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Site Supervisor Information

Introduction to the LIS 591 Practicum

Welcome to the LIS 591 Practicum course! This course is designed to give students the opportunity to gain experience in a type of library/information organization of their choice by performing professional tasks under the guidance of an experienced LIS professional. Reciprocally, it also provides an opportunity for LIS professionals to teach, train, and mentor new entrants to the LIS field as they perform their duties at the work site. The Practicum course entails approximately 100 hours of field work experience, of which up to 25 hours is used by the student to complete a Special Project. Please see some of the responses received from previous site supervisors regarding their experience with Practicum students: Site Supervisor Feedback.

All the information you will need is available via this page. Please read through the entire page, or link to specific sections of interest to you.

Working With GSLIS Faculty/Staff | Obtaining a Practicum Student | Supervising a Practicum Student | Appreciation from GSLIS

Letter from Associate Dean, Linda C. Smith

Dear Prospective Site Supervisor:

I want to thank you for your interest in the LIS 591 Practicum course at our Graduate School of Library and Information Science. The practicum provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain work experience under the tutelage of experienced professionals. As a Site Supervisor of a practicum student, you would fashion a meaningful educational experience to meet both your organizational needs as well as the student's needs and interests.

In addition to providing an invaluable experience for students, the practicum experience is also designed to benefit you and your organization. Your organization receives additional help, oftentimes enabling the completion of special projects, as well as the enthusiasm, new ideas, energy, and inquiring mind of a graduate student. As a Site Supervisor, you also have an opportunity to mentor a new entrant to the LIS field, thereby benefitting from the mentor-student exchange and contributing to the growth and development of both a new generation of professionals and the profession.

Our students consistently rate the practicum as one of their most valuable LIS educational experiences and this is dependent upon their relationship with, and guidance from, the Site Supervisor. As Associate Dean, I want to thank you for your participation in our educational program and contribution to extending learning beyond the classroom. The Graduate School of Library and Information Science values the knowledge, skills, and experience to be gained from "real-world" field work. In addition, we value our relationship with the community of professionals who, as Practicum Site Supervisors, support our teaching mission. I believe that the practicum mutually benefits our respective organizations, and provides a unique way for all of us to gain educationally, professionally, and personally.

Sincerely,
Linda C. Smith
Associate Dean

Appreciation from GSLIS

The Administration of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) greatly appreciates the contributions made by practicing professionals and organizations in sharing their expertise with its graduate students. As a token of this appreciation, the Graduate School offers Tuition and Fee Waivers (TFW) to Site Supervisors and organizations. For individual Site Supervisors, the TFW enables the Site Supervisor to enroll full-time or part-time for one semester at the University of Illinois, on any of its three campuses. The period in which the TFW can be used begins with the actual term of the Practicum supervision plus the following three semesters; the TFW then expires.

For organizations outside of the University of Illinois that supervise four or more Practicum students, waivers may be assigned to an organizational TFW pool for use by any full-time organizational employee or student graduate assistant who registers for GSLIS courses, and with recommendation of the Dean and approval of the Dean of the Graduate College.

To claim the TFW, please see the TFW Policy at the end of this page.

Working With GSLIS Faculty/Staff

The GSLIS Practicum Coordinator (Lynn Hanson) is available to assist you throughout the Practicum process. If you have an interest in obtaining a Practicum student, questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact the Practicum Coordinator:

Lynn M. Hanson
Practicum Coordinator
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
218 Library and Information Science Building, MC-493
501 East Daniel Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820-6211
Telephone (217) 333-6202
Fax (217) 244-3302
E-mail -lmhanson, at uiuc.edu-

The GSLIS Practicum Faculty Advisor - In addition to the Practicum Coordinator, you will also communicate with the student's Practicum Faculty Advisor. The Faculty Advisor is a member of the GSLIS faculty or staff who has experience or expertise in the area of the student'€™s Practicum field work. The Faculty Advisor will give final approval to the student'€™s Practicum Contract and Special Project Abstract. The Faculty Advisor will also assign the student's final grade for the Practicum, based on your Performance Review of the student's work. The Practicum Contract, Special Project Abstract and Performance Review documents are all described below.

Obtaining a Practicum Student

There are two ways to obtain a Practicum student: 1) the Practicum student can approach you to establish a Practicum arrangement in his or her desired location and field, or 2) the LIS professional may submit a Practicum announcement to the Practicum Coordinator for posting to the GSLIS student body. If you would like to post the availability of a Practicum, please fax the form, Practicum Opportunity, or send the same information via e-mail, to the Practicum Coordinator, Lynn Hanson (E-mail: -lmhanson, at uiuc.edu- Fax 217-244-3302).

Supervising a Practicum Student

Once you have obtained a Practicum student, you will undertake the responsibilities described below. The four items listed in CAPITALS below (#1, #2, #6, #10) will require your participation in completing a form with your signature. The only written document which you must initiate is #10, the Performance Review.

Consult this list of Readings to explore the published literature about how best to work with Practicum students.

