Cover letter for a 2-year fellowship providing experience in both public and technical services
but focusing primarily on management training.
Dear Search Committee members,
With enthusiasm I write to apply for the xxxxxx Library Fellows position. My library
experience, coupled with my education, make me an ideal candidate for this position.
This academic year I am the President of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s ALA
Student Chapter, a role which has afforded me the opportunity to gain extensive leadership
experience. Our team of officers worked well together as we planned workshops, speaker
engagements, and social activities. This responsibility, in conjunction with my class work, has
helped me to realize that, in the long term, I would like to pursue employment in management
and administration within academic libraries. I believe the xxxxxxx Fellowship would put me on
the right path to achieving my professional goals.
Currently, I am a paid intern in the Reference and Instructional Services Department of UNCG’s
Jackson Library. This position has allowed me to gain valuable experience working in an
academic reference environment by assisting graduate and undergraduate students as well as
faculty with research in person, over the phone and via chat. All of the interns participate in
weekly training sessions and workshops on different aspects of academic librarianship such as
conducting the reference interview, finding legal resources, and researching government
information. As part of this internship experience I co-taught several English 101 classes and I
discovered that I really enjoy teaching.
I hold a BA in xxxxxxx from the University of xxxx and a master’s degree in xxxx from the
University of xxxx, and I am scheduled to complete my ALA-accredited MLIS at UNCG on
May 14, 2008. My degrees have provided me with the opportunity to take courses in a variety of
fields, and in researching papers for those classes, I have gained extensive knowledge of both
print and electronic resources in many of the humanities and social sciences disciplines. This
background has been very helpful in my work as a Reference Intern.
I have also gained a great deal of experience in cataloging in technical service departments at
UNCG, at xxxxx College, and at xxxx Public Library through my practicum and internship
opportunities. Working in various capacities in three different libraries has been very enjoyable
so I see this fellowship as a chance to get an even better understanding of how public service and
technical service departments function in an academic library.
As my enclosed resume attests, I have the skills and abilities to be an asset to the xxxxx
Libraries. I would be happy to discuss my qualifications and abilities with you further. Thank
you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely yours,