CHICO PUBLIC LIBRARY TO PARTICIPATE IN PLA INCLUSIVE INTERNSHIP INITIATIVE

Through III, PLA is sponsoring paid, mentored public library internships for 50 high school juniors and seniors from diverse backgrounds during the summer of 2017. With individual guidance from a mentor, each intern will engage with multiple facets of library life, from administration to programming to user services, at libraries across the U.S. PLA will collaborate with the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the American Library Association's Office for Diversity, Literacy & Outreach Services (ODLOS) and the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), to ensure that the internship provides a well-rounded view of librarianship. III will kick-off June 16-17 in Washington D.C. with a welcome from Dr. Carla Hayden followed by a two-day master class.

“Public libraries value equity, diversity and inclusion, and it is important that these values are reflected in the staff of public libraries, but our profession has struggled to achieve this goal,” points out PLA President Felton Thomas, Jr. “To attract the best candidates who reflect the diversity of our communities, we believe it is necessary to build awareness more broadly, and to present librarianship as a viable, rewarding, and meaningful career path, which is precisely what the Inclusive Internship Initiative is all about.” 

“As libraries continue to evolve it is important for us to reach out to young people who may have an outdated notion of the role libraries fill in their communities,” notes CPL Director Michelle Slonaker. The public libraries of today are no longer the silence filled monuments to massive collections of books where children must be tightly monitored for fear of sticky fingerprints. Rather, we strive to be the center of the community by providing access not only to books, movies, and music but to a world of lifelong learning through continual exploration and discovery. The III program will allow participants to discover that a career in library services can be exciting and rewarding and that librarians can powerful impact on the communities they serve.”

As a participant the in the III program, CPL will receive funding to host two interns for ten weeks during the summer. Funding includes the cost of travel to Washington D.C. and Chicago. Those wishing to apply for the program must be a current high school junior or senior currently residing in Wise County. Applications are available at Chico Public Library or here All applications must be submitted to the library no later than 5:00 pm on Monday, May 29th. For more information contact Michelle Slonaker (940) 644-2330