D.C.
Public Library Internship Opportunity (January 2003)
General information about DCPL:
An act of Congress in 1896 established the District of Columbia
Public Library (DCPL) and provided for a Board of Library Trustees
that would set policy for the system. As stated in the law, DCPL
serves as a supplement of the public education system.
The system is composed of a central library, Martin Luther King,
Jr. Memorial Library, and 26 branches. It is also handles state
library functions and provides the services offered by the National
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library
of Congress in the DC area. A more detailed history of the Library
can be found on DCPL's comprehensive web site www.dclibrary.org.
DCPL completed its first strategic plan in 2000. As part of the
strategic planning effort DCPL adopted the following vision statement:
The District of Columbia Public Library is a recognized force
in the community for engaging the mind, expanding opportunities,
and elevating the quality of life. We believe equitable access
to information, tailored to customer needs, equips people to learn
all their lives, embrace diversity, and build a thriving city.
DCPL also identifies the following priority areas where it would
focus its energies and resources from 2000 - 2002. The strategic
priorities are as follows:
Building community: improving environments is our central library
and neighborhood libraries,
Information literacy: ensuring citizen access to computers and
the Internet,
Lifelong learning: equipping people of all ages through self-directed
personal growth and development opportunities, with a special
emphasis on children and youth.
Project: "We have several possible opportunities.
Our children's outreach service is expanding and an intern would
get a wide exposure to serving children in urban setting. We also
have set up Homework Help, Plus Centers at some of our branches.
An intern would also have a first hand look at this exciting new
service and help shape it.
The director is always interested in having an intern work in
the director's office where they will get a view from the top.
We provide a variety of services here at DCPL and can accomodate
a number of interests."
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