ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 110 / C&RL News ■ February 2000 College & Research Libraries news The training of international librarians How to host a successful internship by Yvonne de Souza E d u c a tio n for lib ra ria n sh ip in N orth America involves preparation by means of a formal program of studies at the en which a degree (such as the MLS) or a di­ ploma (such as that for paraprofessionals) is obtained. While a professional degree is the required education for a professional position in North America, the cost of obtaining this in North America could be exorbitant for students from other countries. Apart from tuition costs, there are living expenses and airfare to consider. Governments of developing countries may not be able to afford the high costs of a post­ graduate degree program and there are very limited sources of funds from aid agencies. Often library personnel seek further train­ ing, having undergone library education in their hom e country w here this education (and not necessarily an MLS) serves as ad­ mittance into the profession. The level of English required to undertake an MLS pro­ gram could be a major deterrent for librar­ ians abroad. A North American librarian conducting training in another country would be a less expensive model. However, training in North America, no matter how short the program, offers the opportunity to observe how librar­ ies in North America operate and gives in­ sight into the standards in technical and pub­ d o lic services. Libraries can play a role in the education of international librarians. f This article documents the experiences of an internship at Columbia College, an inter­ n a tio n a l liberal arts c o lle g e lo c a te d in Vancouver, and presents suggestions to librar­ ies that may be interested in hosting interna­ tional library staff. The trainee was from the Center for Oceans Research Information in Vietnam. The m andate of the information center is to provide information for m anage­ ment decisions in the area of marine-related issues. The project was funded by the Cana­ dian International Development Agency. Tu­ ition, air transport, and a per diem allow­ ance sufficient to pay for accommodations and other living expenses for the trainee were covered by the funding. The training period was three months. P la n n in g th e p r o g r a m Limited funding sources coupled with the high costs of training librarians from differ­ ent countries in North America, make it im­ perative that the program be thoroughly planned, yet allow for a degree of flexibility and that strategies be put in place to ensure success. Use o f b a c k g r o u n d in fo r m a tio n As most internships are shorter than a formal About the author Yvonne de Souza is h e ad librarian a t Colum bia College in Vancouver, British Colum bia; e-m ail:ydesouza@columbiacollege.bc.ca mailto:ydesouza@columbiacollege.bc.ca C&RL News ■ February 2000 / 111 program o f study, maximum use o f time is crucial. To develop an effectiv e training schedule, the trainer cannot work in a vacuum with regard to the trainee’s background. The trainer should have: • knowledge o f the trainee’s background, language ability, skills, and knowledge (for example, does the trainee have experience with Windows?), • knowledge o f the type o f library or in­ formation center that the trainee is from or will be working in upon return, • a good understanding o f the duties that the trainee will be performing, and • an awareness o f the conditions o f the trainee’s work environm ent (for exam ple, what telecommunications infrastructure e x ­ ists? Is there a good Internet connection?). The trainee should be asked to provide an outline o f education, training, and work prior to arrival in North America. This could be in the form o f a resume. Details regarding the information center under development and the mandate o f the information center can also be provided by the trainee’s organi­ zation or from an overall project coordina­ tor, if there is one. E n g lish la n g u a g e a b ilitie s While many international students have En­ glish language abilities, the level o f this abil­ ity may need upgrading. An innovative ap­ proach w ould be to incorp orate English language training into the internship. An aca­ demic library could work with the English Language Department of the institution to fit the trainee into an appropriate level. Columbia College Library was fortunate in this regard, as the English Language Cen­ ter is an extension of the college and its prox­ imity to the library facility was convenient for the trainee. While improvements in lan­ guage ability over such a short period o f time would probably be modest, this improvement in speaking, writing, and reading abilities in English would: • enhance the acquisition o f library-re­ lated knowledge, • improve the absorption o f content in­ formation (marine resources), • enable the trainee to adjust better to her new environment, and • provide substantial opportunity for the trainee to mingle with language students