they bring to the table. This intentionality helps create an environment where people are not trying to guess expectations or norms. This should lead people to reflect on what they need and how they like to be supported. I do not like it when someone says “to play devil’s advocate,” this phrase puts me on edge. You were so right that this is used as a way to disagree, just to disagree. I understand that conflict will happen, so being conflict-avoidant is not helpful either. I think that academic libraries should lean into the notion that conflict will occur. However, I understand that stereotype threat has stopped me from speaking my truth in the past because I didn’t want to be seen as angry. Therefore, I had to realize that I wouldn’t get what I needed if I didn’t speak up. I don’t think people realize the extra labor that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), along with other marginalized people working in academic libraries, carry in the name of professionalism. Dustin, where do we go from here? DF: We start with something you said earlier. Even within this short conversation, it is clear that we must abolish professionalism in the academic library. It is a set of mostly unwritten rules that are imbued with toxicity and White supremacy. We must abandon the vague ideas that support only the institution and the privileged, in order to build something that is effable and able to elevate the diverse communities in the library. Professionalism is a system begging people to fail. Manya Whitaker, in her incredible book Public School Equity, notes that “school policies should be designed to facilitate success, not in anticipa- tion of failure.”1 Strict codes marginalize and lack trust, unwritten codes are impossible and demoralizing. Both of these systems can claim equality for all involved through equal treatment, but they ignore equity and the way that the systems penalize anyone who does not look like me. Abolish professionalism in favor of shared values and sincere commitment to each other while at work. This is hard, because unwritten rules are easy. The status quo will always protect and rep- licate itself and it takes no effort from you or me. But to move forward, we cannot make small adjustments to rancid systems. We have to start from scratch, and we have to build together. I’ve seen people be punished for the way they dress, the way they speak, the way they look, and even the way they smell. That is what professionalism is, it is utter arbitrari- ness. The only way forward is starting over completely. I know that seems improbable, but it is the only way. Any final thoughts on professional- ism, Jamia? JW: I want to end with the notion that abolishing professionalism might be considered radical and unrealistic. But it is possible, I have seen it when collaborating with others from different academic libraries. There is freedom when people don’t have to worry about the way in which they show up. Seeing someone feel comfortable letting their guard down is October 2022 392C&RL News inspiring and motivating. I hope that we truly look at how professionalism is weaponized and how it is used to control and isolate those who do not comply. A question that needs to be considered is why is this concept important to academic libraries? If you answer that we have always done it this way or they need to learn how things are done here, then the root is cultural assimila- tion. Therefore, professionalism must be abolished, and we must create an environment of kindness, inclusivity, and collaboration. If academic libraries want to be champions of diversity, this is where it begins. Note 1. Manya Whitaker, Public School Equity: Educational Leadership for Justice (New York: Norton, 2022).