The UK School of Information Science offers an alternative spring break program in which LIS students can gain career-enhancing experience working in the country’s leading national libraries and archives.

Previous Host Institutions/Organizations:

National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Smithsonian Libraries

Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM)

About ASB

Begun in 2011, the UK SIS Alternative Spring Break program has partnered with the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, the National Archives & Records Administration, and the Smithsonian Libraries. Participating students spend one week at one of these institutions paired with a working librarian or archivist. Each student is able to contribute to an ongoing project and learn from practicing professionals in the field. We are proud to be one of the only Library Science programs which offers this unique professional development opportunity to its students. The School supports chosen interns with a scholarship to offset travel and lodging expenses. Check out our program video to see more.

Past Alternative Spring Break Students:

Spring 2014

Read tweets from the 2014 participants.

See photos from the 2014 participants.

Spring 2015

Read tweets from the 2015 participants

See photos from the 2015 participants.

Spring 2016

Read tweets from the 2016 participants

Read written reflections from the 2016 participants

Read Cat Staley's guest post on the Smithsonian Libraries' blog

Read Ashlee-Amber Skipper's ASB 2016 wordpress.

See photos from the 2016 participants.

Spring 2017

Read tweets from the 2017 participants

Read written reflections from the 2017 participants

Spring 2018

Read tweets from the 2018 participants

Read written reflections from the 2018 participants

See photos from the 2018 participants

Spring 2019

Read interviews and see photos from our Spring 2019 participants

Spring 2020

Read reflections from our Spring 2020 participants

Spring 2021

Read reflections from our Spring 2021 participants

Spring 2022

Read reflections from our Spring 2022 participants

Previous host institutions:

Students in the past have had the opportunity to intern at the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine and National Networks of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) Greater Midwest Chapter, and the Smithsonian Libraries. Host institutions determine the availability of internship positions and the projects for interns in a given year. The decision to offer an internship position or take a student as an intern for ASB belongs to the host institution. Please click on the logos to learn more about our present ASB hosts.