from many other countries and to acquire a m ea­ sure o f confidence in communicating with library and other academic staff as a result of becom ing familiar with North American fig­ ures o f speech. C h oice o f tra in in g lo catio n s The choice o f an appropriate library venue could offer inherent advantages. Trainers and libraries considering an internship program, may wish to move away from a single venue for training. A combination o f carefully ch o ­ sen library venues can open up the door to a broader training experience, allowing each library involved to concentrate on what it does best. For example, a trainee wanting to learn how to set up and manage a small informa­ tion center could spend about two-thirds time in a small library and observe how different areas o f the library operate and are interre­ lated, and the rest o f the time in a library with a specialized collection of interest to the trainee. In the case o f the internship under­ taken by Columbia College, the trainee was from an organization that deals with marine- related issues. The training took place at two locations: • two months at the college. (This allowed ample opportunity to interact with the trainer and mentor, work in different aspects o f li­ brary operations, and observe the adoption of new technologies in smaller libraries and their impact on the delivery o f services), and • one month at a special library whose subject collection (m arine resources) was closely related to that o f the trainee’s work environment. This period allowed the trainee to work with specialized subject resources and to continue practicing the use o f appli­ cable software (e.g., Procite) already in place in the trainee’s information center. C u sto m iza tio n Internship often calls for customization, as trainees may have undergone training in their home country and may wish to focus on one area o f library and information work. This particular internship was unique in several respects. The training in Canada was pre­ ceded and followed by input and assistance from a Canadian librarian, who was the co ­ ordinator o f the information com ponent of a larg er p ro je c t (V ietn am -C an ad a O ce a n s 112 / C&RL News ■ February 2000 Project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency). Working with the e x ­ ecutive administrators in Vietnam, gave this librarian the advantage o f bein g ab le to present a librarian’s perspective on the orga­ nization and running o f the center’s library. P re lim in a ry in te rv ie w Although information about the trainee may have been gathered, a personal interview is recommended, the purpose being to: • explain the content and nature o f the internship; • inform the trainee o f the trainer’s e x ­ pectations (hours o f attendance, readings, ac­ tivity log, and a final short report to include a few specific applications that the trainee would expect to implement on return to the trainee’s information center); • to verify the trainee’s objectives /require­ ments; and • to find out what particular areas/topics the trainee would like to see added and to ask for feedback after the trainee has had the op­ portunity to examine the training schedule. S tra te g ie s C o n g e n ia l tra in in g e n v ir o n m en t. During the internship, the trainee should be regarded as a member o f the library staff and keep the same hours. The trainee should be given a good amount o f work space, preferably a separate com puter workstation, stationery, and access to a photocopier. Borrowing privi­ leges and a personal e-mail account should be made available. A supportive and posi­ tive learning environment can make a differ­ ence to the trainee’s experiences. C on ten t-b ased lea r n in g experien ces. In this case, the broad subject area o f o cean re­ sources policy and legislation was the sub­ ject base around which the various activities revolved. W hether using search engines, cre­ ating and arranging bookm arks or creating records for the organization and retrieval of Web sites, in-depth indexing for improved access, the material sought was within the broad s c o p e o f the su b ject areas o f the trainee’s library marine-related issues. O ne particularly relevant exercise was the use o f the ASFA (Aquatic Sciences and Fish­ eries Abstract) thesaurus in indexing marine- related resources. A content-based framework ties together different activities. Activity log. Keeping an activity log should be considered. In this instance, it was help­ ful as it com pelled the trainee to write in English. The trainee also compiled readings, notes, and worksheets. The package served not only as a log o f what the trainee did, but also as a reference tool for the trainee’s fu­ ture use. Cataloguing/indexing tem plates (e s p e ­ cially o f relevant format types), notes, useful Web sites collected by the trainee, and mail lists addresses were typical items. Keeping a log also helped the trainee to have a sense o f accomplishment. P e rio d ic ev a lu a tio n . Even thorough plan­ ning may not result in a perfect