What is it like working with the Gates Foundation?

IU's SLIS interns each have a story to tell

• Alberta Comer, MLS student

"Training was very intense, so much information in such a short time! The best thing about it was the Foundation staff; they are absolutely wonderful. Knowing that all of these wonderful trainers and service people are there to help in case of problems certainly gives me a feeling of confidence. I also feel like I am part of a bigger ‘movement,’ in other words, bridging the digital divide. It makes me feel like I am part of a solution that will benefit all of American society in that, by bridging the digital divide, the U.S. becomes a more equal and equitable society."

"This internship will help us become more computer literate and will allow us to teach library staff to overcome their fears of computer technology so that 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,” said Comer. “I see it as a continuum that just goes on and on."

"I know first hand what it is like to be faced with the daunting project of learning technology and then teaching this knowledge to others," she recalls, "At the University of Tulsa, I was the person chosen to learn the new computer system and then I taught the rest of the staff about the system. I cried every night during that week’s worth of training. How could I possibly ever do this job? But I did and I grew to love it. I want to assure people that they too can learn computer technology and benefit from it. I am looking forward to the experience of seeing people grow in their knowledge and in their comfort level of working with computer technology."

Comer plans to work in a local library for the next six years after completing the Gates Internship and after graduation from SLIS. Afterwards?

"My husband and I plan to move to the Southwest and do volunteer work on a Native American reservation. Not only do we love the Southwest, but since I am Choctaw and Cherokee and since I grew up so very poor, I am really interested in teaching and learning in this setting."

Perhaps she’ll team up again with the Gates Foundation. They fund a Tribal Outreach Project.

"When I read the goals of the Gates Foundation I had one of those moments I have heard described as an ‘ah ha’ moment,” she said. “You know, one of those moments captured in a cartoon picture with the light bulb clicking on over the person’s head. That is what it felt like. The foundation’s goals are ones that really captured my imagination. "I hope to learn more about computers and to learn more about how to teach people to use and be at ease with computer technology," Comer said."I am sure this experience will be like many others in which I have participated. Learning will be a two-way street and I will learn as much as the people who I am teaching. I am very grateful to SLIS and to the Gates Foundation for this wonderful opportunity."

• David Beed, MLS/MIS student

"The Gates Foundation is great," said Beed, "The people are so friendly and forgiving (especially of my numerous scheduling mistakes). Trainers that I have worked with have all been so positive about what they are doing and about us as interns. They have all had so much information and experience to share as well as high praise for how much we can help Indiana over the next year. It is also nice being from the state and going to school at SLIS. I kind of feel like an ice breaker between the two worlds of the library and the Gates Foundation"”

"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

"For me, most of the technical stuff, like networking information about the different types of cables, IP addressing, etc., was new. I now have a good foundation of knowledge of how networks work and how to troubleshoot in a logical way,” said Blasco. “The Gates Foundation is a very organized, well run group. We could tell that when we were in Seattle; they treat their employees very well. Also, I have heard from librarians that it has been the easiest, most organized grant process they have dealt with. The foundation does things when they say they are going to do it and the librarians appreciate that.”

“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."

• 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."

The Gates Foundation?"“Smooth--they're first class."

• 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 alas, 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,” she said. “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."

“I did not have much experience with computers before the internship,” said Anderson. "However, the training was excellent and I was able to retain much of what I learned there and have already been able to apply it. Probably the most exciting part for me was the hardware training. I learned how to take the computer apart and put it back together again. It was very empowering."

She continues: "I also learned how to set up user profiles and set up securities and policies. Now, I understand how computers, printers and content servers are networked. The most important thing I learned was how to troubleshoot problems. I have already had the opportunity to use this in the field and it has been invaluable."

• Dan Amonett, Doctoral student, information science

“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."

Regarding the Gates Foundation program: "It is a perfect blending of my interest in philanthropy and technology. The internship will allow me to continue my work of helping communities in need while gaining valuable IT experience.”

The Gates Foundation “is phenomenal,” Amonett said. "The smoothness of the operation logistically is impressive. For such a large undertaking, they have it down to a science. It is nice to see a non-profit run so efficiently without losing that sense of kindness and giving. That is what I like the best."

• Daniel Callison, Faculty adviser, Gates internships at the IU School of Library and Information Science

"Since 1994 when I accepted the task to expand the SLIS practicum field experience option on our campus to include internships which might lead to placements nationally, we have attempted to establish contacts with leading library and information centers. Our success in having six IU graduate students selected is an indication of the strength of our internship program and the quality of the students at SLIS."

"The internship program at SLIS is constructed on the approach that the field experience should serve to place the student in contact with professional level experiences that will serve to move the student into the role they want upon graduation. Many of our interns are hired into their first professional job because of their internship experience with the specific library or corporation. Students enter internships to learn and practice specialized skills, but also enter after they have completed the necessary course work to demonstrate the basic skills needed to perform on the job. Often, internship supervisors find that our students, both MLS and MIS, have entry skills in organization and technology use, which exceed the common entry practice in the field."