Announcing the Spring 2025 Ask A Librarian Interns

The Ask A Librarian Internship Program is excited to welcome the Spring 2025 cohort to Columbia University Libraries. The Ask A Librarian Internship provides library and information science students with paid, hands-on experience in academic librarianship. Interns receive training and support from a librarian supervisor at Columbia in order to assist users through the Ask A Librarian chat reference service. Additionally, interns work in collaboration with their supervisor to conduct a project. Please join us in welcoming Angelica, Jala, and Sam!

Angelica Aranda

Angelica Aranda: Hi! My name is Angelica and I am based in Astoria, Queens (where I grew up). I am a first-generation college graduate and American: my mom is Dominican and my dad is Ecuadorian. I double majored in political science and studio art in undergrad at the University of Rochester and am now pursuing my MLIS at Syracuse University. I am an artist book maker and zinester and my dream is to one day work in an artist book specific collection. See you around on the e-chat!

Jala Robertson

Jala Robertson: Hello! My name is Jala Robertson and I am a current Ask A Librarian intern, working through the Learning About and Leading Library Instruction program! In 2023, I earned my BA in English from the University of South Carolina and began working and interning at various libraries, archives, and museums. Through my professional experiences, I have found that I love engaging with cultural heritage and conducting research which helps to expand and preserve human memory, especially as it relates to the narratives of underserved populations.

I have recently moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue my MLIS degree through Simmons University, where I plan to land a career in librarianship. While I have honed my skills in digital projects, library instruction, and reference are areas where I can further improve and learn beyond humanities. I am excited to contribute to Columbia University Libraries and continue learning about the vast discipline of information science.

Sam Ward

Sam Ward (she/they) is a MLIS student at the University of Alabama with an expected graduation date of December 2025. She has experience in public libraries both as a library assistant and a youth education coordinator, and she currently works as a librarian at a men’s state prison. Her driving passion is making information and diverse stories accessible to all as well as teaching patrons the skills needed to traverse the information landscape. After completing her degree, she plans to pursue this work through a career in academic libraries as well as developing an online community supporting the “multiple-hat-wearing” kind of librarians who keep communities going.

Do you have questions about the Ask A Librarian Internship? Please contact AskALibrarianInternship@library.columbia.edu for more information.

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