New Season, New Start: Making the Most of a Library Traineeship or Internship

Starting a career in librarianship opens doors to a world of learning, organisation, and discovery. Early-career library and information roles – from internships to structured graduate placements – provide that essential first step. Whether you’re a recent graduate or changing direction, these opportunities let you test the waters, build practical skills, and explore what working in a library really involves.

This post is the first in a three-part series exploring how people enter the profession. Here, we unpack what the terms intern and trainee mean in different contexts and share practical ideas for making the most of your placement. The next instalments will feature a recent trainee’s reflections and a guide for managers on creating supportive early-career programmes.

Intern or trainee? Understanding the differences

The terminology can vary depending on where you are located, and that can lead to confusion. In the UK, a trainee is usually someone in a paid, structured, year-long role, often in a university or public library. These roles typically involve rotating through different service areas such as reference, outreach, cataloguing, and front-line service. They’re designed to offer broad exposure and are often a stepping stone toward formal postgraduate training.

Internships, by contrast, tend to be shorter, more informal, and sometimes unpaid. They may happen during study breaks or as part of a career transition, and are common in special libraries (e.g., legal, medical, or arts-based), where the goal is often to gain practical experience in a particular setting.

In the US, the word intern tends to be used for any early-career, hands-on role, whether connected to a degree programme or arranged independently. The word trainee is less common in that context. It’s worth keeping these differences in mind when starting a career in librarianship, especially when comparing opportunities across countries and regions.

Getting the most out of your library placement

You’re not expected to arrive with all the answers. Traineeships and internships are, by definition, learning roles. Still, a little preparation can make the experience more rewarding and help you feel more confident from the start.

Review the basics

One helpful first step is to familiarise yourself with your host library. Take a look at its website and get a sense of the services it offers and the community it serves. Is it mainly a lending library? A research-focused space? A bit of both? Refresh your memory on key topics like circulation, user support, or cataloguing, not to stress, but to ground yourself in the practicalities.

Ask informed questions

Early conversations with your supervisor or team can also help set the tone. If you’re not sure where to begin, try asking: What are the library’s main goals this term? Are there projects where I can make a useful contribution? You might even find a link between an academic interest or past project and the library’s current work.

Maintain a learning journal

Keeping a journal or reflective log throughout your placement can be surprisingly helpful when you are starting a career in librarianship. Even a few notes after each shift – what you did, what you learned, what felt tricky – will build into a valuable resource. It might support a future assignment, job application, or simply help you see how far you’ve come. Tools like NotebookLM can be useful for organising this sort of reflective material.

Bring your own perspective

And don’t be afraid to bring your own interests into the mix. Speaking up in meetings may seem daunting but use your voice. You might have ideas about social media, signage, display design, or streamlining small tasks. Even a small contribution can make a positive, lasting impression, both on the team and on your own sense of what’s possible in library work.

Starting a career in librarianship - where to look?

If you’re reading this and thinking, starting a career in librarianship sounds great, but where do I even find a traineeship or internship? You’re not alone. Finding your first opportunity in the sector can take a bit of detective work, but there are some solid places to begin.

Here are a few trusted starting points for those in the UK:

CILIP: Starting Out in Your Career – although slightly dated, it gives advice and links for people researching librarianship.

CILIP Jobs and Careers Board – regularly updated listings

IALS Trainee Programme – a specific academic law library placement in London

The National Archives Student Placement Scheme – opportunities in archives and records management

You can also reach out to your school or university careers service, local libraries, or use LinkedIn to connect with professionals already working in the field. Don’t underestimate the value of a short email or chat over coffee – many librarians are happy to share their journeys or point you in the right direction.

Depending on your interests, there may be a professional body that can help. In the UK, CILIP covers a wide range of library and information roles and includes special interest groups. For law, you’ll find BIALL in the UK, AALL in the US, and similar organisations globally. Health, medical, science, and engineering companies and institutions will have special collections, and workers will have their own networks.

Don’t forget archives, museums, and galleries! These sectors often intersect with library work in ways you might not expect. Laura, my library trainee friend also suggested History Day at Senate House in London. She attended during her traineeship and lots of people from libraries, museums, archives were there to talk about their institutions. It’s great for networking and just finding out about people’s work. Lots of freebies too, she added!

And of course, in today’s world, tech companies and data-driven industries are increasingly hiring information professionals with skills in knowledge management, metadata, and AI.

I appreciate that we live in financially challenging times. Paid work is preferable to volunteering or unpaid internships. However, if you are keen on a particular sector and want to find out about opportunities, there is no harm in contacting them and asking what is available; you might strike lucky.

In short: the field is bigger than you might think. Dig around, follow your curiosity, and don’t be afraid to apply for something even if it feels slightly out of reach. You never know where it might lead.

Building foundations for a career

The early days of any new role can feel overwhelming but they’re also full of potential. Every task, whether shelving books, writing something for the website, helping a user, or updating a spreadsheet, helps you build confidence and a deeper understanding of the profession.

However, these placements aren’t just about gaining skills, they’re about joining a community and building a network. Libraries thrive on fresh ideas, new perspectives, and people who care about connecting others to information and learning. If that’s you, you’re already in the right place.

September 29, 2025

Clare Bilobrk

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