NIEHS Library Internships

"The NIEHS internship educated me about the workings of a small scientific library. It provided much needed insight into the complex world of information needs and simultaneously helped me develop skills to make intricate information circumstances more discernable for information seekers. The knowledge gained at the NIEHS has definitely readied me for future work in an information-seeking environment"

"One of the good things about working here is that not only are the librarians available when problems arise, but new interns like me can count on those who have been here awhile and who are familiar with the kind of puzzles that come up."

"I have begun to feel reasonably confident about my ability to handle at least routine requests, although paradoxically I'm feeling a little subdued now that I realize how much information of a very sophisticated and technical nature a good reference librarian needs to master."

"My cataloging rotation has been a very good experience."

United States Environmental Protection Agency and
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Internship Program

NIEHS Library Internships
at Research Triangle Park, NC

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is one of the twenty-seven Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health which is a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is to reduce the burden of human illness and dysfunction from environmental causes by understanding how environmental factors, individual susceptibility and age affect human health and disease as well as how each of these elements interrelate. The NIEHS achieves its mission via multidisciplinary biomedical research programs, prevention and intervention efforts, communication strategies that encompass training, education, technology transfer, and community outreach

NIEHS is located on 509 rolling acres of rhododendron, oak, and pine in Research Triangle Park, and its main administrative offices and laboratories are situated on a large lake directly across from the Environmental Protection Agency. Current research at the Institute focuses on health disparities and hazards to the poor, women's health, lead poisoning in children, Alzheimers and other neurologic disorders, alternatives to animal testing, biomarkers, toxicogenomics, agricultural pollution, and birth and developmental defects, sterility, breast and testicular cancer.

The award-winning NIEHS Library serves primarily the 1,000 scientists and administrators at the Institute. Occupying about 6,000 square feet, the library has a bright, welcoming feel with a wall of windows that look out onto a beautiful view of the lake. The library's collection includes approximately 25,000 books and 500 current periodical subscriptions. Electronic access is available to about 300 of the library's titles, in addition to the hundreds of other titles available through the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center Library.

NIEHS facility in RTP

NIEHS Library

The serials intern is responsible for the daily management of the print serials collection, which involves the receipt, physical preparation, routing, shelving, and claiming of all currently received print serials. The intern uses the Serials Management Module in the library's integrated library system, Horizon, to create and maintain subscription, copy, routing, prediction and summary holdings records. The intern informs library staff of changes affecting any titles within the serials collection and is responsible for maintaining communication with the library's subscription vendor in the reporting and resolution of any claimed issues or other subscription related problems. The intern also assists in periodic deletion of materials according to the library's retention policies and prepares duplicate materials for donation to a variety of clearinghouses or other libraries.

NIEHS reference interns handle incoming patron requests posed both in person and via telephone, fax, or email. Familiarity with biomedical and toxicological resources is gained through day-to-day reference work. Additionally, reference interns routinely perform searches in databases such as Toxnet, Medline, ISI's Web of Science, and STN on behalf of NIEHS investigators. NIEHS reference interns are also responsible for updates to the library's Web site.

The cataloging intern is responsible for the creation of cataloging and classification records, as well as the physical processing of new monographic materials for the library's circulating and reference collections. The intern uses both the cataloging module of the library's integrated library system, Horizon, and the bibliographic utility, OCLC, to create, download, and maintain bibliographic and holdings records in MARC format. The intern also maintains the Authority File records associated with names, subjects and uniform titles, in accordance with Library of Congress practice. The intern assists in tasks associated with pre-order searching and bibliographic verification of titles to be procured for the collections, maintenance of the new books shelving area, processing of gift materials, reclassification, de-selection, and general database maintenance of the online catalog.

To inquire about internship opportunities, please contact:
April Errickson
Library Director, US EPA-RTP Main Library
UNC Contract Staff, C267-01
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Phone: 919-541-0094
errickson.april@epa.gov
Last updated: October 31, 2003