1. PRACTICUM CONTRACT - You will negotiate a Practicum Contract with the student which specifies the nature of the site, the educational/professional needs of the student, the expectations of the site and the student, and basic information and procedures for the field experience as indicated on the Practicum Contract form. The student will complete the Practicum Contract form, obtain your signature, and submit the form to the Faculty Advisor for approval.
2. TUITION AND FEE WAIVER - In order to claim your Tuition and Fee Waiver as our Thank You for serving as Site Supervisor, please complete the Statement of Selective Service Registration Compliance form. Students are asked to present you with the form and to submit it to the Practicum Coordinator on your behalf. Alternately, you may complete and submit the form directly to the Practicum Coordinator.
3. Scheduling - Schedule the student's time in the agency.
4. Accommodation - Make arrangements at the site for space, equipment, supplies, etc. needed by the student.
5. Orientation - Orient the student to the site, the organizational structure of the agency and the professional nature of the supervising librarian's responsibilities. Please see the outline, "€œOverview of the Field Experience Environment," below to guide your discussion with the student.
6. Supervision - Provide for supervision of the student.
7. SPECIAL PROJECT - After the student has begun the field experience, work with the student to suggest possibilities and procedures for the required Special Project. Student time devoted to the Special Project should not exceed 25 hours of the student’s total 100 Practicum hours. The Special Project should evolve out of a real need or problem of the library or information center. Students should demonstrate their capacity for self-direction and creativity in the planning and implementation of the project. The student will complete the Special Project Abstract form which serves as a proposal for the Project, obtain your signature, and submit the form to the Faculty Advisor for approval.
8. Meetings - Meet with the student regularly for discussion regarding the process and progress of the work experience.
9. Communication - Provide information as necessary to the Practicum Faculty Advisor and/or the Practicum Coordinator.
10. PERFORMANCE REVIEW - At the conclusion of the Practicum, it is your responsibility to prepare a written review of the student to assist the Faculty Advisor in assigning a grade for the student. You may use the Performance Review form or write a more informal or customized review. You will submit the Performance Review to the Practicum Coordinator, via either e-mail or regular mail. The Practicum Coordinator will inform you of the due date of the Performance Review in order to meet the deadline for submitting grades.

Overview of the Field Experience Environment in Libraries and Information Agencies

Every Practicum student should be introduced to the total environment of the library or information agency in which s/he is assigned. The following components are all important aspects of that environment:

1. Mission of the agency
2. Goals and objectives of the agency
3. Community served by agency
4. Administration/management
   1. Organizational structure
   2. Policies and procedures
5. Roles of personnel
6. Use of resources
   1. Fiscal
   2. Space
   3. Facilities
   4. Equipment
7. Technical services
   1. Acquisition
   2. Organization
   3. Storage
   4. Dissemination
8. Information services and programs
   1. Planning
   2. Public relations
   3. Evaluating
9. Interrelationships/interdependence of systems
   1. Internal
   2. External
10. Strengths and concerns of the agency

Tuition and Fee Waiver (TFW) Policy for LIS 591 Practicum

Statement of Selective Service Registration Compliance - This form is needed in order to claim your Tuition and Fee Waiver as our Thank You for serving as Site Supervisor. Students are asked to present you with the form and to submit it to the Practicum Coordinator on your behalf. Alternately, you may complete and submit the form directly to the Practicum Coordinator.

TFW Policy for Site Supervisors

Tuition and fee waivers are provided, under the following conditions, for cooperating site supervisors of the LIS 591 Practicum course in appreciation for the Supervisor's contribution to the GSLIS academic program. Recipients who register fulltime or partime in University courses are exempt from both tuition and the service fee for one semester or summer session for each semester or equivalent of service rendered within two consecutive semesters. Cooperating personnel can earn a total of one waiver per semester regardless of the number of students they supervise. The waiver shall apply to the semester or summer session of registration, as designated by the student, which is concurrent with, or following, the term of service, but must be applied not later than one calendar year from the end of term of service. Use of tuition and fee waivers is contingent upon admission to one of the three campuses of the University of Illinois or to one of their academic programs, or enrollment in community credit. The tuition and fee waiver will be accepted at any of the three campuses, with the understanding that campuses may reserve the right to restrict the use of undergraduate waivers.

TFW Policy for Organizations

Tuition and fee waivers are provided, under the following conditions, for cooperating organizations of the LIS 591 Practicum course, by GSLIS as appreciation for their continued and sustained contribution to the GSLIS academic program. In organizations outside the University of Illinois that accept four practicum students, one tuition and fee waiver may be added to an organizational TFW pool, such that any full-time organizational employee or organizational student graduate assistant who registers in GSLIS courses may use one of the waivers and be exempt from fees as stated above, upon recommendation of the Dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science and approval of the Dean of the Graduate College. The waiver shall cover base-rate tuition and fees and apply to the semester or summer session of registration, as designated by the student, which is concurrent with, or following, the term of service, but be applied not later than one calendar year from the end of the term service.

For example, four practicum supervisors within an organization supervise one student each for a total of four students in LIS 591 during the fall semester 2008. Each supervisor earns one waiver and could use that waiver to register for courses anywhere in the UI system at any time through the fall semester of 2009. On the other hand, if a total of four waivers were earned by the organization, another waiver can be given to the organization's pool, and used to provide a full-semester tuition waiver for any employee or student worker in the organization, during the same time period, at GSLIS. Pooled waivers may not be used elsewhere in the University system.

last updated February 12, 2008