Internship Focus: Increasing the impact of used book sales and donations
The Iowa City Public Library is a center of community life that connects people of all ages with information, engages them with the world of ideas and with each other, and enriches the community by supporting learning, promoting literacy, and encouraging creativity. The Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation helps support the Library by fundraising money to help expand ICPL’s collection and services.
About the project:
Located on the second floor of ICPL, the Book End sells gently used books as well as DVDs and audiobooks on CD. The Book End is staffed entirely by volunteers, and proceeds benefit the programs, collections, and facilities of Iowa City Public Library. The goal of the ICPL Friends Foundation’s 2023 Book End Benchmarking Project is to (1) improve sales of library discards and donations of materials and (2) understand how discards and donated materials can be redistributed in the community to increase literacy and access.
The intern will help research and develop opportunities to improve book sales and share gently used books in the community. The intern will help conduct an analysis of current Book End practices through document research, interviews or questionnaires. Through methods such as site visits and informational interviews, the intern will also research how other libraries manage book sales and donations. The intern may also make connections with community partners who could be involved in sharing books and materials locally. By analyzing internal and external data sources, the intern will develop a report identifying opportunities and futures improvements.
Responsibilities will include:
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Conduct research with Book End volunteers and library patrons
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Analyze strengths and opportunities in current Book End practices
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Identify libraries with book sale programs for research and interview
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Connect with community organizations as potential collaborators in Iowa City
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Develop a report describing potential improvements to the Book End program
Qualifications and skills preferred:
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Primary and secondary research skills
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Strong writing and communication skills
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Comfort with informational interviews
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Experience with project management and situation analysis or willingness to learn
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Experience with simple questionnaire design or willingness to learn
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Willingness to travel to other libraries regionally
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Strong outreach and community building skills
Supervisor: Katie Roche, Development Office Coordinator
Location: Iowa City Public Library, 23 South Linn Street, Iowa City, IA 52240
Hours: Work will generally take place during normal business hours, with some outreach and events on evenings or weekends.