I used to work on this initiative and highly recommend those qualified apply. Below is the text of the press release, but I encourage you to look at the web version here: http://www.arl.org/news/pr/CEP-15august12.shtml

Best, 

Lindsay C. Sarin
MLS Program Coordinator 
College of Information Studies | University of Maryland
4105 Hornbake Building, South Wing | College Park, MD 20742
T: 301.305.1246 | [log in to unmask] | blogMLS: mls.umd.edu


Begin Forwarded Message
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For immediate release:
August 15, 2012

For more information, contact:
Mark A. Puente
Association of Research Libraries
[log in to unmask]


Career Enhancement Program Call for Applications
Deadline October 12, 2012

Washington, DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is now accepting applications for the ARL Career Enhancement Program. Masters of library and information science (MLIS) students from racial and ethnic minority groups, who have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credit hours (or will complete 12 hours by the scheduled internship) from an ALA–accredited MLIS program, are encouraged to apply for this enriching program experience.

The ARL Career Enhancement Program has three main components:

A 6-to-12-Week Internship Experience
Each Fellow will have a unique opportunity to work in an ARL member research library to gain both educational and professional experience while enrolled in an MLIS program. Fellows will be assembled in groups of two or three to create a fellowship cohort at each host institution.

Leadership Development
The Fellows will participate in the ARL Leadership Symposium held in January during the ALA Midwinter Meeting. During the Symposium, the Fellows will have an opportunity to explore macro-level issues facing research libraries and discuss appropriate strategies for securing a professional position in research libraries upon graduation. The Fellows will have an opportunity to connect with other ARL fellows, library leaders, and other MLIS students who attend the annual event.

Career Placement
ARL staff will work with each Fellow to network and connect with member libraries to assist with networking during the job search process.

The ARL Career Enhancement Program provides each fellowship participant with a rewarding compensation package with a potential value in excess of $10,000 per person.

Eligible applicants for the Fellowship must:
Be accepted into an ALA–accredited library/information school program
Be a member of a racial/ethnic minority group as described by the US Census Bureau
Complete a minimum of 12 graduate-level credits in library and information science prior to beginning the internship
Selection and Institutional Match
The ARL Career Enhancement Program has a unique process for selecting and matching Fellows. Each host institution designates a staff member to serve on the Coordinating Committee. The committee will evaluate the entire applicant pool, select participants, and then enter into dialogue about the institution that is best positioned to create a rewarding internship experience. The assignments will be based on the Fellows’ skills, knowledge and expectations for the experience.

The CEP host institutions are:
University of Arizona 
University of California, San Diego 
Columbia University 
University of Kentucky 
University of Michigan 
National Library of Medicine 
North Carolina State University 
University of Washington (not participating in the program in 2013)

Applications
Applications are being accepted until October 12, 2012, and should be submitted online. Information about the program, the application process, timelines, and host institutions can be found at http://www.arl.org/diversity/cep/index.shtml.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 126 research libraries in the US and Canada. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the web at http://www.arl.org/.