Atkins Fellows

All applications must be submitted through the jobs site for UNC Charlotte. We begin accepting applications for Summer 2025 on December 16, 2024. Applications submitted by Wednesday, January 29th will receive first consideration.

• Applicants must have completed 24 credits (or two full semesters of work) toward a Master’s in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program. We also accepts applications from those within one year of having completed such a program.
• Applicants can apply for more than one position.
• Applicants will need to upload a resume, cover letter, unofficial transcripts, and references with their application.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. to be considered for these positions.

Applicants may check on the status of their application(s) through the online system used to submit those applications. The Application FAQs page explains the status codes. You can also review the Program Dates tab to get a better understanding of the approximate timeline for decisions.

Below are the position descriptions for Summer 2025. Applications submitted by January 29th will receive first consideration.

Program dates: May 26 - August 1, 2025
Hourly pay: $20/hr for 10 weeks at 40 hours per week
Transportation/housing stipend: $1,500*

* Participants already living in Charlotte are not eligible for the transportation/housing stipend

Please review the requirements for applicants below.

• Applicants must have completed 24 credits (or two full semesters of work) toward a Master’s in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program. We also accepts applications from those within one year of having completed such a program.
• Applicants can apply for more than one position.
• Applicants will need to upload a resume, cover letter, unofficial transcripts, and references with their application.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. to be considered for these positions.
• Accepting a position in the Fellows program will require moving to Charlotte, NC for the duration of the program. We cannot offer the program virtually. 
   

AI Research and Instruction Fellow - APPLY NOW!
 

There is much discussion around generative artificial intelligence among those working with research and instruction in higher education, and like most academic libraries, Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte is exploring how best to address it and make decisions around incorporating it into existing library practices and services. The AI Research and Instruction Fellow will join the Public Services unit of Atkins Library to investigate the current AI systems supported and used by the campus community and beyond, communicate with librarians at other institutions to learn about their approach to integrating AI into their instruction, and conduct a literature review to help better inform the library about ways we can approach AI in research and instruction. 

This fellowship offers an opportunity to learn about the ways that artificial intelligence and the various AI tools developed for researchers can benefit and enhance the experience of researchers on our campus, and how libraries can play a role in preparing researchers to consider the ethical, environmental, and privacy concerns associated with this technology. Employing a variety of research methods, the Fellow will collect information about different approaches to integrating AI into library practices and meet with members of the AI working group in the library and AI practitioners on-campus. This project will help inform the approach and professional development of those working with research and instruction at Atkins Library and will help us further support the campus community. The Fellow will gain experience collaborating with faculty, librarians, and others involved in the various areas of AI on-campus. This position will appeal to MLIS students who are interested in AI, the ways that emerging technologies can engage students in critical thinking, and their applications in research and instruction.

Preferred Education/Training, Experience, Skills/Competencies:

• Research skills to identify current literature and/or practices of academic libraries related to AI
• General understanding of AI as it relates to teaching and research
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Presentation and/or instruction skills
• Open to different perspectives on AI with an interest in developing knowledge, and the knowledge of others, on this topic

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct a literature review of academic library practices related to AI in research and instruction
• Communicate with librarians and library staff at other institutions who have established practices and/or resources to support AI research and instruction
• Interview UNC Charlotte teaching and research faculty who are incorporating AI into their research and instruction
• Create a plan for surveying students, faculty, and staff about their practices and experiences with using AI in their research, including a distribution/marketing component
• Create best practices for students to consider when using AI in their research projects 
• Meet regularly with supervisor and the library AI working group to discuss progress and solicit feedback
• Present research findings to the librarians in Research and Instructional Services 
• Explore several AI tools that have been developed to support academic research and design professional development opportunities for library employees

Project Supervisor: Catherine Tingelstad, Head of Instruction and Curriculum Engagement
 

Community Archives Fellow - APPLY NOW!
 

The Special Collections and University Archives unit of Atkins Library works to preserve and share the history and culture of UNC Charlotte and the Charlotte region. The objectives of this project are to assist the Second Ward Alumni House, a local long-standing community archive, with their collection of materials relating to Second Ward High School, Charlotte’s first public high school for Black students. Second Ward was a predominantly Black neighborhood in Charlotte, close to the uptown area. In the 1960s and 1970s, a large portion of this neighborhood was razed due to urban renewal. Second Ward High School was torn down in 1969, but the gymnasium still stands. The collection, located in the Second Ward Alumni Association House, consists of photographs, manuscript materials, and oversized objects. This project will provide the Community Archives Fellow an opportunity to understand how to support individuals and organizations with their records.

