Southern Library Support Staff Conference 2026

The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University employees 10-15 interns each year. These interns are spread across four departments (Research Services, University Archives, Collection Development, Technical Services) and two physical locations. Internships are designed to give students interested in libraries and archives experience with reference, public service, instruction, and processing. What these internships are not designed to do is facilitate connections amongst the interns or offer opportunities to build rapport and create networking opportunities with staff other than their direct supervisors.


This panel will discuss the evolution of intern engagement within the Rubenstein Library- recognition of the intermediate space interns inhabit in organizational hierarchies - more skilled than student workers, but less qualified than staff; the hard skills they are taught and the “soft-ish” skills they are expected to pick up; and how the earliest opportunities for establishing rapport and building networks must be seeded by staff.  Interns are future librarians, archivists, community activists, and leaders. The support we provide during their internships will play a critical role in their development as professionals and future colleagues.