As the way people gather information continues to evolve, so does the way library professionals serve their patrons. This is an exciting time to explore a career in the library sciences, and as a student, there’s no better way to gain an insider’s perspective than by getting an internship. To do so, you will have to provide a resume, which should contain an objective. By doing some research, you can craft an objective that is specific to the library and the internship to give yourself an edge over other candidates.

Refer to the internship job listing for ideas about the duties the internship requires. As a student, you will not be expected to step in and perform at a managerial level, but you should possess some basic competencies culled from your college course work.

Research the library where the internship takes place to get an idea of its size, specialties and patrons. Visit the library to get a sense of the environment. This information can help you customize your resume and objective to the library's particular needs.

Brainstorm ideas for your objective, just as you’ve learned to do in your college writing classes. Write several objectives and consider merging some elements until you craft one that hits the mark.

Write a concise, specific and one-sentence objective which will force you to get right to the point and prune extraneous information.

Emphasize what you can contribute to the library instead of what you would gain from the internship. This one subtle but important distinction should set you apart from other students who might be vying for the same opportunity. For example, if the library draws a large number of children and offers a variety of children's programs, write an objective that focuses on relevant experience such as a minor in early childhood education.

Merge all the elements. You might say, for example, “I am seeking a library internship that would allow me to contribute my library science and early childhood education skills to help create and oversee children's programs and elevate the profile of the library in the community.”