The U-M Library, the Asia Library, and the Program in International and Comparative Studies (International Studies) have teamed together to develop the Michigan Library Scholars Internship Program, a summer internship for creative, undergraduate students. The first cohort participated this summer.

This internship program is designed to provide students with varied professional experiences that will help them explore and enhance their career goals. The projects included developing outreach initiatives and programming, creating online exhibits, providing public access to rare and special collection items, and enhancing content on the library’s web site. All projects involved some component of research, and the students developed expertise in locating and using library resources.

Three International Studies majors were part of the first cohort of the Michigan Library Scholars Internship Program:

Hyung-Gwan Bae worked with mentor Yunah Sung to develop a course introducing undergraduate students to general research methods in Korean studies. Hyung-Gwan is a native of Gwangju city, South Korea. He is currently a junior pursuing a double major in political science and international studies. Hyung-Gwan hopes to attend a top-tier international relations graduate school upon graduation.

Mena Hermiz worked with mentor Loyd Mbabu to produce a cohesive package of learning tools tailored for international studies majors. Mena is a rising senior from Sterling Heights, Michigan. She is majoring in international studies and Spanish, with a minor in Arab-American studies. After graduation, Mena hopes to spend some time teaching English abroad before pursuing masters’ degrees in public policy and education.

Blair Scott worked with mentor Susan Go to research and document U.S. archival collections related to Philippine history that will complement a project to digitize unique, unpublished writings from the American Historical Collection housed at the Rizal Library of Ateneo de Manila University. Blair is a junior from Chevy Chase, Maryland, studying international studies and history, with a minor in environmental studies and Spanish. As of now, she is investigating grant or post-graduate programs that will allow her to continue research on a senior thesis after graduation.