The Environmental Protection Agency/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Libraries Internship Program: An Analysis of Former Interns' Careers

摘要

This study explores the career paths of former interns of the Environmental Protection Agency/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (EPA/NIEHS) Libraries internship program contracted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of lnformation and Library Science (SILS). A web-based survey was sent to 244 persons who participated in the EPA/NIEHS Libraries internship program. There was a 68% response rate. Results indicated that almost all former interns pursued careers in LIS for some length of time following their internships, and that most respondents currently work in academic or special libraries. Two thirds of respondents believed that their internship experiences had a strong or very strong impact on their careers. This study contributes to a small body of existing literature exploring the relationship between graduate-level LIS internships and participants' career paths, and will be of interest to all LIS educators.