Student positions
We offer multiple ways for students to gain valuable skills and work experience that will help prepare them for careers after graduation as well as provide exposure to the field of library and information science.
Student employees (paid)
- Positions are available for work-study students only. Anyone receiving federal financial aid, which includes work-study students, must make satisfactory academic progress. (The Office of Financial Aid has a good definition of satisfactory academic progress on their website.)
- Most students work about 4-6 hours a week. Please be aware that students can work a maximum of 20 hours combined for all campus jobs.
- Student assistants are expected to communicate effectively with library staff and to be attentive to their assigned schedules. A successful candidate will be able to remain physically active throughout their shift, show attention to detail, and be self-motivated.
Students are hired to work in one of the following positions:
Access Services Student Assistant
What does an Access Services Student Assistant do?
- Checks out, checks in, and renews items for library users.
- Assists users with searching for items in the library catalog and / or on the shelves.
- Refers questions to a librarian as needed.
- Sorts and shelves library materials.
- Moves library materials and book carts as needed.
- Assists with opening and/or closing the library.
- Other duties or projects as assigned.
Does this unit involve interaction with library users? Yes.
Are evening / weekend hours available? Yes.
Collection Management Student Assistant
What does a Collection Management Student Assistant do?
- Opens packages and other mail.
- Processes library materials (this includes stamping, taping, labeling, etc.).
- Repairs and reinforces materials.
- Searches for items in the library catalog and / or on the shelves.
- Moves library materials and book carts as needed.
- Other duties or projects as assigned.
Does this unit involve interaction with library users? No.
Are evening / weekend hours available? No; available hours are 8am - 4pm, Monday through Friday.
Peer Reference Assistant
What does a Peer Reference Assistant do?
- Performs the duties of an Access Services Student Assistant, plus:
- Helps users identify and search the best database(s) for their research question.
- Answers basic questions about citations.
- Helps users request items from other libraries.
- Directs and / or refers people to other offices or services, both within the library and elsewhere on campus.
- May assist with outreach activities (e.g. Research Parties, tabling at events, etc.).
- Other duties or projects as assigned.
Does this unit involve interaction with library users? Yes.
Are evening / weekend hours available? Yes; people in this position primarily work evening hours.
Archives & Special Collections Student Assistant
What does an Archives & Special Collections Student Assistant do?
- Scans or digitizes original historical documents (or other media).
- Assists with making digitized materials accessible.
- Completes inventory of collections.
- Shifts and organizes materials.
- Assists with research.
Does this unit involve interaction with library users? Yes, but minimal.
Are evening / weekend hours available? No; available hours are 8am - 4pm, Monday through Friday.
How to apply
Student employment in the library is very competitive. Applicants are evaluated based upon the needs of the library, the compatibility of the applicant with those needs, the flexibility of the applicant's schedule, and grade point average. Previous library experience is not necessary.
Look for available student jobs
All open positions are posted on Handshake. You will find job descriptions, any relevant information about schedules, current pay rates, and instructions on how to apply. We keep positions posted until all available spots are filled.
Student internships (paid)
These internships are intended for those who are interested in pursuing a career in librarianship, archives, or a related career. Each fall and spring semester, we look for one Reference & Instruction intern, and two Archives & Special Collections Research interns.
All interns earn 3 credits, and $16.00/hour for 120 hours of work across the semester.
Reference & Instruction Intern
Supervisor: A librarian from the Reference & Instruction unit
The intern will:
- Shadow Penfield Librarians to learn about core aspects of librarianship, including reference, instruction, outreach, and other common academic librarian roles.
- Learn about librarian job specializations and career paths.
- Work with librarians to participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of library instruction sessions.
- Participate in regular meetings and events pertinent to the function of Penfield Library.
The intern may also do the following, depending on their interests:
- Join the Penfield librarians for a professional development meeting where we will discuss topics in librarianship that we’ve been learning about lately.
- Learn about faculty shared governance by attending a Faculty Assembly meeting with a librarian.
- Investigate new research tools (including AI research tools) and brainstorm ways to integrate them into instruction or other aspects of a librarian’s job.
- Learn to conduct informational interviews and take advantage of our professional networks to learn about librarian jobs outside of Penfield.
- Share their internship experience in a blog post or other short-form media.
Archives & Special Collections Intern
Supervisor: A librarian from the Archives & Special Collections unit
One intern will work with the Digital Collections Librarian on digitization projects in Archives & Special Collections, and will:
- Learn about describing and processing digital objects for long-term preservation and access.
- May evaluate digital tools to help enhance discovery of digital collections.
The other intern will work with the University Archivist Librarian on collection development for the university archives, and will:
- Learn about describing and processing physical collections for long-term preservation and access.
- May provide promotion and outreach about the university archives to the SUNY Oswego community.
Both interns will:
- Assist with creating metadata.
- Gain experience with using various hardware and software to digitize historical materials.
- Communicate with the project team via email and in person, as well as collaborate on a presentation about the culmination of your semester’s work.
- Present to library and faculty internship sponsor on product of the semester’s work.
Requirements for all internships:
- Must be a junior, senior, or graduate student at the start of the internship term.
- Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (undergraduate) or 3.0 (graduate) at the time of application.
- Students will apply for the internship through Handshake; a brief statement of interest (200-500 words) should be included with your resume and other application information.
Look for available student internships
All available internships are posted on Handshake. We accept applications for internships twice a year in alignment with the course registration timeline (apply for fall internships at the end of the preceding spring semester, apply for spring internships at the end of the preceding fall semester).
Penfield Library Ambassadors (unpaid)
Library Ambassadors are student representatives of the library. They help to promote library resources and services, and create content for library events and initiatives. Library Ambassadors also serve as student advisors to Penfield Library, offering important feedback on student perspectives on library programs and collections.
Although this is an unpaid position, students may be able to use their Ambassadors project toward service learning hours (though this will depend on the course).
To apply, please complete our interest form for the Library Ambassadors program.
Faculty & staff positions
All open positions are posted on the campus Human Resources Employment Opportunities page and will include the word "Library" or "Librarian."