Feature Article
Gates Foundation Interns
Becky White
MLS Student
"Small public libraries have such limited funding. I'm happy to be part of the Gates Foundation efforts to bring to them the equipment and training that they need for their patrons. Also, I've worked in the field for a long time but I've only worked for one public library. I know that they all have different ways of doing things. I want to observe as much as possible.
When I read about the Gates Internship with the learning opportunity and the tuition benefit, my first thought was 'perfect!' I like computers. I like training people. I like visiting libraries."
Alberta Davis Comer
MLS Student
"This internship will help us become more computer literate and will allow us to teach library staff to overcome their fears of computer technology. They will be able to teach their patrons, who will then be able to use the technology to better their lives. And perhaps, they, too, will teach someone how to use the technology."
David Beed
Dual MLS/MIS Student
"Public libraries are a foundation for the community. I feel that the community can only be as strong as the library. The technology that we will help bring to the libraries will allow the people to see the world in a whole new light. Their views of the world will broaden and things will open up to them. I also like the idea that children will have access to more information. The information can help them to make more informed choices about careers, colleges, or opportunities they might have after they get out of high school.
The SLIS courses have taught me how to reflect on the people using the systems and not just the systems. I knew very little about the inner working of a library before SLIS, so my course work has brought me a long way in my understanding of the unique problems of the library."
Heather Blasco
MLS Student
"Public libraries are unique resources. They are one of the few institutions that offer free access to information to the people of their communities. In today's information age, having access to and possessing the skills to use computer technology are essential for finding much of the available information. Because many people cannot afford to have this access in their homes, or do not have the knowledge to use it, public libraries are one of the best forums for educating people about computers, the Internet, and other electronic resources.
First, public libraries need to be able to offer the access, then they can provide the education, and I want to be there. The excitement I feel when seeking out information first drew me to getting a master's degree in library science. Being able to use technology -- and being able to teach others in how to use it -- makes a librarian valuable to his or her institution as well as to the entire community. I want to be that valuable librarian. I want to pass on my information-seeking skills. Along the way, maybe, I can pass on some of my excitement for performing the search.
The opportunities Gates provides the interns are unmatched by any other internship program I have seen."
Dan Amonett
Ph.D. Student
"Knowledge is power! Libraries represent the free exchange of knowledge, which empowers citizens and communities. I hope that the work we do through the foundation will enhance the libraries' abilities to serve their patrons and expand horizons.
I have just completed my second year of doctoral course work and am hoping to conduct research around evaluation of the social impacts of technology usage. I would also like to look at the impacts of programs like the Gates Library Project on the digital divide."
Pamela Anderson
MLS Student
"What intrigues me most about my work with public libraries in the next year is a feeling of coming back home. I grew up in a very small town in northwestern Indiana. My earliest memories were of walking to the public library. The smell of the books is etched in my mind, and I recall reading every single biography the children's department held. I remember the enticement of walking upstairs to the 'Adult Department.' It was dark up there and lights were only turned on when you went into the stacks to find a book. At the time it seemed mysterious, forbidden, and alluring. I explored every nook and cranny of that library and loved it all. One would think that living in such a small town in a rural location I might feel very isolated. But I had the WORLD. I had books.
For the next year I will visit libraries that are very similar to the one in which I grew up. I will be able not only to evoke those powerful and wonderful memories of my childhood, but also give back to those libraries so they may provide those same opportunities to another generation of young people."
For more information, see the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
o www.gatesfoundation.orgIndiana State Library
o www.statelib.lib.in.usIndiana University's School of Library and Information Science
o www.slis.indiana.edu
See also:
Feature Article: Gates Foundation Interns Bridge the 'Digital Divide'
Posted December 14, 2001