training sched­ ule. However, if periodic evaluation is built into the program, it can provide the oppor­ tunity for the trainer to modify sections o f the program to accom m odate special needs that the trainee may have expressed and thus ensure that the content, focus, and m ethod­ ology are in line with the objectives. T u to ria ls, re a d in g s, and a s s ig n m e n ts Apart from practical experience, readings and assignments can enrich the internship. The trainer can ch oose to have these com pleted at home. The trainee could be asked to do som e research and identify useful articles, providing excellent opportunities to use da­ ta b a ses (su ch as “CARL,” “P ro q u e s t,” or “EbscoH ost”) within the library or at another library. Having the trainee com plete this at hom e reinforces things learned during the day and helps the trainee focus on the train­ ing program and not feel hom esick. Tutorials can take place once a w eek or once a fortnight and provide the opportunity for the trainee to raise questions, seek clarifi­ cation, and engage in discussion with the li­ brarian (and mentor) who is overseeing the internship. S ite v is its Site visits could easily turn into just a visit. If structure is built in, albeit a loose one, it in­ troduces a focus. A site visit could be one where the trainee searches databases that are not available to the host library. While several types o f libraries can be in­ cluded, one o f them should be a library that is similar to the library that the trainee is from. C&RL N e w s ■ F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 / 113 It was fortunate in this instance that the Pa­ cific Salmon Commission Library could ac­ commodate a visit, as the nature o f the co l­ lection was o f great interest to the trainee. Trainees can prepare for library tours or visits by obtaining a brief description o f the library/information center and the clientele it serves. The preparation can also take the form o f encouragem ent to ask questions and guidance as to the kinds o f questions that the trainee can raise and what specific things to observe during the visit. It was noted that on a site visit late in the training period, the trainee was more vocal and displayed greater confidence in asking questions o f the host librarian than on an earlier visit, attesting to the value o f the En­ glish-language training. Ease of adjustm ent The trainee should be met upon arrival at the airport and accom panied to the home where he or she will be living. The level of anxiety that the trainee is anticipated to face, having to confront the unfamiliar, should be kept to a minimum. For many, it may be the first time away from home and even the mun­ dane escalator can be a novelty. Meeting a trainee before the program b e­ gins can melt the ice and enable the trainer to obtain some insight into the trainee’s person­ ality, likes, dislikes, and special needs. It is a good idea to allow a few days as “free” time to get over jet lag and settle in. Homestays should be selected on the basis of ease o f obtaining public transport to and from the training sites and the receptivity of the family to people of diverse ethnic origins. Inform ation helpful to trainees include places to shop for groceries, awareness o f seasonal prices, getting to know the transit system, and becom ing familiar with the legal tender. Social graces and etiquette are skills that the trainee may need to acquire quickly. Assistance beyond library matters is in­ deed time consuming yet crucial to the suc­ cess o f the program because it eases the anxi­ ety o f adjustment to North American life. Conclusion Libraries that are interested in taking on an internship program have to be aware o f the time and effort involved before undertaking such a program.1 W hether the internship fo­ cuses on a special area o f library operations or attempts to provide an overview o f library operations in North America, or a com bina­ tion o f both, there is no doubt that to ensure success, careful planning and the flexibility o f making necessaiy changes, coupled with a commitment o f time beyond regular train­ ing hours are key ingredients. T h e training period spent in a North American library provides a firsthand look at the standards that libraries in North America ad h ere to and p resents an en vironm ent w hereby the trainee can reflect on the appli­ cation o f certain procedures, services, and applications and envision possibilities for the trainee’s own library/information center. This way, there is more o f a sense o f participation and involvement. The success o f the internship at Colum­ bia College can be attributed to several fac­ tors: • incorporation o f English Language train­ ing; • practical nature o f the training program; awareness o f working conditions in trainee’s home country; • awareness o f professional needs o f the trainee; • a degree o f accountability; • highly customized training schedule to meet specific, realistic objectives; • content-based framework; • congenial atmosphere o f the