This fellowship offers MLIS students interested in archives, specifically community archives, the hands-on experience collaborating with a community partner, assessing a collection, and creating an inventory. They will learn community engagement best practices and gain experience working with organizations outside of academia. Part of the fellowship experience will take place off-site at the Alumni Association House and the remaining days will be spent at the Atkins Library working alongside the library faculty and staff of Special Collections and University Archives. The end product of this fellowship will be an inventory of their findings in the archive, along with recommendations for the Second Ward Alumni House to continue the work in the future. Applications are welcome from those interested in gaining and/or expanding their experience with inventorying and assessing a collection and learning more about how archives engage with local communities.

Preferred Education/Training, Experience, Skills/Competencies:

• Coursework pertaining to community archives and standard archival practice
• An interest in and/or experience working in outreach and community engagement
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Self-directed and ability to work independently
• A natural curiosity and comfortable working with different kinds of people

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Read about the history of Second Ward, the Historic Brooklyn neighborhood, and Second Ward High School
• Meet with Second Ward Alumni to discuss their priorities for preservation and display of the archives
• Assess Second Ward Alumni House materials
• Create an inventory, identifying materials with exhibit potential or preservation concerns, and rehousing selected materials
• Discuss findings bi-weekly with Second Ward Alumni board members
• Create a preliminary inventory and assessment report for Second Ward alumni to continue with preserving their records in anticipation of the renovation of their space and the creation of exhibits

Project Supervisor: Adreonna Bennett, Community Engagement Archivist
 

Health Sciences Collection Fellow - APPLY NOW!
 

Maintaining current resources is especially important for academic libraries supporting researchers in the health sciences. This fellowship will focus on rightsizing the health sciences collection at Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte, specifically in the areas of nursing and public health/epidemiology. The Fellow will be responsible for identifying appropriate criteria typically used for assessing and weeding in those subject areas, and determining how well the current collection aligns to the graduate and undergraduate curriculum in the School of Nursing and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health. The Fellow will also research and create a brief report on the current state of collection development in these areas at peer and aspirational R1 universities (of which UNC Charlotte will join the ranks of in 2025). This project will help the Health and Human Services Librarian prioritize one-time purchases and continuing resource requests for the next academic year. 

This fellowship offers an opportunity to learn about the ways that academic libraries support research through collection development and assessment. The Fellow will join the Public Services unit of the library, and the Research and Instructional Services team, in addition to meeting and working with members of Collection Services. They will also conduct outreach to libraries at peer and aspirational institutions that support these areas of health sciences. This project will help inform the approach that Atkins Library can use to update and advocate for increased resources to support the health sciences collections on campus. Working closely with the Health and Human Services Librarian, the Fellow will gain exposure to the different elements of this type of work in academic libraries. This position will appeal to MLIS students who are interested in the work of subject/liaison librarians including collection development, curriculum mapping, and research. It will also interest those looking to further develop experience with data-driven assessment and supporting researchers in the health sciences. 

Preferred Education/Training, Experience, Skills/Competencies:

• Collection development experience and/or coursework
• Health sciences background
• Interest in collections management
• Interest in supporting the undergraduate and graduate curriculum
• Interest in and/or experience with assessment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Learn about collection development and rightsizing policies and practices
• Determine weeding criteria and subject headings typically used for the selected health sciences areas 
• Create a list of books that could be withdrawn from the collection in the selected areas based on the researched criteria
• Contact health sciences librarians at peer and aspirational institutions to learn about their practices related to collection development and review
• Research the resources offered at these peer and aspirational institutions
• Create a brief report on the current state of collection development in these areas at R1 universities
• Assess the alignment of the current health sciences collection to the graduate and possibly undergraduate curriculum in the selected areas
• Draft a collection development policy specific to the health sciences

Project Supervisor: Beth Auten, Health and Human Services Librarian

Student Wellness Fellow - APPLY NOW!
 

Academic libraries are increasingly creating positions and offering services and resources that support the overall well-being of students. Recognizing that students have other aspects of their lives that impact their ability to succeed in their academic careers, academic libraries can play an important role in supporting them. This project will explore how academic libraries can support public health initiatives and/or harm reduction efforts by helping develop recommendations for a sustainable model for Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte. Some public health and harm reduction efforts include (but are not limited to) substance test kits, safer sex kits, free menstrual products in the library bathrooms, free COVID tests, food pantry, and stress reduction and health literacy programming. One harm reduction effort that is more common in public libraries involves training public-facing library employees to recognize the signs of an overdose, administer Narcan (Naloxone), and to make the medication freely available in the library.

