When I applied to the University of Michigan, I also sent an application for the Library Associates program. This program allows MS students to work in one of the university’s libraries and get real life work experience while also paying for school. The associates receive:
- Full tuition waiver
- Half-time, two-year appointment at University Library (1035 hours per year) with a salary of $21,657.80 per year (adjusted annually)
- Eligibility to attend Library-sponsored workshops and training events
- Eligibility to choose from several health plans
- Enrollment in group life insurance
- Wages are exempt from Social Security tax
- Librarian borrowing privileges at the University Library, including free access to the 7-FAST Delivery Service
- Sixty hours of sick time per year
Pretty much you get tuition waived and a nice salary. While I didn’t apply in the Library & Information Services specialization of the Information School, I still think the associate position would be really interesting and rewarding.
Specifically, I think that emerging technologies could really make libraries more efficient. Since I have an interest in the information technology side of things, I think I could really contribute to the way that the library works.
I got an email a few days ago to schedule a phone interview for the position. I guess they liked the essay that I wrote. While I think that being offered the associate position is a long shot (there’s only one position open), I’m pretty glad they liked me enough to even set up a phone interview. Hopefully they’ll see me as a good fit for the position with my background in social computing programming and problem solving. I’ll be interviewing with them tomorrow, though I probably won’t know about a potential offer for a week or so.