Atkins Fellows

All applications must be submitted through the jobs site for UNC Charlotte. We are currently accepting applications for the Summer 2026 positions. Applications submitted by Wednesday, January 28th 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 (from MLIS program), 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 2026. Applications submitted by January 28th will receive first consideration. 

Program dates: May 25 - July 31, 2026
Hourly pay: $25/hr for 10 weeks at 40 hours per week
Transportation/housing stipend: $2,500*

Notes: 

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

* The stipend and the hourly pay for the first week of work will be distributed on the second Friday of June. There are no options for advanced payment.

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 (from MLIS program), 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. 
  
   

Open Access Fellow - Apply Now!
 

Open access policies–wherein research institutions promote and preserve faculty scholarship by archiving faculty work in an open access repository–are important mechanisms for supporting faculty scholarship and promoting open access to research. UNC Charlotte has recently adopted an open access policy, which went into effect December 2025. Atkins Library is supporting the university in this work by helping facilitate the ingest of journal scholarship into the university’s open access repository. 

This fellowship offers an opportunity to learn about the ways that academic libraries support research through scholarly publishing support. The Open Access Fellow will evaluate the library’s new workflows related to supporting the campus open access policy, conducting several runs of ingests of faculty publications with an eye for recommending improvements. These workflows include citation generation, metadata transformation, batch ingests into the repository, and outreach. The Open Access Fellow will also develop instructional and outreach materials for faculty and administrators related to the open access policy and other repository services. Meetings with subject librarians and possibly some faculty will help provide some context for the outreach and instructional component of the project.

Preferred Education/Training, Experience, Skills/Competencies:

• Interest in scholarly communication and research support
• Experience or interest in working with metadata
• Experience or interest in developing outreach skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills 
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Test and evaluate the current workflow for soliciting and ingesting postprints related to the campus open access policy. Draft recommendations for process improvements.
• Research other universities with long-standing open access policies for the instructional and promotional materials they provide related to their open access policy.
• Meet with subject librarians to learn about scholarly publishing priorities and needs, by discipline.
• Create instructional and promotional materials related to the open access policy and the open access repository.
• Create outreach plans for instructional and promotional materials.

Project Supervisor: Savannah Lake, Digital Scholarship Librarian

Streaming Video Engagement Fellow - Apply Now!
 

Streaming video is a highly used and sought after resource by campus faculty and students alike for its convenience and the various ways that it supports the overall teaching and learning experience. For faculty, streaming video is ideal for increasing engagement in the classroom and supporting discipline-specific topics. For students, streaming video offers an alternative approach to their research experience, including accommodating different learning styles and preferences. Although visual media has long been incorporated into coursework, there is a consistently rising interest from campus faculty to use streaming video in place of traditional media formats. Working closely with the Electronic Resources Management Librarian, the Streaming Video Engagement Fellow will identify opportunities for the library to expand our streaming video offerings and approaches to improve discoverability of our existing content. While considering potential outreach opportunities, the Fellow will also assist in raising awareness of our streaming video request service. 

This fellowship offers an opportunity to learn about the growing future of acquiring and managing streaming media in an academic library setting, with an emphasis on how these resources are used to promote research and support campus curricula. From reviewing the current state of our streaming video collections, this project will provide deeper insight on the utilization of these resources and provide direction for expanding our offerings. In addition, the initial review of our collections may also prompt opportunities and additional conversations with our librarians from Research and Instructional Services. The Fellow will also gain experience in cross-departmental collaboration and conducting a holistic collection assessment.  This position will appeal to MLIS students who are interested in collection development and electronic resources in an academic library setting. 

Preferred Education/Training, Experience, Skills/Competencies:

• Interest in electronic resources or collection development
• Interest in reviewing/assessing collections
• Creativity and adaptability
• Familiarity with Spreadsheets (Google Sheets or MS Excel)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Enthusiasm for problem-solving 
• Self-starter 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on the existing streaming video landscape (acquisition, management, etc.)
• Analyze usage data and assist with record maintenance tasks
• Identify trends and patterns of the current state of our streaming video coverage (usage, subjects, currency, etc.) 
• Conduct research on other streaming video platforms and packages that could be considered to acquire in the future
• Brainstorm ideas for outreach and engagement, programming and collection development. 
• Provide a brief report on the following: the current landscape of streaming video; a brief review of our existing collections, including the strengths, weaknesses and areas of improvement; and recommendations for promoting our collections and increasing engagement. 

Project Supervisor: Erika Boardman, Electronic Resources Management 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 achieving 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 28, 2026 will receive first consideration for the Summer 2026 program.

Mid-February - phone interviews with selected candidates

End of February - Early March - Notification to applicants

May 25 - Fellows Program begins

July 31 - Fellows Program ends

Participants in this program will be paid at an hourly rate ($25/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 $2,500 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 pay and housing/transportation stipend will be taxed with each paycheck.

 

The first payment for the first week of work and the housing/transportation stipend (for those eligible) will be issued to participants on the second Friday of June. Advanced payment is not an option. 

Fellows can choose to live on-campus or off-campus. Intern Housing at UNC Charlotte 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 apartment housing you will need to complete a separate application after being selected for the program. Costs for summer 2026 are $35 per night. Learn more about campus housing options.

 

Queens University also offers dorm housing in the summer months. Queens is about 25-30 minutes by car from UNC Charlotte and would require bringing a car with you to Charlotte. Fellows are not required to live on-campus and may seek other local accommodations. Please contact the program coordinator to learn about other 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.