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CHICAGO -- This week, the Public Library Association (PLA) commenced its (III) activities for summer 2019. Through III, PLA sponsors paid, mentored summer internships at public libraries for high school juniors and seniors. The libraries were selected through a competitive application process in early 2019. With individual guidance from a mentor, each intern engages with multiple facets of library life, from administration to programming to user services, while also completing a connected-learning project on behalf of their host library.

A total of 96 people--48 interns and 48 mentors--are attending the 2019 III Kick-Off, taking place in Chicago, Ill., June 13-15. The three-day event includes networking, social activities, and master classes focused on the people, programs, and priorities of public libraries.

The following 48 public libraries are hosting interns this summer as part of III:

• Alameda County (Calif.) Library
• Algona (Iowa) Public Library
• Allen County (Ind.) Public Library
• Arapahoe Libraries (Englewood, Colo.)
• Athens-Limestone (Ala.) Public Library
• Auburn (Ga.) Public Library
• Baltimore County (Md.) Public Library
• Boone County (Ky.) Public Library
• Bucyrus (Ohio) Public Library
• Burnsville (W.V.) Public Library
• Butler (Penn.) Area Public Library
• Camden County (Ga.) Public Library
• City of Casa Grande (Ariz.) Public Library
• Clinton-Macomb (Mich.) Public Library
• Cottage Grove (Ore.) Public Library
• Cumberland County (N.C.) Public Library & Information Center
• Denver (Colo.) Public Library
• Evanston (Ill.) Public Library
• Gloucester County (N.J.) Library System
• Hedberg Public Library (Janesville, Wisc.)
• Henrico County (Va.) Public Library
• Hillsboro & Cornelius (Ore.) Public Library*
• Juneau (Alaska) Public Library
• Kenosha (Wisc.) Public Library
• Laredo (Texas) Public Library
• Madison (Wisc.) Public Library
• Manheim (Penn.) Community Library
• Martinsburg-Berkeley County (W.V.) Public Library
• Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library (Long Beach, Calif.)
• Milton (Mass.) Public Library
• Montville Township (N.J.) Public Library
• Multnomah County (Ore.) Library
• National Hispanic Cultural Center Library (Albuquerque, N.M.)
• New York (N.Y.) Public Library
• Palm Springs (Fla.) Public Library
• Patchogue-Medford (N.Y.) Library
• Pioneer Library System (Canandaigua, N.Y.)
• Piscataway (N.J.) Public Library
• Poudre River Public Library District (Fort Collins, Colo.)
• Salt Lake City (Utah) Public Library
• San Jose (Calif.) Public Library
• Schaumburg (Ill.) Township District Library
• Skokie (Ill.) Public Library
• Sonoma County (Calif.) Library
• Springfield-Greene County (Mo.) Library District
• St. Johns County (Fla.) Public Library System
• West Caldwell (N.J.) Public Library
• Wilkes County (N.C.) Public Library

In alignment with PLA’s related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, III was piloted in 2017 as a pathway program to increase diversity in public librarianship. Since its inception, more than 100 high school students at 80 libraries have participated. This project is made possible with support from the (grant RE-00-17-0129-17).

*Intern will be shared by two nearby libraries

Related Links

PLA Inclusive Internship Initiative