Summary
The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program (JFP) is a paid, 10-week annual summer internship program that enables undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates to gain career experience by working with analog and digital collections and supporting the services of the world's largest, all-inclusive library.
Working with curators and specialists in various divisions, Junior Fellows explore collections, resources, and initiatives and produce products that position the Library of Congress as a dynamic center for fostering innovation, sparking creativity, and building lifelong connections.
With guidance from mentors, Junior Fellows are exposed to a broad spectrum of library work, including: reference, access, public programming, copyright, preservation, and information technology.
JFP projects increase access to Library of Congress collections and promote awareness of the Library's resources to Congress and people in communities across America. In the past, Junior Fellows have identified and interpreted hundreds of historical, literary, artistic, cinematic and musical gems representing the Library’s rich cultural, creative and intellectual assets.
No previous experience is necessary, but internships are competitive and special skills or knowledge are usually desired. Selections are based on narrative responses to vacancy announcement questions, reference calls, and an interview with a selection official.
The Junior Fellows Program, a signature initiative of the Library of Congress since 1991, is made possible by a gift from the late James Madison Council member Nancy Glanville Jewell through the Glanville Family Foundation, the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund, and a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Responsibilities
Program Focus
The focus of the program is to increase access to Library collections and to promote awareness and appreciation of the Library's services to Congressional members, scholars, students, teachers, and the general public. Junior Fellows encourage the use of collections and services − ensuring that the Library of Congress is known as a living, dynamic center for scholarly work and meaningful connections.
Program participants inventory, catalog, arrange, preserve, and research collections in varied formats, as well as assist in digital and analog library initiatives. Upon completion of their assignments, Junior Fellows work closely with Library curators and specialists to plan and present a display of their most significant discoveries and accomplishments.
Of the People: Widening the Path
In 2021, JFP became a component of the multiyear Of the People: Widening the Path, funded by the Mellon Foundation, to connect more deeply with Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other underrepresented communities by expanding Library of Congress collections, using technology to enable storytelling, and offering more internship and fellowship opportunities.
Of the People aligns with a larger vision at the Library to connect with all Americans by inviting new generations to participate in creating, preserving, and sharing the nation’s cultural treasures and building on the Library’s commitment to collect and preserve more underrepresented perspectives and experiences.
Under the direction of the 14th Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, and in response to the national conversation about civil rights, the Library continues to re-imagine how it can address the unequal ways in which libraries, archives, and schools preserve and present the American story.