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School of Information and Library Science
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
INLS 91 and INLS 299

CONTENTS

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

  • For Undergraduate Students: INLS 91: Information Science Internship (3). Prerequisites: Completion of INLS 40, INLS 50, and INLS 60 and permission of advisor. Supervised observation and practice in information science. The internship typically takes place in an information agency or an information technology company. Faculty-led seminars and a paper enhance the experience.

  • For Graduate Students: INLS 299: Professional Field Experience (3). Prerequisites: completion of 21 semester hours and permission of advisor. Supervised observation and practice in an information-related activity. The field experience typically takes place in a library or another information service agency. Faculty-led seminars and a paper enhance the experience.

GOALS

The professional field experience is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to work in a day-to-day professional environment under the supervision of an experienced librarian or information professional with the guidance of a School of Information and library Science (SILS) faculty member.

The program is also designed to promote positive interaction between practicing librarians and information professionals and the faculty and students of the school.

OBJECTIVES FOR THE STUDENT, THE SITE, AND THE SCHOOL

Professional field experience will allow the student to:
  • gain practical experience in using professional skills and knowledge
  • compare theoretical concerns with practice
  • interact and communicate with practitioners
  • develop professional self-awareness
  • attain an understanding of the context in which a sponsoring site provides service to its community
  • pursue a special professional interest
  • become aware of employment opportunities.

Hosting a field experience student will allow a sponsoring site to:

  • contribute to the education and professional development of new professionals
  • interact with the students and faculty of the School of Information and Library Science
  • analyze current operations and redesign for efficiency
  • explore new service ideas
  • develop and implement special projects
  • have additional professional-level assistance.

The School of Information and Library Science also benefits from field experience. It allows the School to:

  • promote a good working relationship with institutions, agencies, business and libraries
  • provide an addtional "hands-on" learning experience for students.

FIELDWORK AND INTERNSHIPS: CREDIT AND PAY

Fieldwork and internships are considered interchangeable terms in this document. Students doing fieldwork spend a minimum of 135 hours at the work site (the equivalent of 45 hours per credit hour) for a 3-credit experience. Students may register for up to six credits of field work but no more than three credits may be earned at any one site. Three credit hours of fieldwork generally translate to nine hours of work per week during a 15-week semester. The time on site does not have to be spread evenly across the semester but may be scheduled at times mutually convenient for the site and the student. A student may receive pay for the experience or may not, dependent on policies and resources at the host site. If pay is available, a fieldwork student may receive both credit and pay. Credit for a job at which the student is already working is not allowed. The fieldwork experience is intended to provide a new learning experience for the student. A new project or a distinctly different learning experience at an existing job may qualify.

EVALUATION AND GRADE

The site supervisor will evaluate the student's performance relative to the Fieldwork Agreement and general standards of professional performance (see Form). The student will discuss the evaluation with the site supervisor and sign the evaluation before giving it to the faculty supervisor. The faculty supervisor will review the experience with the student and recommend a grade of either "P," "L" or "F" to the fieldwork coordinator. As it is not possible to earn a high pass ("H") on field experience, the grade for it is not included in the grade calculation for the Beta Phi Mu honorary society.

SITES AND SELECTION OF SITES

Criteria for Qualified Site. A site (setting or experience) must meet three criteria in order to qualify as a fieldwork site:
  1. The fieldwork oppportunity must consittute a learning experience for the student.
  2. A practicing professional must agree to act as the student's site supervisor (see roles and responsibilities below).
  3. The student's work/project/tasks must be primarily of a professional or beginning professional nature.

Type of Site. A wide variety of learning situations are possible. The purpose for most students is to experience a work in a setting that will be similar to their plans post graduation and will allow "hands-on" learning. The field experience is an academic course and not a part-time job. The learning goals in the Fieldwork Agreement should reflect the educational intentions of the experience.

Site Selection. Sites will be identified in a variety of ways. Information organizations and information professionals may volunteer by contacting the fieldwork coordinator. The school may identify potential agencies and solicit their participation. Or a student may identify specific site and request permission to do fieldwork there. All new sites will be reviewed by the fieldwork coordinator or another faculty member to assure that they meet the criteria specified above.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 Student. The primary responsibility for designing a successful field experience rests with the student. Prior to beginning the fieldwork, The student will:
  • Select a site with the assistance of faculty and the fieldwork coordinate that meets the student's learning objectives.

  • Negotiate an initial agreement with the site. This involves identifying a willing site supervisor (an experienced information professional), agreeing to a general outline of activities during the fieldwork and an acceptable schedule.

  • Gain approval for the fieldwork from the student's faculty advisor.

  • Gain approval from a faculty member who will act as faculty supervisor for the fieldwork.

  • Register for the course by submitting the Site Intention Approval Form signed by the site supervisor, faculty, advisor, faculty supervisor and the Fieldwork Coordinator (see Form).

  • Develop a Fieldwork Agreement (the learning contract) identifying what the learning objectives are and one or more strategies to meet each objective. The Fieldwork Agreement is to be signed by the student, the site supervisor and the faculty supervisor (see Form). The agreement is to be completed prior to beginning the fieldwork.

During the field experience, the student will:

  • Fulfill the Fieldwork Agreement spending 135 hours at the site (for a 3 credit hour experience).

