CARLI Building Diversity Graduate Assistantship Program

History

The CARLI Building Diversity Graduate Assistantship Program (BDGAP) was established by the CARLI Board of Directors in 2021. Funding for its inaugural years in Academic Years 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 is provided by the University of Illinois System Office and the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI).

CARLI, together with its 128 Governing Member libraries, is offering two assistantship opportunities to persons from traditionally underrepresented minority groups who are enrolled in the master’s degree program in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The goal of this opportunity is to increase the number of minority student staff members at Illinois’ two and four-year, public and private college and university libraries.

Recipients of the 2023/2024 assistantships

Recipients of the 2022/2023 assistantships

Purpose

CARLI’s Building Diversity Graduate Assistantship seeks to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in Illinois academic libraries by supporting persons from traditionally underrepresented minority groups in assistantships. The assistantship will ultimately provide experience, mentoring, and networking to participants.

Program goal

The collaboration provides the student with a supervised experience working in academic library settings and learning skills to be applied to their future careers. The student will gain hands-on experience while integrating classroom theory into a working environment. The student will be able to network with librarians from different departments within each institution. All libraries will integrate the student into the daily workflow, allowing the student to accompany and assist librarians in their assigned departments and/or roles.

Applicant eligibility

Candidates awarded the assistantship must be enrolled in the Leep Online MS Library and Information Science (MS/LIS) program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Information Sciences at the time of application. Applicants must be enrolled in at least 10 credit hours. Applicants must be able to travel to and work onsite at CARLI member libraries.

Availability, working hours, and rate of pay

• Two assistantships will be available beginning in the Fall 2024.
• Each assistantship will last 2 semesters (one semester at selected member library) and assistants will work:
  • 10 hours per week at a CARLI Governing Member library for the Fall 2024 semester (16 weeks or 160 hours total)
  • 10 hours per week at a CARLI Governing Member library for the Spring 2025 semester (16 weeks or 160 hours total)
• Work must be completed onsite at each CARLI Governing Member library. Any hybrid or remote arrangements (if available) will made between the GA and the host library. Any necessary travel to and from the host libraries is at the student's expense.
• The libraries will work with the student in scheduling time at each library between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the semester.
• The BDGAP CARLI Governing Member host libraries for Fall 2024/Spring 2025 will be determined based on their proximity to the selected applicants.
• Monthly rate of pay is $1,226.67 for 10 hours per week, 25% time (this will be update to reflect pay rates for 2024-2025)
• Appointment duration is August 26–December 19, 2024, for the Fall 2024 Semester; January 21–May 15, 2025, for the Spring 2025 Semester.
• The student will spend approximately 320 hours total between the two libraries.

Tuition and course credit

Assistants will receive resident base rate tuition waivers for each semester and will be responsible for any additional fees or out of state tuition balance. Course credit is not offered for the BDGAP.

Projects, reports, performance appraisals, and final presentation

A project to serve both serve the needs of the library and the interest of the student can be designed, but a project for its own sake is not mandatory. Two performance appraisals will be conducted, one at the midpoint of the semester, and a final appraisal. Students will be required to submit two brief reports,one at the midpoint of the semester and one at the end of the semester, outlining their activities and how these activities enhance their work at each library. A final presentation to CARLI by the student comparing the experience at the two libraries is also mandatory.

Selection of Graduate Assistants

Selection of GAs is based on a comprehensive review of the application materials. Members of the CARLI DEI Task Force will make the final hiring recommendations, with offers extended no later than April 22, 2024. Candidates must submit a complete application packet as defined below.

Apply for the Assistantship

The job announcement and application instructions have been posted to the Assistantship Job Announcement.

Questions

Margaret Chambers, Membership and Communications Director, CARLI

Anne Craig, Senior Director, CARLI: abcraig@uillinois.edu