This fellowship offers an opportunity to learn about the ways that academic libraries can support these student wellness efforts. Employing a variety of research methods, the Fellow will collect information about different approaches to integrating public health initiatives and harm reduction practices in academic libraries, gather best practices from university and public libraries offering these services, and meet with campus units that can partner on these efforts. This project will help inform the approach that Atkins Library can use to further support student wellness on campus. The Fellow will gain experience collaborating with faculty and staff throughout campus who are dedicated to student well-being and health. They will work closely with the Student Success Librarian, gaining exposure to the different elements of this type of work in academic libraries. This position will appeal to MLIS students who are interested in the intersections of libraries and public health and harm reduction, community engagement, and research.

Preferred Education/Training, Experience, Skills/Competencies:

• Familiarity with harm reduction and public health
• Research skills to identify current literature and/or practices 
• Desire to gain or strengthen experience with proposal writing
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Comfortable doing outreach to campus and community

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Research extant literature and other resources related to public health and harm reduction in academic libraries
• Identify public health and harm reduction opportunities for Atkins Library that would benefit the UNC Charlotte campus
• Outreach to campus and community partners
• Research possible grant or other funding sources
• Write a project proposal including a literature review 

Project Supervisor: Olivia Patterson, Student Success Librarian

The Atkins Fellows Program is hosted by Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte. Atkins Library serves the students, faculty, and staff of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. With current enrollment exceeding 30,000, and projected R1 status in 2025, UNC Charlotte is the fastest growing campus in the UNC system. Never been to our campus? Take a virtual tour.

Charlotte is also one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Our light rail system makes it possible for fellows to complete the fellowship and enjoy the city without a car. As North Carolina’s urban research university, UNC Charlotte provides access to all of the amenities that you expect of a city with the benefit of being situated in driving distance to the mountains and the ocean. This is an exciting time to live in Charlotte and work at Atkins Library and we hope you will consider joining us.

The Atkins Fellows program typically begins the 3rd or 4th week of May and ends the last week of July or first week of August. Fellows will be expected to work a full-time schedule for 10 weeks total, with specific hours and availability determined by their project supervisor(s).

Important Dates:

Mid-December - Positions posted

Early February - Begin reviewing applications
Note: Applications submitted by January 29, 2025 will receive first consideration for the Summer 2025 program.

Mid-February - phone interviews with selected candidates

End of February - Early March - Notification to applicants

May 26 - Fellows Program begins

August 1 - Fellows Program ends

Participants in this program will be paid at an hourly rate ($20/hour) for ten weeks of forty hours per week. Paychecks will be issued by direct deposit every two weeks, two Fridays after the end of each pay period.

 

Participants joining from outside the Charlotte area will also receive a $1,500 housing and transportation stipend to help with the cost of moving to Charlotte for the fellowship. Participants who already live in Charlotte are not eligible for the housing/transportation stipend.

 

Note: The hourly rate and housing/transportation stipend will be taxed with each paycheck.

Fellows can choose to live on-campus or off-campus. Intern Housing is for students enrolled at a college or university and working full-time in an internship or job in the Charlotte area. Exceptions do apply for recently graduated students. If you wish to live in campus housing you will need to complete a separate application after being selected for the program. Costs for summer 2024 were $29 per night. Learn more about campus housing options.

 

Fellows are not required to live on-campus and may seek other local accommodations. Please contact the program coordinator to learn about off-campus housing options.

I am graduating this Spring. Can I still apply for the program?
Yes. Recent graduates and those that will be graduating in the upcoming Spring semester are welcome to apply to the program. 

The website indicates that applicants must have completed 24 credits (or two full semesters of work) toward a MLIS from an ALA-accredited program. By when must we complete those credits?
Any courses you are taking this Spring semester count toward the 24 credits. There is also some flexibility with that requirement if you are just a few credits short.

I live in another state. Is it feasible for me to apply and participate in the program?
Yes. Fellows have joined us from library programs across the country. You can pursue on-campus or off-campus housing options in Charlotte and we do our best to help you. You could also feasibly move here for the summer and navigate the city without a car (several have done so) because Charlotte has a light rail system.

Can I participate in the program virtually?
The program requires that you live in the Charlotte area and work on-campus full-time for the length of the fellowship.

I applied for one of the Atkins Fellows positions. How can I check on the status of my application?
Applicants may check on the status of their application(s) through the online system used to submit those applications. The Application FAQs page explains the status codes. You can also review the Program Dates tab to get a better understanding of the approximate timeline for decisions.