Try It Before You Buy It: Library Residencies as Experiential Learning

Poster presentation given at the 2019 Association of Library and Information Science Educators (ALISE) Conference on September 24, 2019 in Knoxville, TN.
Librarian positions are becoming increasingly technical and advanced as libraries meet the evolving needs of their diverse sets of users, making truly entry-level positions incredibly challenging to find, especially at top research institutions. The career limitations that many new LIS graduates face is problematic, especially for those individuals without prior academic or specialized library experience. This poster will showcase the pilot program of the University of Texas Libraries' residency program from the perspective of the two inaugural Consuelo Artaza and Carlos Castañeda Diversity Resident Librarians. It will highlight how residency programs are a way to address gaps in experience for new graduates and allow early career librarians to explore and identify areas within academic librarianship through experiential learning without having to commit to a "librarian track" too soon. The poster will provide suggested on-boarding and orientation procedures, present a sampling of residency projects, insight into the assessment of the pilot program, and highlight acquired skills during the first year of the residency. The poster will also reflect on challenges and limitations present in residency positions.