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A student in the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University is one of 19 students nationwide selected by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) for a fellowship in its competitive Career Enhancement Program.
Don Jason, from Cincinnati, Ohio, received a fellowship to intern at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Md., during the summer of 2011. He also recently attended the association’s 7th annual leadership symposium in San Diego, Calif.
Jason is completing his first year in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at Kent State, where he is focusing on archival and museum collections. He also is the Academic Libraries Diversity Intern at the university, which has allowed him to work in every division of the library system, including reference, circulation, periodicals and technical services, as well as in the six subject-based branch libraries on campus.
In addition, Jason serves as the school’s representative to the Kent State Graduate Student Senate and works as a third-shift security aide for the university’s Office for Safety and Security. Off-campus, Jason volunteers as a computer class teacher for the Akron Urban League.
He is a member of the American Library Association, the African-American Male Librarians Association, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (national and Kent State chapters).
Jason graduated magna cum laude in June 2010 with a B.S. in journalism from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. As a student and before starting graduate school, he interned and worked for various news media and other organizations, including the Ohio University Communications and Marketing, Ohio University Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County public relations department, Cincinnati Art Museum public relations department and Southeastern Ohio Legal Services.
"I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Association of Research Libraries' Career Enhancement Program Fellowship. The networking, professional development as well as career placement assistance will be invaluable as I transition from an academic career at Kent State University and enter the workforce to begin a professional career," Jason said. "I can accredit this blessing first and foremost to God and secondly, to the top-notch education I received at both Ohio University and Kent State University."
The ARL Career Enhancement Program, funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and ARL member libraries gives master of library and information science (MLIS) students from underrepresented groups the opportunity to jump-start their careers in research libraries by providing a robust fellowship experience that includes an internship in an ARL member library. It involves a six- to 12-week internship experience in an ARL library, mentoring by a professional librarian at the host institution, participation in the ARL Leadership Symposium and career placement assistance.
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 126 research libraries in North America. 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. For more information about ARL and the fellowship, visit http://www.arl.org/news/pr/CEP-Fellows-6dec10.shtml.
Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science offers the only Master of Library and Information Science degree program in Ohio that is accredited by the American Library Association, and one of the nation’s few master’s degrees in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management. The school is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top 20 graduate schools, and its youth librarianship program is ranked 13th. It is one of the largest library schools in the country, with nearly 700 students enrolled.