These testimonials from former participants in the Atkins Fellows program may help you decide if you want to apply to join us this summer. The program is about much more than the projects.
The Atkins Fellows Program is an incredible opportunity to gain real-world experience in an academic library, while also having opportunities to learn more about your special interests, work with supportive co-workers, and make life-long friends. All of the librarians at the Atkins Library are super understanding of new librarians and understand that we all have to start somewhere. Because of this, they are all super flexible, extremely nice, and ready and willing to talk to you about what their jobs entail and even let you shadow them. I've learned so many great things through my summer-long project, but also from everyone I have worked with. Atkins is such a great environment for new librarians and I now feel more prepared than ever to enter the library world! I can't recommend this fellowship enough - it definitely changed my life for the better.
Amanda Janke
Textbook Affordability Fellow, Summer 2023
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The Atkins Fellows Program is a great opportunity to gain experience working in an academic library and explore your interests in the library field. Coming into the program, I was new to libraries and didn’t have a focus in mind for my future career, so being able to meet with librarians from across the library and learn about their roles and career paths was incredibly helpful. Not only did I gain insight into what kind of library career I’d like, I also feel more prepared to tackle the job hunt when I graduate thanks to the resume review session, observing candidate job talks, and advice I received from librarians throughout the summer.
I also enjoyed working on my project! It was a good balance of research into what other libraries are doing and more technical work like creating and documenting workflows. I learned a lot about the landscape of scholarly communication work in libraries and came away with practical technical skills to add to my resume. As someone making a career change, my experience with the Atkins Fellows Program gave me the confidence to know I was making the right move!
Stephannie Regenauer
Open Access Fellow, Summer 2022
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Information Studies
For gaining professional experience in an academic library, I think it would be hard to find a better opportunity than an Atkins Fellowship. Not only was I able to take a deep dive in an area I wanted to learn about; I also gained broad familiarity with many other roles within the library. I met so many interesting and welcoming library and archives professionals, who were enthusiastic to share their knowledge, expertise, and ambitions. For me, it was as educational as my master's coursework, and actually more fun! Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised by the location. I found the Atkins Library itself, the UNC Charlotte campus, and the City of Charlotte, all very comfortable, yet vibrant. Finally, I have to add: Living in the city center and riding the light rail to work every day is definitely my style!
Owen King
Wikidata Fellow, Summer 2022
UNC Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science
The Atkins Fellows program is worthwhile for any library science student wondering if academic librarianship is the path for them. It provides the opportunity to explore an area of librarianship in depth through the project and to get a taste of other areas through panels, presentations, and informational interviews across the library.
Although I have worked in an academic library during library school, the Atkins Fellows program provided a different, complementary experience. Fellows are invited to do work that is taken seriously and used beyond the time they spend at Atkins, to sit in on committees, and to offer suggestions that can create change in the library. Rather than just working at a desk for a few shifts a week, Fellows are immersed in their projects and the culture at Atkins for the summer.
I have loved connecting with the other Fellows and with library faculty and staff across Atkins, and I'm so thankful to have been a Fellow. I highly recommend current students and eligible graduates apply.
Georgia Westbrook
Scholarly Communications + Digital Publishing Fellow, Summer 2019
Syracuse University iSchool
The Atkins Fellows program is a great way to learn about what it is really like to work in an academic library while getting paid.
I loved doing the fellows program in the summer in the middle of library school because it allowed me to try out some of the things I had been learning while allowing me to explore new parts of the library which influenced my course choices for the following year.
The program works well because the people in the library are invested in helping fellows find their place—you are treated as a professional and are always welcome to go to a committee meeting or webinar even if it has nothing to do with your project.
Speaking of the projects it is exciting to get to devote so much focused time and energy to one project and then to see the impact your work has on what the library does moving forward. I’m very glad I was a fellow!
Jenny Bruxvoort
Assessment Fellow, Summer 2018
University of Illinois iSchool
The Atkins Fellows Program attracted me because it offered full time work, a healthy stipend, and a chance to gain real experience in an academic library.
While other fellowships are offered to recent graduates, the Atkins Fellows Program gives you that hands-on experience at the mid-point of your library school education. I will now be able to strategically plan my final year of graduate school and explore the new interests I discovered while at Atkins.
In addition to the project work I completed, I also had the opportunity to participate in committees, professional development workshops, candidate job talks, and departmental meetings. I felt like a regular member of staff, and this openness, friendliness, and transparency was as valuable as the individual project I worked on.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Atkins Fellows Program to any student interested in working in academic libraries. You will develop your skills, increase your confidence, and build your professional network.
Amelia Midgett-Nicholson
Global Engagement Fellow, Summer 2018
UNC Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science
Return to the Atkins Fellows homepage to learn more about the program and to register for one of our informational sessions.