Library and Archives
Workshop development, resource guides, and records processing; assessment of library services, spaces, and collections; data curation, and more
Visit the official UMSI website for the most up-to-date information on client based courses
Information on the site you are currently visiting is no longer being updated as of Summer 2021
SI 699: Special Projects in Librarianship and Archival Practice
What is Special Projects in Librarianship and Archival Practice?
In SI 699: Special Projects in Librarianship and Archival Practice, master's-level graduate students interested in libraries and archives take part in or lead special projects assigned to librarians or archivists for 100 to 200 hours over the course of four months, preparing them for careers in librarianship or archival professions.
Deliverables
What do clients receive for participating in this course?
Students work together with clients over the course of the semester to identify deliverables that will be valuable to you and your organization. Examples of deliverables may include:
Plan for implementing an advisory group in a public library
Small digital gallery
Developing a plan for programming and starting implementation
Project types that may be successful include:
Collections
Assessment
Instruction
Community engagement and outreach
Eligibility
Who can participate?
Potential clients should meet the following criteria:
Able to provide 100 hours of work per student (students may work individually or in teams of two)
Able to provide a range of work that is diverse and requires significant non-clerical duties
Eligible libraries and institutions include but are not limited to the following:
Special libraries
Academic libraries
Public libraries
Historical societies
Museums
Archives
Projects
What are some examples of successful projects?
Surveying Library Service Area. Student conducted a survey for the Saline District Library to discover where the library meets the needs of its community and where it has room to improve.
Assessing Library Environments and Redesign. Student developed a post-occupancy assessment toolkit and other ancillary items to assess the impact of spatial changes to library environments at the University of Michigan following installations, renovations, and improvement projects recommended by community stakeholders.
Archiving and Digitizing a Physical Collection. Student helped the City of Saline inventory, process, and digitize a collection of papers, props, and marionettes, including over 200 set pieces and several puppets, from the beloved collection of Meredith Bixby, who donated the collection to the City in 1999.
Small-Scale Historical Collection Construction. Student assisted the library at Jackson College in developing a plan for the processing, digitization, and maintenance of a small historical collection containing items and documents from Jackson College's past, resulting in the creation of a small-scale digital collection.
Developing a Collections Policy. Student assisted in developing a collection policy and analyzing new catalog software options to help the Archives of the University of Michigan-Dearborn take physical and intellectual control of its collection.
What do students do during the project?
How many projects are selected for this course?
Winter 2021: 12 projects selected
Winter 2020: 14 projects selected
Winter 2019: 7 projects selected
* Due to variability in the number of enrolled students each year, these numbers are subject to change and can be used as a rough estimate.
Timeline
SI 699 occurs in the Winter semester (January–April)
June – November
Client submits project idea
Client Engagement Team (CET) reviews project idea and requests full project proposal
CET works with client to scope and refine proposal
January
Faculty choose proposals to present to students
Students choose their project
January – February
Students begin project
April
Students finish project and provide deliverable(s) to client
Participate
How do I become a client?
Potential clients should complete this brief form with their contact information and a short summary of their project idea. Our Client Engagement Team will review your submission and reach out to you within 3 business days with next steps.
What if I don't have a project right now, but I'm interested in future opportunities or want to learn more?
If you don't have a specific project in mind for the upcoming semester, but would like to stay informed about future opportunities to work with students through our client-based courses or other programs, complete this registration form to be added to our mailing list.
Former Clients
Who's participated in the past?
What do they have to say?
"The student's work will inform our next steps related to post-occupancy assessment of our space-related changes; her work will help us determine if our designs are meeting both institutional and user needs."
"The student helped us explore what qualitative assessment might look like for our organization related to collections assessment and how it might inform decision-making processes. This would directly affect faculty, staff, and students in their ability to access and browse materials in our collections. It was very helpful to have someone take the time to review this aspect of our work and provide us with considerations for the future."
Emily Rodgers, University of Michigan Library Environments
"The student gave me a plan of action and recommendations that saved me a couple of months of research—months I didn't have. Her plan will allow the archive to hire a student assistant and provide access to archival data for the whole campus."
Julia Daniel Walkuski, University of Michigan Dearborn Mardigian Library
Featured Stories
U-M Alumna Brings New Life to Meredith Bixby's Famous Marionettes