An Overview of Research Library Residency Programs
Julie Brewer
University of Delaware Library

Research libraries have historically been difficult places for early career librarians to obtain employment. The highly specialized work, scholarly collections, and demanding promotion and tenure requirements generally limit employment opportunities to those with several years of library service and discipline-specific master's degrees in addition to the ALA-accredited MLS. Many research libraries have instituted residency programs to break down historical employment barriers. Research library residency programs allow institutions to attract early career librarians with current technology expertise and from diverse backgrounds who otherwise may not have considered careers in higher education.

Research libraries began experimenting with post-MLS work experience programs in the 1940s. In the 1980s a number of institutions targeted post-MLS programs to new MLS graduates from underrepresented groups to increase the diversity of their library faculty. In 1992, the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) established guidelines for residency programs. The guidelines defined a residency as a "post-degree work experience designed as an entry level program for professionals who have recently received the MLS degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association ,"1 distinguishing it from pre-MLS internship and mid-career fellowship work experience programs. Today there are approximately 20 research library residency programs.

Although residency programs vary in size, structure and focus, most programs are two years in length and targeted to new MLS graduates. Residencies are generally library-wide in focus providing a broad overview of services and operations, rather than being a narrowly specialized assignment that is typical of most entry-level positions. Most programs have one or two residents at a time or staggered each year. A few have groups of three to five or more residents at a time.

Residents and host institutions benefit from research library residency programs. Residents gain valuable professional work experience, participate in guided learning and mentoring opportunities, and explore various career goals. The host institutions benefit from the current technology expertise and perspectives of early career librarians. The regular infusion of new personnel also provides staffing flexibility to experiment with new services and respond quickly to change.

The Association for Research Libraries has provided important support for residency programs over the years. In 1996, ARL hosted two national seminars on "Implementing Post-Master's Residency Programs" to encourage the start of new programs and to facilitate communication among existing programs. Recommendations from the seminars on how to start residency programs were summarized in an ARL publication by Julie Brewer, "Implementing Post-Master's Residency Programs." Leading Ideas 4 (September 1998): 2-7 . Also as a result of the seminars, ARL established a residency database to assist new MLS graduates. The residency database has recently been enhanced and moved to a new address at http://residencies.arl.org/. ARL diversity initiatives and consulting services continue to support networking and development opportunities for residents and residency program coordinators. A new working group on residency programs has just been formed and welcomes interested participants. Please contact Jerome Offord, Jr. at jerome@arl.org for more information.  

1 "Guidelines for Practices and Principles in the Design, Operation, and Evaluation of Post-Master's Residency Programs." Library Personnel News 10 (May/June 1996): 1-3.

Marissa Galindo Alcorta

Diversity Fellow &

Visiting Assistant Professor of Library Science

Purdue University Libraries

Residency Programs: A Great Choice
LaVerne Gray

I chose to begin my career in academic libraries as a Minority Resident Librarian at the University of Tennessee Libraries. I learned of the program through the 2005 Association of Research Libraries Leadership Institute. The residency provides an intensive and challenging introduction to academic librarianship. The University of Tennessee provides a cohort experience, where three residents are hired at the same time. We built a special relationship and became a support network for one another.

I came into the program with no previous library experience. Now I feel equipped with the tools necessary to continue the next phase of my career in a dynamic environment. The approach of the program gives the residents the choice of working in different areas of the libraries the first year and concentrating their efforts in a single department for the second. After two years, I have had a variety of experiences. I have worked in reference and instructional services, the digital library, and special collections. I performed duties assigned in the different departments, attended conferences, served on committees, performed research, and presented at conferences. I am always stimulated and happily overwhelmed with all of the possibilities available with work and service.

The University of Tennessee Libraries Minority Residency Program afforded me the experiences I sought and enabled me to build a firm foundation to my career in academic libraries. I have been welcomed into the profession in a supportive environment that encourages diversity and seeks to create a space where one can find and contribute to the organization as a whole. My participation in the program trained me in a nurturing and challenging environment that is committed to diversifying the profession to better serve all users. I have a continued obligation to be an effective professional, acting as an example to those who come after me. In such a program, the benefits for the resident, librarian, and the profession are limitless. I truly feel I made the right decision to pursue a residency program.

Managing a Library Residency Program:
The University of New Mexico University Libraries Experience
Teresa Y. Neely, Ph.D., Director, Zimmerman Library, University of New Mexico

The purpose of the University of New Mexico (UNM) University Libraries (UL) Resident Program, as articulated by the library administration in 2002, is "to bring energy, creativity, and new ideas to the UL from recent library graduates and to provide opportunities to enter the profession with academic library experience, specifically for qualified diverse librarians." I have managed the Resident Program since assuming the position of Director of Zimmerman Library in early 2005. At that time, the program included an orientation to reference and instruction; the remaining opportunities were left undeveloped. One of my first tasks was re-envisioning the program to bring it more in line with the resident's job description, specifically the section that reads:

The resident will participate in an extensive orientation program that provides the opportunity to develop expertise in all aspects of an academic research library including research and instruction services, public and technical services, library administration, special collections, library research programs, and library technology.

In order to build a more structured program, I developed a comprehensive residency manual. In addition to the director of Zimmerman Library, this manual serves as the primary resource for the resident, to aid him or her in navigating the complex organization that is the UNM UL. The manual also articulates the purpose of the program and the specific responsibilities, duties, and expectations of the resident. (See Resident Manual at:http://elibrary.unm.edu/residentprogram/documents/UNMResidencyManual2007.pdf).

In order to get a handle on managing this program, it was crucial to plan carefully and comprehensively document procedures, expectations, and responsibilities--a critical part in the coordination of any project. Specific job duties and responsibilities that are required for managing the program at UNM include:

• An ongoing commitment to the program, and the willingness to advocate for it, educate about it, and continuously improve it.
• Serve as chair of the search committee each year--recruit, hire, orient, and mentor a new resident (usually brand new to the profession with no experience required)--each year. This process routinely yields 100+ applicants, of which we hire one. The search process, coupled with hiring a resident and bringing him or her on board makes managing this program a 365 day-a-year commitment outside of other branch director duties.
• Annually, or when major organizational or institutional changes occur, update the resident manual by contacting each branch director, department manager, and administrative unit in the UL to insure the orientation entry is current and inclusive. This year, I have invited the Health Sciences and Law Libraries to participate in the program.
• Solicit the entire UL for projects for the resident. Resident positions are guaranteed one year, with a possible one-year extension depending on the budget and a good performance evaluation. Projects give the resident tangible experience and exposure to some aspect of an academic research library and look good on their curriculum vitas.
• Protect the residents from themselves and from well-meaning colleagues. With a number of retirements and position vacancies due to transfers and a reorganization in Zimmerman Library, some UL staff expected the residents to fill in at the reference desk or do instruction (sometimes on their first day).
• Educate the UNM UL about the purpose of the program and the duties of the resident (See Web site at: http://elibrary.unm.edu/residentprogram/about.php).

Managing a residency program is an ongoing responsibility. It requires a sense of humor, patience, and perseverance, however, the rewards are well worth the effort.