Current and prospective LIS students from across the Midwest
traveled to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to participate in
the 2013 LIS Access Midwest Program (LAMP) Summer Institute, which was hosted
by the University Library from May 30 through June 2. LAMP is a network of
information schools and academic libraries in the Midwest that collaborate to
encourage students from historically and statistically underrepresented groups
to join the library and information science field. The network selects a
handful of college juniors and seniors each year to be LAMP Scholars and
provides guidance and support for them as they navigate the path to a career in
LIS. LAMP is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The annual summer institute offers LAMP scholars the opportunity to interact with their peers as well as LIS professionals and to tour the participating campuses and libraries. The opportunity to host rotates so that a unique experience can be provided to the participants each year. “Each and every institute has been special in its own way,” said Program Coordinator Amani Ayad. “There’s always something different and new for scholars to learn as we go to different partners.”
This is the first year the institute has been hosted at the Urbana campus, and the Library was eager take its turn in the rotation. A planning committee composed of representatives from GSLIS and the Library organized a full itinerary for the attendees, beginning with an opening dinner and reception hosted by GSLIS. Interim Dean Allen Renear welcomed the scholars and encouraged them to continue their research and academic pursuits, while not forgetting to live in the moment and have fun during this exciting time of change in the world of library and information science.
Renear’s remarks were reiterated by others who interacted with institute attendees during their visit. Attendees had opportunities to meet with faculty and staff, talk with other scholars, visit with international librarians from the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, participate in a speed networking session, and tour some of the Library’s facilities and archives. Ayad reported that the institute was very successful. “The comments we received were all positive. We’re very excited about the outcome.”
The Summer Institute is just one piece of the LAMP program. LAMP scholars are matched with a mentor who provides one-on-one guidance, are provided with a scholarship to pursue a degree in library and/or information science at a partner school, and are offered the opportunity to intern at partner libraries. The variety of experiences offered to the scholars is made possible because of the diversity of the partner institutions. Each library or university that participates offers its own unique set of resources, and each mentor brings a different set of perspectives to share with the scholars.
Connections have also formed between university and library staff who work together and share information to increase diversity at their institutions and in the field as whole. “There is a genuine interest from people in the field who are very passionate about it, very excited about what they see,” said Ayad. Participating libraries are happy to offer internship opportunities to LAMP scholars, sometimes with an eye to recruiting those students after graduation.
Graduation, however, is not the end of the LAMP experience. “Once a LAMP Scholar, always a LAMP Scholar,” said Ayad. “One of the cornerstones of the program is building a community and a network of students and library and information professionals who stay connected as they move up in their careers and take leadership positions. Because this is the seventh year, we can see that happening more than when we were a much smaller group. We’ve had graduates already, and some of them are taking leadership positions. It’s a very exciting time for us.”
Alyne Connie, now a LEEP student at GSLIS, became a LAMP scholar in 2012 and has experienced the benefits of the supportive network that LAMP provides. She had initially been unsure about pursuing a career in LIS, but an informational session about the program changed her mind. “I jumped at the possibility of being part of the program. It’s been really welcoming and very encouraging in this economy . . . to realize all of the opportunities that are out there—through LAMP, through LEEP, and through the U of I. It’s given me an instant community to be a part of.” Connie had not realized how important having a diverse support group would be until she joined LAMP. Having mentors and peers from diverse backgrounds has helped her feel at home in her degree program, she said, and more comfortable with the idea of the joining the LIS field as a professional.
All of the scholars who have been selected over the years have gone on to enroll in LIS programs, and with the exception of current students and the recently announced 2013 scholars, all have completed their programs in two years or less.
LAMP partners include the LIS graduate programs at GSLIS, Dominican University, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Wayne State University. Library partners include Marquette University Libraries, Michigan State University Libraries, Ohio University Alden Library, University of Chicago Library, University of Illinois at Chicago Library, University of Michigan Libraries, and the University Library at Illinois.