  • Maintain a daily reflective log of the experience outlining activities and events and providing a reflection (opinion, question, comment) on them. The log is submitted to the faculty supervisor after approximately 60 hours on site (about mid-way through the experience) have been completed. The log will trigger the faculty supervisor to arrange a site visit (or telephone conference call) to review the learning experience with the student and the site supervisor.

  • Participate in the required fieldwork seminar (three consecutive sessions) or the online discussion forum equivalent.

  • Select a relevant topic concerning an aspect of the experience. Upon approval of the topic compile a brief bibliography (6-10 readings) and write a 6-8 page paper on the topic. Submit paper to faculty supervisor.

At the end of the field experience, the student will:

  • Meet with the site supervisor to review his/her evaluation.

  • Meet with the faculty supervisor to review the paper and the overall experience.

  • Complete and turn in a site assessment form to the fieldwork coordinator.

Site Supervisor. Although the student is ultimately rsponsible for his/her own learning, the site supervisor has the major responsibility of ensuring that a professional work experience is provided for the student. The site supervisor offers professional guidance and facilitates learning opportunities for the student. Specifically, the site supervisor;

Faculty Supervisor. The faculty supervisor is the link between the School and the host site. Once a faculty member agrees to supervise a student's field experience, he/she will:

Fieldwork Coordinator. The fieldwork coordinator's responsibility is to ensure that the fieldwork experience works smoothly for the school, the various sites, and the students. The coordinator is responsible to:

GUIDELINES FOR THE FIELDWORK AGREEMENT

 Suggested Activities to be included in the Fieldwork Agreement. Each fieldwork is unique and governed by the learning objectives specified by the student, agreed to by the site supervisor, and approved by the faculty supervisor. Some suggested activities that might be included in the Fieldwork Agreement are listed below:
  • Orientation Activities. These activities are based on an introductory level of involvement rather than as activities that should be completed at the beginning of the field experience.

    1. Receive orientation to the work setting, to include introduction of co-workers; location of restrooms, vending machines, employee lounge; place to keep purse or other valuables; when and where to take lunch and breaks; general conduct expectations (eating/drinking at work station, radios or walkmans, etc.)

    2. Receive orientation to administration of department, to include work schedule; location of department policy and procedures manuals; how to use mail and any special policies; how to use specialized databases and any special policies on use; assignment of any needed system passwords.

    3. Receive orientation on aspects relating to attendance just as: whom to notify about illness or tardiness and when; adverse weather policy; expected attendance at meetings.

    4. Receive orientation on use of telephones, supplies, use of copiers, mail and housekeeping procedures and liaison.

    5. Arrange to nterview the top administrator at the site to learn philosophy, future plans, relationship of agency to larger setting.

    6. Attend meetings of outside agencies and special groups to learn ways in which the information agency provides services or might provide services.

    7. Confer with staff on topic of how institutional objectives and activities are reflected in resources and services.

  • Site Experiences. All students should have opportunities to:

    1. Cooperate closely and plan with a supervising professonal.

    2. Become informed about existing policies and their relationship to effective use of services and programs.

    3. Contribute to the maintenance of an atmosphere conducive to achieving the goals and objectives of the organization.

    4. Contribute unique talents to special projects.

    5. Become familiar with reports that are developed each year (e.g., annual reports, budgets) including how the information is gathered, processed, presented, routed and used.

    6. Discuss with the supervisor the criteria used to evaluate services and programs.

    7. Participate in activities in the user community, as appropriate.

    8. Use and improve professional skills.

  • Optional Site Experiences. These may apply only to certain sites.

    1. Consult with users in order to provide services to meet their particular needs.

    2. Encourage the development of cooperative services for user needs.

    3. Provide user instruction and reference service.

    4. Work intensively with one or more groups of users (i.e., storytelling, book talks, working with volunteers, designing a databse, creating an information and referral service).

    5. Design and produce media or software for special needs.

    6. Study for possible redesign the selection, arrangement and use of furnishings, equipment and space allocation.

    7. Take inventory and weed one part of a collection based on an analysis of strengths, weaknesses and relevance of items in light of current and projected programs and needs. Make recommendations for new acquisitions.

Developing the Fieldwork Agreement. Each student develops a learning contract, the Field Experience Agreement (FEA). Learning contracts provide a vehicle to make the planning of learning experiences a mutual undertaking between the learner and site and faculty supervisors. By participating in the process of determining needs, formulating objectives, choosing strategies, and evaluating accomplishments, the learner develops a sense of ownership of and commitment to the plan. The learning contract is also a means for making the learning objectives of the field experience clear and explicit for both the learner and the site supervisor. See Appendix A for a step by step method for developing the learning contract.

FORMS

Registration for fieldwork is initiated by the completion of a Site Intention Form

The statement of learning objectives and how the learning will be accomplished is detailed on the Field Experience Agreement. It should be signed by the site supervisor and the faculty supervisor and turned in the the fieldwork coordinator prior to the beginning of the experience.

A daily reflective log of the experience outlining activities and events and providing reflective comments on them is to be maintained for the first 60 hours of the experience and submitted to the faculty supervisor who will then arrange a site visit (or telephone conference call.

An assessment of the student's work is to be performed by the site supervisor at the completion of the required 135 hours of work on the Field Experience Evaluation. The particular learning objectives should be written in to Part I of the form.

On completion of the field experience, the student is to complete his/her own assessment of the experience and the site on the Student Field Experience Evaluation. This form is to be given to the Fieldwork Coordinator.

Last revised June 14, 2003.