Recruitment Techniques for LIS Internship Applicants of Color: Case Study of a Paid Medical Data Internship Program

Abstract

Background: The recruitment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) has been an ongoing effort for specialized libraries and library programs, especially as they try to fill technical roles while combatting internalized biases and candidates’ potential self-deselection by not applying or otherwise removing themselves from the recruitment process. Introduction: This case study examines the recruitment efforts of the National Center for Data Services (NCDS) for a paid internship program for BIPOC graduate students interested in data librarianship in health sciences settings. Methods: To enhance recruitment efforts and support applicants, NCDS met with consultants on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The recruitment process included reaching out directly to graduate programs, hiring an independent application coach who was available to consult with anyone interested in applying, holding informational sessions about the internship opportunity, and limiting the required components of the application, which included removing the need for letters of recommendation or support. Results: Although the target group was a very small pool of Library and Information Science (LIS) BIPOC students interested in medical and data librarianship, we received applications from all United States (U.S.) racial groups, except Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. The recruitment efforts led to 38 applications for 8 positions in 2022 and 59 applications for 12 positions in 2023. Conclusions: The resultant number of applications showed an interest and need for specialty programs for BIPOC LIS students and highlighted how recruitment methods impact participation in specialized programs. Further research is necessary to assess the impact of various recruitment styles for this target group and the impact of these recruitment methods.