training environment; • close contact with the trainers at both training locations • opportunity for feedback and modifica­ tion o f the program; and • follow-up activities headed by the Ca­ nadian librarian (project coordinator, infor­ mation resources component) on a return visit to help implement further developments. The library staff who participated at dif­ ferent levels benefitted from the contact in different ways. All staff learned about another culture. Daily communications were enliv­ ened. The professional staff who had greater contact with the trainee benefitted most from the exercise. For the trainer and mentor who formulated the training program and coordi­ nated it, a wealth o f experience was reaped. While training one librarian over such a short span o f time may seem insignificant in (continued on page 120) 120/C&RL News ■ February 2000 sources. A ccess: http://www.dpa.org.sg/DF/ databases.html. E lectron ic j o u r n a ls • D eaf M agazine. Compiles articles o f in­ terest on deafness and files o f information on such topics as cochlear implants. A ccess: http://WWW.Deaf-Magazine.Org/. • D eafN atio n .co m (D e a f n e w s p a p e r). Covers sports, news, classified ads, job mar­ ( “ACRL/H a r v a r d . . . ” c o n t in u e d f r o m p a g e 108) from sailing to off-site storage to pets to li­ cense agreements. Was it worth it? Yes. In our opening ses­ sion, Cliff Baden assured us that they “would not waste our tim e.” Time is precious and our time was very well invested. I left with a confidence that cam e o f sharing with a diverse cross-section o f academ ic library di­ rectors and upper managers from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. What did I learn? Foremost, I learned to reframe all major issues: to look at the politi­ cal, human resource, structural, and symbolic aspects of campus and library issues, and to explore solutions that take all four o f these views, or frames, into account. I discovered which frames come naturally and which I need to work on a bit more. I also learned to per­ ceive the leadership of other administrators in my institution using these frames. This helps me in my interactions. I learned about strate­ gic intent and why strategic planning can fall flat, despite the best of facilitators. I learned to laugh and tell stories that get laughs. I learned to take time to think and analyze. I learned to create a secure structure. I learned to pay at­ tention to the context, not just the content. I learned to set standards, have expectations, take risks. Not bad for a five-day institute! ( “The tra in in g . . . c o n t in u e d f r o m p a g e 1 1 3 ) the larger schem e o f things, it is nonetheless a worthwhile experience. As a result o f this internship, one more foreign information cen­ ter is running better and providing better ser­ vice than if this training never took place. Library staff development in this context complements other aspects o f the develop­ ment project o f which information service enhancem ent is an important part. The coor­ ket, maps to events, religion, mailing lists, and telnet sites o f interest to people with h e a r in g d i s a b il it ie s . A c c e s s : http:// www.deafnation.com/. D iscu ssio n g ro u p s • D eaf N otes. This is an electronic dis­ cussion group on issues of interest to people with hearing disabilities. A ccess: http://www. deafnotes. com/. ■ I also learn ed fascin atin g things like where Emerson and Thoreau (and Bill Gates, Tommy Lee Jo n e s, and Al G ore) lived as undergraduates. I learned the name o f the luminous green grass growing in my garden from the astounding glass flower exhibit at the Harvard Museum o f Natural History. And I learned that it’s very hard to eat lobster with plastic flatware! I was able to wander in bookstores. I ate dinner in the Henry Jam es House. I learned about the dominant Harvard finance principle o f “each tub on its own bottom .” I met creative librarians, impassioned pro­ fessors, and som e dynamic institute staff whom we all wanted to spirit away to our own cam puses. I met undergraduate and graduate students on the streets o f Cambridge and in the libraries o f Harvard. I am back, I am energized, and I think I have a new approach. The 1999 participants are hoping to have a reunion, since the class bonded so well, and we should have success stories to tell in a year or two. My sincere thanks go to Maureen Sullivan, Jo h n Collins, Althea Jenkins, and Cliff Baden who conceived the program and recruited the ste lla r facu lty: Lee B o lm a n , R obert K e e g a n , Mary L o u ise H a tte n , and Jim Honan.— M aryru tb Pb elps G log ow ski ■ dinator o f the information com ponent reports that visible progress is being made at the in­ formation center and the trainee maintains contact via e-mail. N otes 1. Nicoletta M. Hary and Francesca L. Hary, “Hosting an International Librarian,” C ollege a n d R e s ea r c h L ib ra ries News (March 1995): 162-164. ■ http://www.dpa.org.sg/DF/ http://WWW.Deaf-Magazine.Org/ http://www.deafnation.com/ http://www